“It tracks great, surfs well and is an over-all really fun boat to paddle. I gave it a 10.”    paddling.com review

“A Romany that mortal paddlers can take around rocks without worrying about doing loads of damage to a composite hull. Like the composite counterpart, the Romany Sport RM is a solid, easy-handling kayak that gives back every ounce of effort you put into maneuvering… it’s at the top of its class.”    Jake S.

Responding to a comment from a paddler who was frustrated by an NDK foam seat repair led Tom Bergh to reflect on what makes Nigel Dennis Kayaks his go-to sea kayaks.

Before I suggest a fix, let me offer a bit of perspective based on having helped put thousands of paddlers in our sea kayak fleet at Maine Island Kayak Co since 1986.

Personally, I want a boat that disappears when I’m paddling on the water: a boat that makes me smile, and makes me feel confident and solid when I’m challenged. When I hear complaints about minor outfitting concerns, I am reminded of my own personal order of importance for sea kayak design and manufacturing variables:

Smaller Paddlers' Delight

The Echo is Nigel Dennis Kayak’s new expedition and play kayak for smaller paddlers, designed to handle well in surf and rough water. The Echo was designed in response to the growing number of paddlers who wanted a lower-volume Pilgrim Expedition. It offers a lower deck and tighter fit than the Pilgrim or Pilgrim Expedition, and features NDK's smaller cockpit for those paddlers 90 – 150 lbs. Intended to replace the custom cut-down (LV) versions of these two boats, it eliminates the excess rocker resulting from post mold, deck height reduction. The result is a fast, fun, playful boat that behaves beautifully in the wind. And it shines in Greenland rolling. The Echo, like the Romany, approaches that "all use" performance design.