Tipping The Scales: One Way to View Kayak Weight

My brother is an engineer. Like my father, he has an engineer's mind. I called him concerned about the weight of my sectional kayak. At 84 lbs, my Argonaut is heavy. A traditional fiberglass boat is typically about 56 lbs. The sectional is 50% heavier, and thus must be greatly less efficient in the water. All told, when I paddle with my friends, I am doing 50% more work than they are to push the kayak in the water.

No. If we both weight 190 lbs, and if we have 10 lbs of gear, water, etcetera, then my total on-water package weighs 284 lbs, and my paddling friend's weighs 256 lbs. I am only 11% more weight through the water than he.

Additionally, there are factors that come into play that might even make the difference closer. The sectional kayak is heavier, and acts like more of a laden, or gear-packed, kayak. Many know that a gear-packed kayak has a different trim and water line than an empty kayak. Some models, such as a Nordkapp, are better performers, more stable, require less directional control and may even paddle more efficiently (more straighforward paddling and less corrective strokes) when laden. This may be an additional enhancing factor to the extra weight of the sectional.

I feel better now.

Weight: Valley Aquanaut LV Carbon Kev Hull Sectional

Weight is a crucial consideration with any boat. While a sectional can be assembled at water’s edge, thereby carrying only the components and not the entire boat, there are times when the whole boat will be preassembled and ready for a lug to the water. Furthermore, although it is said that “once in the water, all boats are similar”, this is not true from a physics standpoint. To create inertia, and forward motion, a heavier object requires more force than a lighter object.

An honest testing of the weight of my take-apart Valley Aquanuat 3-piece LV ensues. This was performed in my basement, with the pieces scattershot like giant Legos around a heavy duty and accurate Seca spring scale. The boat is a Valley Premium layup, which is a carbon Kevlar vacuum-bagged hull, and a fiberglass deck. It has no compass or built-in pump, but has the stock Valley seat, dry hatch covers and skeg. I have left in all nuts and bolts. This is the weight ready to launch. A drumroll please.

The Bow 17.5 lbs.

The Stern 24.5 lbs.

The Midsection with Cockpit 30.5 lbs.

TOTAL WEIGHT: 72.5 lbs.

A backbreaking 72 lbs, all told, and that's with the Premium carb Kev hull ($500 option). For the record, you can see that each individual piece is, by itself, light. And it is my opinion that the one-piece fiberglass (not carb Kev) Valley’s on their website –listed without hatch covers at an impressive 49-53 lbs depending on the model—are very unlikely to be those weights in reality with hatch covers and water ready, as I have tested this AqLV Premium layup.

The compromise to a sectional boat is, unquestionably, the weight.