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Point K1XP reviewed in Sea Kayaker Magazine!

K1XP Review

Reviewers
GL: F' I", 165-pound male. Day paddle, rolling practice. Winds to 10 knots, waves 1 foot. No cargo
TW: 6' 1", 180-pound male. Day paddles winds calm, wakes to 3 feet.
TE: 6' 1", 200-pound male. Day paddles winds 10-15 knots, waves 11/2 feet.

“The K1XP is striking. Its lines are sleek; it looks fast. Exterior finish is very nice with clean lines along the seams.” (TW). “The low back deck, and narrow beam give it a race-car look” (GL). The hull-to-deck seam is glassed inside and out and the interior has a slick white finish with nothing to snag drybags or clothing.

The K1XP is “moderately heavy” (TE) but it “balances nicely on the shoulder and doesn’t feel too heavy” (GL). “Carry toggles at the bow and stern facilitate a two-person carry, though I found the retracted rudder interfered with grasping the rear toggle” (TW). The K1XP is equiped with recessed deck fittings and has grab lines on the perimeter of the decks. Aft of the cockpit and the day hatch there is a crossed set of bungee cords “adequate for a paddle float rescue. A couple of plastic beads that make sliding a paddle blade under it a simple task, though placing the paddle float rescue rigging closer to the rear of the cockpit would make retrieving the paddle easier “ (TW).



“The keyhole cockpit is easy to get in and out of and just long enough for me to get in seat first” (TE). “Rear coaming is just a bit too high, inhibiting lay-back rolls.The aft bulkhead is nicely located to minimize cockpit volume and ease water removal” (GL). The molded fiberglass seat was “comfortable and I didn’t have any problems with shifting laterally in the seat when rolling or bracing” (TE). For GL, “the seat sides have a little extra room for the hips, and can be easily padded out for a better fit.” “The backrest was quite plain by today’s standards. The 1" webbing that ties the back strap into the kayak runs through the padded area, and creates a noticeable pressure area. A loop of webbing holding the back strap in place beneath the coaming tore out when I did a reentry and the strap slipped forward and took my weight. There are many better aftermarket back bands to choose from” (TE). The keyhole cockpit provides a good platform for adding foam padding to suit the paddler. “The slick finish and slight contour don’t provide enough grip for locked-in contact” (TE).

The rudder pedals “provided adequate support at a comfortable location on my feet. They were easily adjustable on the beach or while underway” (TW). “There is nothing to keep the rudder pedal sliders pulled forward. In wet exit drills I had to make sure to spread my feet to push the pedals forward as I slipped in, especially while doing a reentry and roll” (TE).

The K1XP provided by the manufacturer, for the purpose of our review, was equipped with both a rudder and a skeg. “The skeg system in the K1XP deployed and retracted flawlessly. Easily adjustable, the skeg can be set to various depths using the recessed control at the left of the cockpit” (GL). The rudder, instead of pivoting 270 degrees to retract onto the aft deck, slips through a sleeve, pivoting 90 degrees to slide head-first on the deck. For GL and TW the system worked “easily” and “smoothly” but TE “had some odd experiences with it. It is possible for the deployed rudder to get flipped far over to one side where it is impossible to get it pulled back on line. Pulling the deployment line while the rudder is cocked to one side can also lock the rudder to the side. Once locked, the rudder creates a lot of drag and makes the kayak very difficult to steer. Since the boat turns well without the rudder and has a skeg that takes care of weathercocking, I’d just get rid of the rudder.”



The K1XP’s initial stability was described as “moderate” (GL), “pretty lively“ (TW) and “a bit light. It isn’t twitchy while under way and paddling, but at rest it requires frequent adjustments of balance” (TE). Secondary stability is “moderate” and “enough to inspire confidence in edged turns. If the thigh braces were fitted more closely for my legs, the kayak could be edged with complete confidence” (TW). ”Edging the K1XP provided a constant turn, but the it is not a quick-turning kayak.” (TW). It’s tracking is “excellent. There is no yaw even without the skeg or rudder deployed” (GL).

“With 10 to 15 miles per hour of wind blowing the K1XP did have a tendency to veer into the wind, though it could be corrected with a turning sweep. With the skeg deployed and properly tuned, holding a course at any angle to the wind wasn’t a problem” (TE). “In larger ship wakes and while surfing wakes, the K1XP was a pretty dry ride. The bow did tend to plunge a bit, but had enough buoyancy to avoid pearling. Water shed from the fore and aft deck easily” (TW). The K1XP has “superb straight-on speed” (GL). TE could “easily keep a pace of 4 1/2 knots. At an exercise pace I could sustain 5 1/4 and in an all-out short sprint could hit 6 1/2 knots.” “In two-three foot waves, the K1XP was fun to surf, easily accelerating to catch the waves. Maintaining directional stability was easy with the rudder” (TW).

Rolling the K1XP “wasn’t at all difficult in spite of the poor grip with the legs. The aft deck is not quite low enough to get in a full layback, but provided adequate clearance for a layback roll” (TE). The K1XP has “plenty of room for one to two-week trips” (TW). The three Kajak-
Sport hatches are all tethered and “completely watertight and together with the fiberglass bulkheads keep the compartments powder dry” (TE). The K1XP has “Excellent tracking, speed and good stowage - a great choice for a long-distance cruising kayak, and a fast, fun and forgiving workout boat” (GL).

“A great choice medium to large paddlers looking for a fast touring kayak where making miles between campsites is the goal. I appreciated the degree of speed the K1XP provided for daily workouts and yet would love to take it on long trips with a fast paddling group of paddlers” (TW). “The K1XP has great potential for the performance-minded cruiser. The hull and deck are well designed and only the detailing needs tweaking. Go rudderless and customize the cockpit and deck rigging and you’ll be ready to cover a lot of territory” (TE).

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