I don't live near the sea, but that doesn't mean I cannot test a sea kayak in rough water. The last time I took the P&H Sea Kayaks Volan 160 out for a test it was in flat water. But I wanted to really put it to the test, so I took it down the Main Channel of the Ottawa River to see how it dealt with BIG water. So let’s see how the P&H Volan 160 handles rough water.
I did a full review of the Volan here: P&H Volan 160 Kayak Review.
The Big Wave Test for the Volan 160
To test how well the P&H Sea Kayaks Volan 160 performs in big water, I took it down the main channel of the Ottawa River. This paddling mission involves a series of rapids:
- McCoys. This rapid has a couple of big holes that you want to miss.
- Lorne. Lorne starts with a big wave known as Garburator and has a range of standing waves, ending with the Waikiki waves.
- The Lunch Stop waves.
- Normans. Normans is one of the bigger rapids on the Ottawa main channel. All the water is funneled into a mini, low-walled canyon with offset compression waves of a good size.
- Coliseum. The Coliseum has the largest waves on the river and two major holes. It is chaotic with waves, boils, and whirlpools.
These rapids provide a fun and interesting set of challenges for the P&H Volan 160. Taking the P&H Volan here lets us see how it actually performs in big waves and rough water. It might not be the sea, but these rapids have plenty of waves to test the kayak on!
Paddling a Sea Kayak on Rapids
Sea kayaks, such as the P&H Volan 160, are not designed for use in rapids. When paddling rapids in a sea kayak, you cannot easily correct your line. Once you have set up, that is where you are going! You have to stick with the line you’ve chosen. With even the slightest wrong angle, a sea kayak can spin and be difficult to get back on course. So you have got to set up your line well. This makes taking a sea kayak down rapids a little trickier, but it also makes it so much fun. It can be much more like rafting than whitewater kayaking at times.
A Side Note on Paddles
One major learning experience that came when paddling the Lorne rapids was actually with the paddle. After hitting one of the big waves, I did a brace stroke and caught the versalock lever of my telescoping paddles, on my skirt. Because of this, all of a sudden my blades were rotating. Both halves of my paddle were loosely connected, with one half in each hand. This is not exactly what you want in the middle of a rapid!
To solve the problem, I stabilized myself, squared the paddle off to zero, and snapped the clip shut again. But, in the future, when kayaking in big waves and rapids, I will either stick to using a fixed paddle or tape the lever down so it cannot inadvertently pop!
How Did the P&H Volan Sea Kayak Perform in Big Waves?
Despite not being designed for running rapids, the P&H Volan Sea Kayak 160 took me safely and successfully down the rapids on the Ottawa main channel. The boat took me down more than just successfully, it was also fun. I had a good time!
The Volan 160 performed exactly as I expected it to. It is a sea kayak so it is not designed to handle all the different currents you get in rapids. It is not supposed to handle like a whitewater kayak, and, unsurprisingly, it doesn’t.
That said, it is a very maneuverable sea kayak. It has enough rocker to be able to deal with big waves and use the waves to turn. More generally the rocker helps it turn well.
For the mile or so of flat water between the rapids, I was able to drop the skeg and paddle. The skeg helps the P&H Volan track very well. It tracks like an arrow.
What Improvements Could There Be on the P&H Volan 160?
One big takeaway from this trip is the outfitting of the boat. The Volan 160 does not have aggressive thigh hooks. There is enough support there for my knees to be able to edge or even roll the kayak. It provides enough to allow you to handle the kayak as needed. However, it could provide more support, allowing for better leg control and making the kayak more comfortable.
To solve these issues I can contour foam around the knees, giving my leg more to grab onto. For me, it is worth doing this as I intend to carry on using the P&H Volan 160 to run more rapids like these. However, for most people using this boat, people who will not be running big rapids, it is not worth the effort.
All in all, this was a very enjoyable trip that allowed me to test the P&H Volan Sea Kayak 160 out in big waves. And that test was very successful! Read more about the P&H Volan and the other Best Kayaks and Canoes of 2023.
Kayak: P&H Volan 160
Paddles: Aqua Bound Manta Ray Hybrid
PFD: NRS Zen PFD
Clothing: NRS Short Sleeved Guide Shirt
