Shoreline Outdoor Pursuits

letter of reference

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We purchased 12 Wild One kayaks at the start of 2000 and now we’ve reached the end of the year I feel I can give an informed account of their performance. The kayaks are a little smaller than the boats they replaced but with a large cockpit and seat area we have had no trouble getting every size and shape of paddler afloat, something that in the past had proved very difficult. We have used the kayaks with a wide range of groups in a range of environments and different features have come to the fore with each: With young first time paddlers the directional stability of the kayaks has been extremely helpful as has their inherent stability and again the large cockpit has meant capsizes have been easy and stress free. The seat is robust and comfortable and can easily be padded to give a tighter fit if necessary. The boats look ‘modern’ and exciting and our students can’t wait to use them.
When we’ve used the craft to introduce paddlers to surfing they have been excellent. Their intermediate length has allowed waves to be caught easily and with a traditional convex hull paddlers have not been caught out with constantly catching an edge. The overall shape of the hull and volume of the boat means that these craft can perform at a high level in the surf and river environment, if required. Overall the kayaks feel heavy and are of a solid construction ideal for centre or club use. Attachments are well fitted as are the front and back buoyancy blocks. In seven months of constant usage we’ve had no need to adjust any fittings. The nose seems remarkably robust as working in a granite banked canal our boats are prone to picking up damage in this area but apart from a scratch here and there these boats are still in excellent condition.


If you are considering replacing your current fleet of Kayaks then the Wild One is the Kayak for you. I spent a considerable amount of time and energy last year looking at all the alternatives and this kayak won by a mile. When it comes to a kayak for novice and intermediate paddlers it would seem that the big manufacturers can only offer us modified boats from the past, whereas Kevin Andriessen has specifically designed and manufactured a modern kayak designed around our needs.

Simon Hammond