The Night Heron line is an evolutionary branch of the Guillemots, but Nick took a look back at Greenland Inuit boats for some of the hull shaping inspiration. This boat brings the volume of the hull out towards the ends more for a higher prismatic coefficient. This gives it good efficiency at faster speeds. It has fairly hard chines with no concave sections. A slight lean will allow the boat to turn easily. The low back deck permits the paddler to lean back so their head touches the back deck. The foredeck is high enough that most paddlers will be able to get their legs in and out while sitting down. If you need more room for your legs you should look at the High Deck Night Heron.

This boat has been widely admired for its beauty, with an example accepted in the permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art, but that does not detract from its on-the-water performance where it is fast and efficient and surfs very easily. It is a secure boat in rough water and responds well playing in the surge of rock gardens.

At 20" wide this is a narrow boat, however it is not scary to paddle. Even novice paddlers quickly get comfortable. The boat tracks well with good balance and is quite fast. It is very easy to roll and perform various braces.

Do you fit in this kayak?  Study our kayak fit chart.

Our strip-built and hybrid kits ship with 50% Western Red and 50% Alaskan Yellow cedar bead & cove strips. Photos on our website and printed materials may show patterns and accent strips with walnut or other materials. Optional walnut strips are available and can be shipped with kit orders.