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Review Detail

 
Puffin
Boats & Boards
Overall rating 
 
3.0
Design 
 
2.0
Perfomance 
 
3.0
Quality 
 
3.0
Value / Money 
 
4.0

The Robson Puffin is an old (and truly tested) beginner kayak with rather big cargo compartments. The latter - and the very dry ride - qualify the boat for expeditions or longer touring. It comes with a very simple rudder system and a lot of primary stability and, despite the shallow U-bottom, turns quite well when put on an edge.

The rear cargo bunker is huge and they copied the Prijon hatch covers (neoprene deck, covered by a plastic top with belts). It's watertight! The front features some sort of "easy open" handle, which is comfy, but not all that waterproof (put the sleeping bag, the tent, the pasta and rice in the back!).

A lot of these boats have been sold to kayak-tour-operators and rental companies, because the hull stable and the wide seat suits a lot of first-timers. Robson has replaced the boat with the new Titris 16 in 2010 (2011?), but I have recently seen NEW Puffins for 600.- Euro on eBay (there seems to be some NOS - new old stock). Again: the puffin is neither fast nor beautiful, but it's worth 600.- € any day and the boat is a true bargain at that price! If you find a new one for that price (or a used one at 400.-) and don't want to break the speed record, you might consider buying the Puffin.

Review

Affiliated
No
About Me
Mid-40s hobby paddler on whitewater (class III) and on the sea (mainly day-trips), about 120 days per year on the water. 1,96m (6'6") and 115kg (260 lbs) with size 49 (GB 13, US 15) feet
Pros / The Good
- cheap (as in "really cheap")
- stable
- lots of volume
- comes with rudder
- safe feeling when inside
- OK plastic quality
Cons / The Bad
- cheap outfitting
- splashes "over" the waves instead of piercing through
- suffers badly from lateral winds
- not the fastest kayak of it's size
- non-profiled rudder blade
Recommend
Yes
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