FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Boat is Best Suited to Me?

Many people ask the question, "Which boat is best suited for me?"

This question is very relevant these days with so many brands and boats to choose from.

Here at Prijon Australia our friendly staff can help you find that right boat, but first you need to consider a variety of questions and in your own mind have formulated some answers to those questions so that you narrow down the field of boats that will most likely fit your needs.

Let us now explore the sort of questions you need to ask yourself relating to what you want achieve out of your paddling so as to find that right boat.

  • Do I want to paddle out in the open Ocean or only in rivers, lakes or estuaries?
  • Do I want to sit in a kayak or on top of a kayak?
  • Am I a beginner with very little experience or am I a more advanced paddler?
  • Do I want to paddle fast at the expense of some stability or is stability of primary importance?
  • Do I want to tour on overnight trips and camp out of my boat or am I only a day tripper that needs more minimal storage for lunch and some additional clothing?
  • Am I a fisherman that needs numerious fishing capabilities out of my boat?
  • Am I the sort of paddler that does not mind paddling in rough water or am I only a calm water paddler?
  • What is my weight?
  • What is my height?

If you were to come armed with the answers to all these questions and speak to one of our staff they would very quickly be able to steer you towards a few boats that would be best able to fit your needs. It will then come down to personal preferences.

At the end of the day you the customer must feel comfortable with the boat of your choice, so having narrowed the choices down to a few it will always be preferable to sit in the boat and if possible take it for a test paddle if we have a demonstrator available.

Your comfort and happiness is of the utmost importance to us!

Prijon Kayak Materials

Prijon offers three different types of materials for sea kayaks and touring kayaks. You will find the best kayak material for your purpose.

  • HTP is the sturdiest material used in the production of kayaks world-wide. Whatever you are planning the boat is up to it.
  • Laminate kayaks, made of carbon-aramide are very light and elegant. If low weight is important to you, they are the right choice. Laminate boats are, however more susceptible to ground impact and should therefore be primarily used in free-flowing waters.
  • Prilite kayaks are in between HTP & Laminate with regard to weight and sturdiness. They are light than HTP, but sturdier than laminate kayaks.

About Prijon HTP Plastic

HTP – High Performance Thermoplast: Blow Moulded Technology
For the production of its world famous HTP kayaks, PRIJON is using a special PE, called HTP. This material can only be used in Blow Moulding and not in roto-moulding, as used by other producers of kayaks. The molecule chains of HTP are approximately 10 times longer than those of rotating PE. This makes the boat hulls stiffer, lighter and less susceptible to abrasion.

HTP kayaks have clear advantages regarding form stability, abrasion and boat weight, compared to kayaks made of rotated PE. HTP is very environmentally friendly. When it is recycled, there are no poisonous gases or residues; it is ground water neutral and free of heavy metals.

Care: HTP boat shells are very sturdy and already possess a permanent protection against UV-rays. Therefore they need no treatment with vanishes, wax or other care materials.

  • + Extremely high level of mechanical resilience
  • + Not sensitive to ground contact
  • + Stiff and form stable when paddling in arctic or tropical regions
  • – Comparably heavier weight

About Prijon Laminate

Fibreglass/Carbon-Aramide: Laminated kayaks are made by hand in the traditional way. They are more sensitive to contact with the ground compared to boats made of HTP or PriLite, and should therefore be predominately used in free-flowing waters. PRIJON is offering the two material varieties of GFK and Carbon/Aramide.

GFK

The fibre mates of our GFK-kayaks mainly consist of glass fibres, which are very stiff, but still favourable in cost. Kayaks made of GFK are comparable to the PriLite boats with regard to their weight

  • + 20% reduction of weight compared to a comparable HTP-kayak
  • + Elegant shape
  • + Simple handling outside the water
  • – More susceptible to mechanical wear and tear than HTP and ProLite

Carbon/Aramide

These boats mainly consist of carbon and Aramide fibres, combining the excellent qualities of carbon, which is very hard and gives the boat its stiffness with the qualities of Aramide, which is very shock-proof and provides the necessary impact resistance. The biggest advantage of this construction method is clearly the incredibly low weight (up to 10kg lighter than HTP boats). Care/Repairs: If the boat hull should get damaged, specialised shops provide repair sets matching the material.

  • + The lightest boat, 25% weight than a HTP kayak
  • + Elegant shape
  • – More susceptible to mechanical wear and tear than HTP and PriLite

About Prijon Prilite

Prilite - Prijon ABS Vacuum Formed Plastic

For PriLite boats, the ABS combination plates, sealed with UV resistant Perspex, are pulled into the hot moulds, which have a temperature of approximately 80 degrees, in a computerised process, using heat and vacuum.

The upper and lower parts of the boat are inseparably joined together by a double-sided U profile. This profile additionally strengthens the sides of the kayak against impact.

The mounting of deck mountings and interior fittings are thoroughly done by hand, as on all Prijon boats

Advantages: PriLite boats are approx. 20% lighter than comparable kayaks made of HTP. At the same time there is a clear advantage regarding stability compared to Fibreglass or Carbon/Aramide

Repairs/Care: Superficial scratches can be polished off with a special paste, available in specialised shops. Larger repairs are made with Epoxi. The inside of the boat should not be permanently exposed to sun (store upside down!).

  • + Lighter than HTP
  • + More sturdy than GFK/Carbon Aramide
  • – More susceptible to mechanical wear and tear than HTP