I’m always on the hunt for the ‘ultimate kayak’. The idea that such a kayak exists is a little unrealistic. What I’m really searching for is my ultimate kayak. We’re all looking for something a little different. Depending on factors like paddling expertise, where we paddle, and what type of paddling experiences we like to pursue.
I love touring kayaks
As someone who loves a touring kayak that can handle rough conditions, and that offers speed, maneuverability and comfort, I’ve been excited to test out the P&H Sea Kayaks Virgo touring kayak, which seems to check all those boxes.
The P&H Sea Kayaks Virgo touring kayak is an all-conditions touring/sea kayak. It’s available in three sizes – the LV (low volume), MV (mid volume), and the HV (high volume). The version I’m testing is the Virgo MV, which is designed for ‘average’ size adults.
P&H Virgo Specifications
“The P&H Sea Kayaks Virgo touring kayak is an all-conditions touring/sea kayak. It’s available in three sizes – the LV (low volume), MV (mid volume), and the HV (high volume).”
Suggested Retail Price: $1899 USD
Length: 14’5”
Width: 23”
Weight: 56 lbs (25 kg)
Max Capacity: 220 lbs (100 kg)
Ranging between 14’ and 15’ in length, the P&H Virgo series of kayaks can be considered short sea kayaks, or long recreational touring kayaks. While they’re quite narrow for recreational touring kayaks, they’re not overly narrow compared to other sea kayaks, which tells me that they’re designed to be fast, but wide enough to offer a level of stability and comfort.
At 56 lbs, and being shorter than most sea kayaks, the Virgo MV is a very reasonable weight for a polyethylene (plastic) kayak, and easier to get around than some other kayaks in its class.
Features of the P&H Virgo
The Virgo has all the standard features you expect from a sea kayak, including perimeter lines, deck bungies on the bow and stern, two bulkheads that separate the kayak into three watertight compartments, and large hatches at each end to access the compartments. The Virgo also features a retractable skeg and a small day hatch immediately in front of the cockpit.
P&H Virgo Words
“The Virgo is a compact but uncompromising sea kayak for weekend warriors, at a length which provides ample hull speed for short to medium journeys whilst keeping the boat weight to a minimum. The compact design and a defined carving rail combine to give responsive manoeuvrability for exploring varied coastline environments, and high stability ensures you can venture into the unknown with confidence too.”
To appropriately test these claims, I took the kayak on a 3-hour test paddle on my local river. I tested its performance at casual ‘touring’ speeds, while paddling aggressively on flatwater, and in class 1 and 2 whitewater. Here’s what I learned.
Speed of the Virgo as a Touring Kayak
At 14’5” long, the Virgo MV was as fast as I expected it to be. It isn’t as fast as longer sea kayaks, but it’s quite fast compared to other recreational touring kayaks. It accelerates very well, glides nicely, and tracks very well. This is what you'd expect from a 14’ foot kayak that has a skeg.
Stability of the Virgo
At 23” wide, the Virgo gives up some stability for speed. That being said, I’m surprised at how stable it is. It’s a kayak that offers enough stability to put down your paddle and relax, without feeling any type of unsteadiness. I probably wouldn’t put a nervous beginner in this kayak. I would be very comfortable putting a more confident beginner in this kayak. When tilted on edge, the Virgo showed tremendous secondary stability as well. It clearly enjoys being held on edge, which is a key feature for handling varied conditions.
Maneuverability of the Virgo
Shorter kayaks typically trade speed for maneuverability. I expected the 14’5” long Virgo to be more nimble than a 16’ or 17’ sea kayak. Even still, I smiled like a kid while testing the agility of the Virgo. The boat tracks well when traveling forward. When placed on edge, the accentuated rocker and the hard chine work together and allow the kayak to carve aggressive turns.
This gives the boat a wonderfully playful feel. Turning a sea kayak around from a stationary position is usually something I dread. When placed on edge, the Virgo spun 180-degrees with a couple of well-intentioned sweep strokes. This flatwater maneuverability translates directly to the rougher water as well. As long as you’re a confident paddler and skilled enough to hold your kayak on edge in those types of conditions.
P&H Virgo Kayak Comfort
The P&H Virgo cockpit is simple and comfortable. It lacks the bells and whistles found on some recreational kayak seats, but with that it gains durability. This is a seating system that will hold up over long tours, or when paddling in the roughest conditions. The reinforced thigh braces are not only very comfortable, but they offer a level of confidence that I appreciated, as did the easily adjusted and robust foot brace system.
I was concerned about the day hatch consuming too much space in the cockpit area, even though I love the idea of having a day hatch there (instead of behind the cockpit where it’s awkward and uncomfortable to reach), but those concerns proved to be unfounded. The hard-shelled day hatch wasn’t an issue, even for a long-limbed guy like myself.
The boat has plenty of space in the cockpit for bigger paddlers. At 6’2” tall and 195 lbs, I had lots of room and could imagine someone quite a bit bigger enjoying the kayak as well.
Fit and Size of the Virgo kayak
The P&H Virgo MV is cast as a touring kayak for paddlers up to 220 lbs (100 kg). Being 195 lbs, I would consider this to be an appropriate rating for the kayak. While I didn’t feel over-weight for the kayak, I also didn’t feel that I could load the boat with camping gear without the kayak feeling overburdened.
For someone my weight, this is a very playful kayak, but not a great multi-day kayak. If you’re goal is to do multi-day trips, I would recommend this kayak for people under 180 pounds. Further to this, I am clearly at the tallest range for what this kayak can accommodate. At 6’2” (188 cm), I had the foot pedals pushed to their limit, and the kayak didn’t offer me much space to move around.
This formed fit provided excellent boat control, but if I were getting the kayak for long touring paddles or multi-day trips, I believe the Virgo HV would be the better option for someone of my size. My feeling is that this kayak is best designed for someone 6’ (183 cm) or less.
Quality of P&H Sea Kayaks Virgo
“Overall, the P&H Sea Kayaks Virgo MV is a beautiful kayak. It is a very well designed boat with high quality construction.”
One imperative for a kayak that is designed to be paddled in rough conditions, is quality construction. It’s not only a matter of confidence, but a matter of safety. In this area, the Virgo truly shined. It’s evident that a lot of thought and expertise went into the hull design. On top of that, it’s clear that a heavy amount of consideration went into building a kayak that would hold up to the rigors of paddling in rough, saltwater conditions.
The impression I get from the Virgo is that the designers were asking themselves, ‘how can we make this better?’, rather than, ‘how can we make this cheaper?’. I am very impressed with the quality of its construction and I believe this kayak will hold up to the rigors of paddling in any type of conditions.
Summary of the Virgo kayak review
Overall, the P&H Sea Kayaks Virgo MV is a beautiful kayak. It is a very well designed boat with high quality construction. At 14’5” long, it’s not the fastest sea kayak, but it offers a great balance of stability, speed and maneuverability.
If your main interest is multi-day paddling trips, this likely isn’t the right kayak for you, as it lacks the storage space that longer sea kayaks or wider recreational touring kayaks provide. That being said, it can still get the job done for 2- to 3-day overnight trips. If your only interest is relaxed paddling in calm water conditions, while this kayak wouldn’t be a bad choice, there are better options out there.
Who is the P&H Virgo Touring Kayak for?
This kayak is for intermediate to expert kayakers who enjoy being able to paddle and play in all types of conditions. Furthermore, the Virgo has enough stability to be a great entry-level kayak for eager beginner paddlers who want a kayak that will continue to serve their needs as they develop their skills. If you’re one of these type of people, then I believe you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better kayak on the market.
Otherwise, here’s some links to gear that I was using during this kayak review.
Shorts: NRS Benny Board Short: https://bit.ly/2VIbK0L
Dry Bags: NRS Ether Lock 10L Drybag – https://www.nrs.com/product/55034.01/nrs-ether-hydrolock-dry-sack
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