The Melker Ulvon sea kayak is one of the best-looking kayaks, but I wanted to see how well it performed. I took it on a backcountry mission on a section of the Ottowa River that I’d never paddled before to test it out. The trip involved getting past five beaver dams, a culvert, a thick swamp, fallen trees, and a ton of bugs! So after putting it to a real test, let's see how it fared in another in-depth, unbiased Melker Ulvon kayak review.
Melker Kayaks
One of the central missions of Melker is to redefine the manufacturing process in the paddling industry. Ultimately they want to make it completely sustainable. The founder is an engineer from the tech world who wants to bring sustainable ideas to the world of paddle sports.
As part of this, all Melker kayaks use locally sourced flaxweed instead of the standard composites, carbon kevlar, and carbon fiber. Flaxweed is more environmentally friendly and gives the kayak a beautiful wood-like finish. The Melker Uvlon, like all Melker kayaks, is visually stunning. But the real question is, how does it paddle?
Melker Ulvon HV Specifications
Price: $3900 (USD)
Length: 17’ 5”
Width: 21”
Weight: 54 LBS (24.5kg)
Capacity: 165-240 LBS
Best use: Touring
Features of the Melker Uvlon
The Melker Uvlon is a long, narrow sea kayak designed for speed. It has no rocker. It has plenty of volume at the front – although there is no upturned front to help with waves. In general, it has volume. With a capacity of up to 240 LBS, you can take the Uvlon on a real touring trip.
The Uvlon does not have thigh hooks meaning it isn't designed to use in rough water, rapids, surfing, or rock gardens. It is designed to cover long distances. The benefit of not having thigh hooks is that people who aren’t as comfortable feeling enclosed in a kayak will feel more secure.
The Uvlon is still rollable. The contour of the deck allows you to grip it with your knees and roll it. It also comes with pads that you can place in the kayak to make it easier to roll.
Another neat feature of the Melker Uvlon is that it comes with both a rudder and a skeg. You do not need to choose. I don’t typically use rudders as I can maneuver easily without them, but the Skeg is a great addition. With the slight breeze on the Ottowa River, the skeg was helpful to keep my kayak on course. Typically I would choose a skeg but getting the option to use both is fantastic.
Comfort
After about two and a half hours, I needed to take a little break from kayaking to stretch my legs. The seat is basic but is surprisingly comfortable for what it is. That said, it doesn’t have a lot of padding so my butt needed a little break at some points. Luckily I had to scramble over several obstacles so I got plenty of chances to stretch.
A Note on Greenland Paddles
For this adventure, as the plan was to cover the distance, I used my Greenland paddles. These are incredibly lightweight and suitable for covering large distances. They took some getting used to when I first started using them as the blades are so small. I constantly had to think about the angle I used to pull them through the water. But nowadays, it feels more natural.
The Greenland paddle takes more time to get comfortable with than a typical paddle. So if you don’t have the patience to get used to it, it might be a frustrating paddle experience. If you go for a Greenland paddle, you should prepare to spend some time figuring it out and getting to know it. It isn’t as intuitive as a standard paddle.
All in All
I didn’t test the Melker Uvlon in rough water, but I did try it in rough conditions. I dragged it over five beaver dams and gave it its first scratches. But, as I always say, a boat without scratches is a boat without experience. And my Melker Uvlon certainly has experience now. Throughout the entire adventure, it was a fun boat to paddle and easy to portage. It really is a beautiful kayak.
Be sure to have a look at the other Melker review I've done: Melker Rödlöga Review, an Environmentally Friendly Kayak
Kayak: Melker Ulvon
Paddles: Gearlab Outdoors Greenland Ipik
PFD: NRS OSO Lifejacket
Storage: Gearlab Outdoors Deck Pod 2
Clothing: NRS Short Sleeved Guide Shirt
Sunglasses: Wiley X
