Rockpool TARAN 18

The Taran steps away from the look of the conventional British sea kayak — plumb bow, flat hull, SmartTrack rudder standard — and delivers something different: a kayak that is genuinely fast, genuinely capable, and genuinely enjoyable across a wide range of conditions. Day boat, distance cruiser, weekend tourer, fitness trainer, expedition boat. The more you paddle it the more you find it can do.

The records speak for themselves. In 2011, Jeff Allen and Harry Whelan completed a record-breaking 25-day circumnavigation of Ireland. In 2012, John Willacy broke the long-standing 80-day UK circumnavigation record, covering 2,000 miles in 72 days. Two weeks later Joe Leach broke that record again — 67 days. Two records, two Tarans, two weeks. The Taran's expedition credentials are not in question.

But the Taran is not only an expedition boat. Within Rockpool it is the daily driver — cliff-bottom bimbling, tide race surfing, Menai Straits training sessions. The flat hull section under the seat gives outstanding downwind performance and a clean, fast cruising pace. At 383 litres it carries more gear than most paddlers expect from an 18-foot hull. The combination of speed, volume, and sea-manners in conditions is what makes paddlers loyal to it for life.

The flat hull is the one thing to manage on shore: no keel line means hard landings on rock ramps require care. Plan your approach. This is a paddling machine, not a boat for gorilla-crawling up cobble beaches.

Standard — Time-proven hand-laid construction using polyester resin, chopped strand and woven fibreglass. Robust, hard-wearing, and the right choice for most paddlers.

Premier — Vacuum-infused epoxy resin with carbon and aramid (Kevlar) cloth on both deck and hull. Vacuum infusion drives resin into the laminate at high pressure, producing a superior strength-to-weight ratio. The result is approximately 5 kg lighter than Standard construction at equivalent strength. Recommended for paddlers covering serious mileage or carrying the boat frequently.