How long do you expect to use a boat before it cracks??? I have been playing this game for over 20 years and have never yet seen a boat in constant use at any level of play last anywhere near a year without a crack!
First of all it is very important to realise that no laminate is unbreakable due to the nature of the game. Even the strongest and heaviest boats will break if either the tackle is strong enough or with repeated tackles over time on the same area.
The second important factor is that the lighter the kayak the less durable it will be in the long term as there are less total materials in the kayak and thus less laminate thickness and therefore less strength. You can make up for some of the loss of laminate thickness and strength by varying the materials used but in the long term durability will suffer as there are less fibres to take the repeated impacts.
The third factor is your style of play- if you are a player who holds on to the ball for a long time you will get tackled far more often. If you watch the best players around the world they very rarely ever get a large boat tackle on their kayak as they never get stuck with the ball. They have learnt that to be tackled results in a loss of momentum and field position so they have learnt that to avoid big tackles by getting rid of the ball early and by adjusting their boat position or angle to avoid being tackled. These players can use a boat for years at the top level with barely a mark on it whereas others with less experience or skill or who hold onto the ball too long who use exactly the same laminate may need a new boat every 6 months.
We do however build our kayaks to withstand the normal impacts of the game appropriate to the laminate and the expected level of the player.
The Elite Carbon Kevlar is our lightest laminate (8.5kg) and is aimed at National Team Level players- and these players generally are getting a new boat every 1-2 years. They want the lightest stiffest boat- that will withstand most impacts. The extra carbon makes the boats stiffer which gives better speed and turning but these boats will break with the biggest impacts.
The Kevlar laminate is heavier and therefore more durable if you don't mind the extra weight (10.5kg). They will withstand most tackles at most levels- but again really big tackles will break the boat. The Kevlar laminate is our highest selling laminate to the average player who wants a composite boat that will last several years with minimal repairs.
The Fibreglass laminate is reinforced with Kevlar and is designed for low level players or clubs who want composite boats that are cheap and that will last reasonably well. But to get any sort of durability they need to be heavy. (12kg)
In summary- laminate is your choice, but you should not be unrealistic in what you expect from a kayak. The whole nature of Canoe Polo makes it the most demanding discipline of canoeing in terms of boat strength and durability and the nature of lots of kayaks in a confined space tackling each will result in breakages- your choise is just a matter of making a decision based on what level you are playing at, your style of play, how much you want to spend and how long you want you boat to last. That is a decision that only you can make. |
