P&H Delphin Demo Report

[Doug]

I really liked the new P&H Delphin

The bow pops up and over almost everything you throw at it. I only got it into 1'+, 20mph wind chop with current behind Plum Island but found it to be well balanced, stable and highly maneuverable. The skeg was needed for strait tracking in these conditions but kept the boat well behaved giving this paddler lot's of confidence right off the bat. When deployed, the skeg did hinder the maneuverability to a moderate degree but it's nice to have the best of both worlds when you want it.

I think the Delphin will shine in the rocks and surf zone. Thigh braces were well placed for me and and wrapped around my legs for added contact and boat feel more than most others (other than Tiderace of course).

The Delphin is not a very fast boat but once up to cruising speed I found it to be adequate. I don't mind giving up speed for tons of maneuverability. It felt a bit sluggish getting under way but this 15'5" boat was quick for it's size probably due to the waterline which was elongated by a squared off stern that made it feel like a 17' boat.

The initial appearance looks a bit strange to me but P&H hit another home-run by implementing a totally new design to the market and I give them an A for innovation. Oh, and did I mention the added storage hatch in front of the cockpit like P&H's flagship Cetus.

Attached, I have provided a close to shore video that does not really give you a good visual of how the Delphin shines in conditions but I thought I would add it for those who were curious.

http://www.pixel8er.net/Other/PHDelphin/14...061476888_BTxGK

Doug

[BillyD]

Hey Doug

thanks for spending your time answering my questions

I think I'll be taking my boat up to Lincoln for repairs

BillyD

[NateHanson]

Just to add my experience, for those curious. I spent 1/2 a day surfing the Delphin at Popham beach this weekend. (John Carmody's demo boat). Breakers were about 2 feet. Occassionally a little bigger.

I was totally sold on it. The boat surfs amazingly, and is really easy to take off with, especially with steeper waves. Positioning is everything with surfing this boat. Line up where the waves just start to stand up, and then you almost don't have to paddle to catch the wave. Just one or two strokes from a standstill. That keeps the stern right up out of the wave, and the big, flat, rockered bow just flies along sticking out of the front of the wave. None of that purling that happens with typical long, skinny bows of sea kayaks. Very easy to maneuver by edging while on the wave. Feels like a great fit for me at 180 pounds, 6' (This was the Delphin 155).

I'd like to try it on a bigger day, paddling a few miles out to rocks, or bigger tidal overfalls - both to see how it feels in bigger more technical conditions, but also to see whether I can put up with covering some distance in this specialized play boat.

It's certainly not a boat to replace your touring boat, but I think it may soon be a companion to my touring boat.

[subaruguru]

D&N,

Interesting boat, and video. Sounds like a big-cockpit small Cetus. Does the fat tall bow slam percussively like the Cetus'? And waterline with Doug looks fairly high volume, so wonder if it cocked badly without skeg?

A reviewer on the West Coast found it even slower than Chathams, so strictly reserves it for natural-propulsion play like surfing. It's nice to see designers focusing on playboats that don't pearl nor broach easily.

Doug,

More importantly, did you get to try the the Baffin composite? It'd be nice to be able to recommend a great hull AND seat system in a big guy's playboat.

Ern

[Doug]

D&N,

Interesting boat, and video. Sounds like a big-cockpit small Cetus. Does the fat tall bow slam percussively like the Cetus'? And waterline with Doug looks fairly high volume, so wonder if it cocked badly without skeg?

A reviewer on the West Coast found it even slower than Chathams, so strictly reserves it for natural-propulsion play like surfing. It's nice to see designers focusing on playboats that don't pearl nor broach easily.

Doug,

More importantly, did you get to try the the Baffin composite? It'd be nice to be able to recommend a great hull AND seat system in a big guy's playboat.

Ern

DELPHIN:

THE BOW: The bow does not slam, it kind of hovers.

WEATHER COCKING: It did weather cock cutting diagonally across the waves, wind and current. The skeg completely kept it in total control.

SPEED: Not very fast but once up to speed I felt like I was moving right along. I can't compare it to other boats. It is very different.

BAFFIN COMPOSITE: Didn't like it at all. It was the middle of the 3 sizes which according to the "Boreal Design" rep was supposed to match my plastic version. It didn't seem balanced to me. Heavy plowing bow unlike my plastic one that rides much higher. Perhaps I was too big for it. Verrrrry slow. I was disappointed and couldn't wait to get out of it. Perhaps the largest version would react differently. I think you better test it yourself as it seemed small for me. It could be the best boat for someone else.

[subaruguru]

. It didn't seem balanced to me. Heavy plowing bow unlike my plastic one that rides much higher. Perhaps I was too big for it. Verrrrry slow.

...Huh. Almost sounds like the seat is positioned too far forward so that you're plowing inefficiently.

Sounds like the OPPOSITE of the Cetus you're used to. And why so different from the plastic? Weird.