Ruahine

Ruahine Intrigue

The Intrigue is New Zealand’s most popular 'entry level' multisport kayak. It’s particularly suitable for novices (or anyone requiring extra stability in white water) yet it retains its speed for those smaller athletes. With its wide, flat hull, this kayak has an extremely high level of primary stability and manoeuvrability. This makes it great for first time paddlers but also a good choice if you’re worried about stability when you’re nearing the end of a long race

Features include a low profile for reduce windage (important in the Waimak Gorge), a large cockpit for easy transitions, and Ruaversal seat for paddler comfort and rotation.

Price

Fiberglass $3099 Composite $3599

Ability Level

Beginner

Paddler Size

50-75kg and up to 6' tall

Width

540mm

Length

4.9m

 

Ruahine Swallow

The Swallow is designed for the confident beginner paddler or those wishing to progress to a slightly faster kayak than the Intrigue. With its profiled bow and shorter waterline (compared to some of our other kayaks), it’s relatively quick while maintaining a high degree of primary stability and manoeuvrability.

Confident beginneroften start with the Swallow, especially if they’ve done some form of kayak training before. Features include a low windage profile; mid-range length for best compromise of speed and manoeuvrability; and flat centre hull for high primary and secondary stability.

Price

Fiberglass  $3299 Composite  $3799

Ability Level

Beginner-Intermediate

Paddler Size

60-85kg, up to 6'3" tall

Width

480mm

Length

5.4m

Ruahine Shadow

The Shadow is an entry level multisport kayak for people of all sizes. With a wide cockpit opening and huge amounts of room inside, this is the perfect first boat for almost everyone; a 60kg paddler will draw very little water in it and feel extremely safe, and a 100kg plus paddler will appreciate the extra room and stability that is lacking in so many other kayaks.

Features include our famous Ruaversal seat, easy entry cockpit, a high thigh deflector to deflect waves away, and ultra stable hull.

Tim's Note: this kayak is the ultimate in beginner multisport kayaks. It's extremely stable but also has a decent turn of speed, making it perfect for a race like the Coast to Coast. If you're looking for a yak, that you can sit in and master without too many balance issues, then the Ruahine Shadow will be an excellent choice.  

Price

Fiberglass $3699 Composite $4299

Ability Level

Beginner 

Paddler Size

60-115kg and up to 6'5" tall

Width

550mm

Length

5.7m