Norse Bylgja

High Quality, Composite Sea Kayak With Hard Chine Design.

The Norse Bylgja is made for travelling the seas, riding the ocean swells and getting stuck in to playful surf with enough storage for weekend camping or longer multi-day expeditions.

This is a hard chine kayak which sits high in the water however with the aid of its drop down skeg tracks extremely well in all conditions and turns on a dime when needed. At maximum deployment the 10 inch retractable skeg drops down to a steep angle to deal with harsh conditions or can be used at low angles if just a little extra tracking is needed. As with all Norse sea kayaks Bylgja's hull is reinforced with aramid all the way through her keel and the chines have the same reinforcing, so this boat has great rigidity and can take a beating when landing on steep shingle beaches.

There are three bulkheads, two of which are accessed by good sized oval hatches for packing larger equipment. The third smaller day hatch bulkhead behind the cockpit can easily be accessed while on the water and is useful for storing wet weather clothes close to hand in case of brisk winds and showers. There is also room for any cooking kit and food you might need for a break on a beach during a trip. A fourth small hatch in front of the cockpit which gives access to a mesh bag ideal for stowing snacks, a cap or any other bits and bobs you need while paddling.

The rear deck has storage designed for a Greenland stick or a norsaq reflecting the Greenland influence. It is equally at home being paddled with standard paddle blades with a spare set easily stored with paddle scabbards attachment points on the foredeck if needed. The oval cockpit allows larger paddlers to enter seat first then bring their legs on board which would make a solo re-entry on the water relatively easy. The deck fittings and compass mount are both recessed so the upper deck is sleek and stylish.

The Bylgja tracks and glides very well, as you would expect from a 17 foot kayak, which makes it ideal for long distance touring on calmer waters. With a V shaped hull and hard chines it is also at home playing in lively seas and handles rough conditions very well. Intermediate paddlers will find that edging over onto the chines is confidence inspiring and they will be able to hold an edge with ease and control the arc of turn with small weight adjustments. Advanced paddlers will find this kayak to be reliable, responsive and able to cope with a wide range of sea conditions. These characteristics reflect the Norse heritage - The Bylgja is designed to cope with seas which are often like glass high up in the fjords but which can be wild on the more open coastlines. This suits the Bylgja to UK sea kayaking conditions with our unpredictable weather that can change conditions quickly.  

Overall The Norse Bylgja is a composite kayak designed to be at home and very playful in rough coastal waters and surf. This design features hard chines which provide great primary stability and lots of edge control for carving the kayak. However, without the skeg deployed due to having flatter sides the kayak does get pushed around by waves and wind more thus making them a little more tippy and harder to keep in a straight line in bad weather conditions over softchine kayak hull designs.

The Norse Bylgja would be a great choice of kayak if you are looking for a sea kayak for day trips and overnight multi-day trips, which can hold all your gear and preform very highly around rough coastline and in surf e.g. The Jurassic Coast and south side of the Isle of Wight.. The Bylgja will sit high in the water and a high rocker profile with defined rails make this kayak not only very agile enabling you to quickly change direction for its length but also catch waves and carry its speed creating an all round exciting kayak to paddle. However, please note that due to its composite design you would want to be careful about how close you get to rocks. Although you can us the Bylgja for general purpose and distance paddles in the Solent you may also want to consider a soft chine design such as the North Shore Atlantic or Valley Sirona for more efficient and enduracne based styles.