Pintail 10 Solo Kayak Plans

For those of you who do not know, Pintail is the name of a very small duck native to our parts.

Pintail is a 10’ powerhouse with a unique origin. When planning the script for the kayak DVD we were producing, we wanted a design that would show building techniques which incorporated tight curves and would require us to demonstrate our shop tips for dealing with them. At the same time we wanted to produce an ultra light weight kayak that would easily fit on top of event the smallest car or in the bed of a pickup truck with little or no fuss.

With all these criteria, the kayak had to have our signature wide cockpit and ease of entry. The Pintail solo kayak was designed to meet all these needs and did so nicely.

What we did not expect is just how responsive and fun this kayak would be. The tight curves designed into the kayak for the video demonstrations gave this kayak a surprising amount of control with much less effort than was anticipated when the boat was on the drawing board.

This kayak has no forward bulkhead and only incorporates dry stowage behind the paddler. This was necessary for the paddlers leg room. This contributed to the kayaks very low weight and ease of portage. Our shop built boat came in at a whopping 18 lbs and in fact was strapped to the back of a pickup truck with a 5 ½ bed with ease.

I don’t think I would paddle 10 miles with this kayak, but going out for a couple of miles for a relaxing day on the water with a camera or ultralight fishing pole and you drive a compact car or are looking to get a quick getaway with minimum fuss, then this is a great choice.

It also has the unique distinction of being the exact kayak being built on the video series, so you will literally be building with us step by step.

As with all our plans, if you want to talk to us before you choose, we are happy to hear from you.