I am considering looking for a replacement for my old P&H Iona Composite Sea Kayak. I have been considering a Plastic boat for cost reasons and in particular looking at the P&H Scorpio. Back in the day, plastic Sea Kayaks received bad press over bulkheads popping however I believe newer manufacturing techniques have reduced/removed this issue.
I would love to hear from anyone with any experience of newer plastic sea kayaks as to their experiences.
I will stay away from the characteristics of the hull and focus on the actual plastic. The plastic in the Scorpio rocks! The Corelite foam core stiffens that boat quite a bit. The bulkhead argument is dead these days, but the lack of stiffness is going away now also. I have found that the abrasion resistance of P&H’s plastic is quite as good as Current Designs, but the stiffness is really nice. The Scorpio is good boat. I reviewed one on my site.
Thanks for the comments Seth – I checked out your review (great site BTW). I’m hoping to get my hands on a demo of the Scorpio soon so it will be interesting to compare notes.
My own research since posting my original question regarding plastic vs composite has thrown up a similar view to yours; that the issues regarding popping bulkheads has all but vanished on good boats due to more modern manufacturing technique and these days people are more focused on the quality of the materials/build and the stiffness this achieves in a plastic boat.
I have a P&H capella (rm) and I suppose ‘inexperienced’ best sums me up though I have got my 3* sea (I need a lot more practice). Mine is a pre corelite model but does have ‘welded’ bulkheads. It carries well in my thule cradles. An old member donated his Prijon KODIAK to our club and when driving back with this on the same rack I noticed just how much stiffer a glass boat is to the capella – and it was a good 500mm longer. Bottom line; glass is rigid, plastic is not – though I believe the difference is getting less all the time. And don’t forget the weight. Plastic is generally heavier. I’m close on 55 and certainly feel the weight of the boat if it’s on my shoulder!
I am currently going through a similar shift in thinking. I currently paddle a composite BD Nanook which is great for us big fellas with a large cockpit, high volume, and plenty of speed under load. But a recent test of the new BD Epsilon P300 (in plastic) has completely changed my thinking. Besides the fact it is a sensational boat for the “bigger man”, it is a far better fit, has a low rear profile for rolling, and can be thrown around on the rocks for a bit of close-in fun in the surf without causing much damage. I never thought I’d see the day I’d want to go from composite to plastic, but that day has come. Review can be found here: http://fatpaddler.com/2009/10/kayak-review-epsilon-p300/
You need to consider the use you will make of the boat.
If you going to subject it to rough handling – rocky coastlines etc. (not a big issue in the Solent) but possibly if you take it to Cornwall then plastic may be a better choice.
If weight and stiffness are important then you may wish to look toward composites.