An Overview of the P&H Volan

David Bain talks through the design and features which make the P&H Volan the perfect composite sea kayak for day/weekend adventures of various types.

[flatheadfletch]

I purchased the Volan 160 a year ago, wow ! So very responsive. This yak moves so much quicker in every way, at 42lbs it has become an extension of my body effortlessly. At 63yo and 215lbs I’m loving it. First new yak I ever bought !

[mikecoglione]

I've had a volan for a couple years and really started enjoying it this year. My initial problem was the seat was too far forward and the rear lip of the seat made me feel like I had to prop myself up. Some minor changes of position with my dealer helped immensely. The boat is not for beginners but is very confidence inspiring. It's not super stable when you're not moving like a recreational boat but it has incredible secondary stability so you can hold edge or just move it around with enormous confidence. It is very, very hard to flip and the more wind or waves show up, the more confidence inspiring this boat becomes. Most people think that a following sea is good because you don't have to paddle as hard but in most boats a current from the back makes your yak want to weathercock sideways to then flip you. Not the Volan wow this kayak holds its stability and line amazing with both a cross wave or current behind. Its effortless to paddle. Like I said the worse the conditions get the more stable and nimble it feels. If you feel like you need to pick your days because of weather and you have at least some experience or skill this is a fantastic boat that gives enormous room for a progressing beginner or intermediate paddler to grow. Can cruise at 4mph all day barely trying with heart rate in zone 2 110-120's or exceed 7mph (according to Garmin and Strava) on full bore power. Speed is effortless, want to go faster just paddle a little harder there's plenty of hull to soak up the effort and you don't have to try very hard to go very fast. You can feel it and see the shore just cranking by.

Obviously these high end designs don't come cheap, but aside from minor seat problems that were easily fixed with minor modifications it absolutely feels like a high end boat. It has changed how I look at the water. Now a "bad" day in terms of wind or waves is actually a "very good one" thanks to the Volan. I used to look at the P&H facebook page and think those exploits were absolutely insane and these paddlers were foolhardy to try to pull their mind blowing exploits. When you've paddled most kayaks, that assumption is correct you'd think those videos and adventures of being in waves bigger than most buildings would be impossible; not until you paddled a P&H boat.

Wonderful, thank you, I cannot lay enough praise on this fantastic boat. It shows you have spent a huge amount of time with R&D to crank out something amazing. I will never get rid of my stellar boats because they are smaller, lighter, more portable and fun in their own way.

Can you make a Volan double? Like a "Volan LV 190" for me and the wife? Make it ~24-25" wide, 19-20ft long, similar hull. Yah I know 2x kayaks don't sell well...

Anyway thanks again I am very grateful for my paddling journey to have hooked me up with the Volan. Credit deserves to be given for a fantastic job that was fabulously engineered and executed. Many thanks

[paulmartin]

I ordered a custom built Volan. Picked the kayak up in April 2024. The Volan is nimble. Fast. Tracks well without the use of the skeg. However, I do have complaints. I spent a great deal of money for the Volan. My rear/stern hatch leaks. I have water tested it and have come to the conclusion that the water is leaking in through the skeg box. Another problem I had is when attempting to lock my kayak the u-metal joint just immediately popped out. P &H didn’t use a washer or wing nut to fasten this attachment rendering the u-joint useless. Finally, I used the Customizer to put my kayak together. I ordered the standard foot pegs. Not glassed in. What did I receive? A square foot peg attached to a rubber—instead of hard plastic—adjustment line. That is glassed in. Oh. There is glue residue along my cockpit coating. Quality of build on my Volan is poor. And I received parts I didn’t order. If P & H didn’t have specific parts then that company should of contacted me . None of my other friends who paddle the Volan have problems with their P & H kayaks. I got a real ‘dud’ though. Hope P & H contacts me to rectify my concerns. I paid a great deal of money for my kayak and am not happy…Regards

[matte-d]

Thanks for the overview. Interesting that smaller and larger models are coming. I have been able to do test paddles in a Cetus MV and HV, and found the HV far more comfortable for me; the MV pushed my knees down way too far. Is the Volan 160 cockpit ergonomics closer to the Cetus MV or HV?