Built upon the success of the Avocet, the Aquanaut HV is longer and taller than the Avocet. The Aquanaut HV fits taller paddlers who are looking for a fast, good tracking kayak that can carry lots of gear. Like the lower-volume Aquanaut, it's longer than the Avocet, which gives it extra speed, but less maneuverability (always a trade off). Like the Avocet and Aquanaut, the Aquanaut HV needs to be foamed out to get a custom fit.

User Input: The Aquanaut HV has fair initial stability and great secondary stability. It edges and holds an edge with ease. As a result, the Aquanaut HV is easy to turn when under way. It responds well to an edged course change while maintaining a forward stroke, and equally well to a bow rudder. Since it’s 18 feet long, it takes more work to turn the Aquanaut HV from a dead stop with sweep strokes. This has practical implication for close-in work such as rescues and rock gardens. Speed and tracking are both very good. I was pleasantly surprised at how well the boat tracks in reverse. Although the Aquanaut HV, with its high deck, is subject to weather cocking, the skeg takes care of that readily. The cockpit was initially uncomfortable for me because the skeg control indent on the left side is just where my knee wants to be. I solved that problem by padding out both sides with 1? minicell. Then I added minicell thigh braces for better control. With those braces and the amazing secondary stability of this boat, control is easy and effective. The Aquanaut HV’s relatively high rear deck may interfere with a lay-back roll. The Aquanaut HV has all the capacity that anyone might want in an expedition kayak. The day hatch is larger than the Romany’s, but I can still reach anything inside while seated in the boat. Forward and stern hatches have lots of room. The large oval hatch covers make for easy access. As for deck fittings, I felt that the arrangement of bungie cord on the fore deck was marginally adequate. The recessed deck fittings are easy to work with, so I added another line with little difficulty. Quality and craftsmanship are excellent. Everyone remarks on the beauty of this boat. The skeg control mechanism feels sturdy and reliable. The Aquanaut HV is a high-volume kayak with many of the features of shorter boats that are designed for maneuverability and performance in challenging conditions. It performs at its best with a fair load. Although I like this boat very much, I eventually decided it was too big for me (a frequent day-tripper). It will find its happiest home on day trips with paddlers weighing in over 200 lbs, or with paddlers who plan to pack it and take it out for several days. BV

Valley Sea Kayaks says: Following the success of the Avocet, Valley Canoe Products has introduced a longer, higher volume expedition boat based on the same hull sections, but with slightly less rocker for a swift and more directionally stable kayak, while retaining the high performance responsiveness and ability to handle rough water conditions. The flared bow gives water displacing buoyancy for a dry ride in big seas, and the extended keel line coupled with a retractable skeg makes for controlled tracking in exposed conditions. The Aquanaut HV has significantly more dry storage space for extended trips, and a slightly higher deck profile in the cockpit to accommodate medium to large paddlers.

Download Aquanaut HV Data Sheet PDF (High Quality 388KB)

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