X-Lite reviewed by SeaKayaker Magazine!

REVIEWER SPECS:
JK: 5’ 6”, 140-pound male. Day trips. Waves to 1 foot, Wind less than 10 knots. No cargo
GL: 5’ 11”, 165-pound male. Day trips. Wind to 15-knots, 1-ft wind waves. 50 pounds of cargo
TE: 6’ 1”, 200-pound male. Day trips. Winds to 15 knots, wind waves to 1 1/2 feet. No cargo.

THE REVIEW
First Glance
The X-Lite from the Swedish kayak manufacturer Point 65°N is an “attractive kayak with smooth lines” (GL) and a “hull and deck that are very smooth and free of ripples” (TE). The hull-to deck seam is glassed inside and out and “the interior is coated with a thick gel coat that takes care of any rough edges” (TE). “The top of the deck is flat with angled side facets that gave my paddle room for blade entry next to the kayak” (JK).
“The X-Lite did not seem particularly light, but it did not seem particularly heavy. It balanced well for a solo carry, and was not difficult to carry some distance. The toggles were comfortable for a tandem carry” (JK).

Fit
The keyhole cockpit opening was long enough for JK to get in seat first, but too short for TE and GL. The creased contour in the deck provides “good foot room for size 13 booties and good height for a comfortable knee position. The sides slope away for good paddling clearance” (TE). Though GL found the coaming was “too high for lay-backs” “the back band and coaming did not inhibit layback rolls” for JK or TE: “the aft end of the cockpit coaming was low enough for me to get a very good layback with my head nearly touching the aft deck before my hips lifted.”
The seat is “unpadded but well contoured for comfort. The seat hangers were a good fit for me and gave me good lateral bracing” (TE). The backrest is a padded plastic panel that “provides good support down low where it won’t interfere with paddling torso rotation or rolling” (TE). “The seat/back band combination provided excellent comfort and performance whether paddling, edging or rolling.” (GL). The thigh-brace flanges on the keyhole cockpit “create a solid connection with the boat.” The SealLine Smart Track foot braces were comfortable and solid and extremely easy to adjust on land or on water, except when sand got in the works” (JK).
The Navigator rudder, an option, “is very easy to operate. A pinch toggle on a fixed cord is used to hold the rudder up or down. Retracting the rudder is effortless. You don’t have to aim the rudder blade to hit a V block or be careful about whacking the deck. The X-Lite also has a skeg that is deployed with a slider that is easy to see and operate” (TE).
Ahead of the cockpit there are three bungees running across the deck. The aft deck has an arrangement of bungees for holding a spare paddle. There is a thick perimeter grab line on both decks. “It is a simple uncluttered functional arrangement” (TE). The plastic deck fittings are bolted into recesses to lie flush with the deck.

Stability and Maneuverability
The X-Lite’s initial stability was rated “moderate” “fairly low” and “a bit light” (JK, GL, TE) and the secondary stability “good”, the high end of moderate” and “very good” respectively. “The overall profile is good for active paddling and edged turns” (TE). The X-Lite “tracks well. The bow does yaw slightly with each stroke but the kayak holds its course well” (JK). With rudder and skeg retracted it “responds nicely to a lean for steering but not a quick turner” (GL). “With a strong edging and wide sweep strokes, the X-Lite will carve a tight turn. But you work for the turn” (TE). The X-Lite has a “moderate” (GL) to “very slight” (TE) tendency to weathercock. “It can be corrected with an occasional sweep stroke or tuned out with the skeg. By dropping the skeg fully I could get the boat to veer downwind” (TE).

Speed
JK could “do about four knots at a moderate pace, five knots at an exercise pace, and six knots at a sprint” TE had similar results though a half knot higher at a moderate pace. In rough water “small waves stayed low as they tumbled over the foredeck. The larger hit the aft edge of the forward hatch recess and some spray kicked up into my face. I got some very good rides on wind waves. The boat has excellent speed and acceleration to catch waves. Without the rudder I had to have a good line to catch the wave. It was hard to edge and sweep back on line. With the rudder down the response was a bit slow but I was able to correct for off-line takeoffs” (TE).

Roll and Rescue
The keyhole cockpit configuration makes it necessary to lead one knee out before the other during a wet exit. “The paddle can be placed under shock-cord between the day hatch and rear hatch for a fairly secure paddle-float re-entry. This more-aft-than-usual location is good in that you may need to be well aft on the deck in order to slide in” (GL). GL and TE noted that reentry and roll worked well. “The X-Lite rolls well. The keyhole cockpit provides good thigh bracing, and the deck is fairly low. The back band and coaming did not inhibit layback rolls” (JK).

Cruising
The X-Lite could hold a week’s worth of gear with careful packing. The aft compartment “has very little height and is divided by the skeg box and shortened by the day compartment” (TE). The three bulkheads are fiberglass and the Kayak Sport hatches are all tethered. The end compartments were watertight. After rolling drills TE a few drips in the day compartment, GL found a couple of tablespoons there. With a load of 50 pounds aboard the X-Lite had “nice stability and handling, without being sluggish” (GL).

The Bottom Line
“The X-Lite is a great all-around kayak. Although not an ideal first kayak for a beginner, an intermediate or advanced paddler will enjoy growing into it. It would do well on day trips and camping trips, flat water and rough water. If you are a smaller paddler looking for one kayak to do it all, this could be the one. (JK). “For the intermediate to advanced small paddler: a fun and effortless glider at 3 knots and a pleasure cruiser at 4, with a great fit for boat control” (GL). “Overall a very fun boat. Its low volume and good fit makes it great for day paddling and playing in rough water. It has very good speed and capacity enough for making weekend trips” (TE).


MANUFACTURER’S RESPONSE
The X-Lite is specifically designed for smaller paddlers with the intent of letting larger paddlers use it as a play boat. This was a difficult challenge without resorting to compromises, which would make it less interesting. As a result it is natural that the larger test-paddler finds the cockpit opening a bit too short for easy access and that the cargo space is somewhat smaller than in a high volume kayak.

The cockpit area in the test boat is made long enough to a fit a tall paddler. This limits the cargo space in the front. Smaller paddlers should order their Point 65 X-Lite with a shorter cockpit (the front bulk head further aft) and in this way increase the bow cargo space significantly. The Point 65 X-Lite is a great kayak for smaller paddlers, which this test confirms. Many thanks to the Sea Kayaker Magazine review team for a great job!

Tomas Ohman – Point 65°N

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