Telkwa Design Statement : The design of the Telkwa, which means “where the waters meet,” was a collaborative effort between Steve Schleicher of Rainforest Designs and Don Lockwood of Comox Valley Kayaks. Don provided input on what paddlers wanted in a touring kayak: appearance and performance characteristics based on dealing with paddlers at his retail store. Steve melded Don’s input with his knowledge of what makes a kayak perform and designed the Telkwa. Its lines are aesthetically pleasing, and it boasts comfortable initial and reassuring secondary stability. Moderate rocker with careful distribution of volume fore and aft allows the Telkwa to track well and be suprisingly nimble for a kayak of its size. The seat is very comfortable and easily adjusts to fit a variety of paddler sizes.
The Telkwa line has been expanded to include the Telkwa HV (high volume) for the larger paddlers or the paddler requiring a larger storage capacity; and the Telkwa Sport for the smaller paddler wanting a closer fitting cockpit and a slightly more nimble performer. Steve Schleicher

---

Reviewers:
DL 5'10", 180-pound male. Pool session. Day trips in winds from 15 to 20 miles per hour and waves from 2 to 22/2 feet.
TE 6'1", 200-pound male. Day trips. Conditions from light winds and ruffled seas to winds to 25 m.p.h. and waves to 22/2 feet.
KB 6'2", 208-pound male. Several day trips, no cargo and with 100 pounds. From calm to winds at 18 knots and waves 12/2 to 2 feet, occasionally to 22/2 feet.
Telkwa Review
The Telkwa has an “excellent appearance with no visible imperfections…superior workmanship” (DL). The hull and deck are joined with fiberglass tape “cleanly applied on the inside and immaculately finished on the outside” (KB).
TE thought it was a heavy lift, but it balanced well for a solo carry. DL and KB didn’t find the weight objectionable. The placement of the forward toggle is at the tip of the bow, good for controlling a rolling boat in surf.
The recessed deck fittings are stainless steel rods that span depressions in the deck, providing plenty of room for bungies and cords. There are bungies for gear and a spare paddle and a combination tow/grab line forward. The paddle-float-rescue straps are webbing with buckles. “Instead of pinching the buckle to release it, you grab a knob with a loop of webbing that pinches and releases the buckle. The arrangement offers a quick release and a more solid attachment than bungies” (TE).
The cockpit is “wide and long, making entry and exit very easy for large paddlers. In fact, the opening may be large enough to rule out this kayak for medium-sized and small paddlers” (KB). The cockpit was long enough for TE to get in seat first then feet: “In rough water I could get in cowboy style without a paddle float.” “The boat in front of the cockpit is roomy enough for taller paddlers with large feet, [yet] sleek enough to allow for vertical paddle strokes” (KB).
The thigh bracing is provided by foam padding and the contoured recess of the coaming. KB had to splay his legs to make good contact with the thigh braces. TE suggested “putting in thigh hooks to get a more comfortable purchase with my legs.” A mesh-covered contoured foam seat can be adjusted fore and aft over a range of 8". For DL it wasn’t a good fit, but KB and TE thought it was comfortable. The seat back is very comfortable and easily adjustable. Lateral support in the seat is provided by a set of mesh-covered foam pads that can be adjusted to add up to three layers of foam.
The rudder pedals provided spongy foot bracing. The rudder can pop out the slot that it stows in if a rudder pedal is pushed hard, “unfortunate because the Telkwa’s hull responds well to leaning and edging and paddle strokes that are most efficiently executed with firm foot braces” (KB). The Feathercraft rudder works well, and, when retracted, will find is own way into the slot when the rudder pedals are wiggled a bit. “The boat works so well without the rudder that I preferred not to have it deployed” (TE).
“The Telkwa has very solid stability” (TE). KB suggested that paddlers “with a focus on paddle skills may prefer a kayak with lower initial stability in order to more effortlessly edge with their upper bodies erect. Paddlers who can hold the Telkwa on edge will find that it’s fairly maneuverable. Not sporty, but it does well for its size” (KB). “It takes a hard lean to get it to carve a turn, but once you’ve reached that point the stern swings around quickly” (TE). The Telkwa has “excellent tracking” (KB). It “goes where you point it. It holds a course nicely without the rudder. It is well suited for course holding and long passages” (TE).
While KB and DL noted that the Telkwa wouldn’t be their choice for racing or a workout boat, all agreed that the Telkwa is “plenty fast for cruising. Holding a four-knot cruising speed would be quite reasonable for a strong paddler” (KB). KB held a speed of 5 knots over a six-nautical-mile course. TE averaged 4 1/2 knots at a cruising pace and could do short sprints at 6 knots. “The Telkwa provided a dry ride in any conditions I encountered. When punching into head seas, its sleek front deck beautifully shed green water without throwing spray towards my face” (KB). Only DL mentioned having some spray thrown up when paddling into a head wind.

The Telkwa performed remarkably well in keeping to a course in the wind. “I may never have paddled another kayak of [comparable] size that’s easier to handle in the wind. It hardly seemed affected by the wind on any heading” (KB). “One of the best balanced boats I have paddled. A pleasure to paddle in the wind” (TE).

TE’s comments on surfing echoed those of the other reviewers: “The Telkwa has the speed to catch waves but, without the rudder, tended to veer. While the broaching was slow and easy to control, I didn’t like missing the ride. With the rudder I could very easily hold onto waves. When running downwind I could make very good speed picking up rides.”

The Telkwa’s cargo capacity makes it “a good boat for extended trips” (DL). KB wrote he’d “have no problem packing the Telkwa for a three-week trip.” In addition to the storage compartments in the bow and stern, the large hatch openings make it easy to stow gear in the bulkheaded compartments. The fiberglass lids are flush with the deck and, underneath, the hatches are sealed with neoprene covers. DL reported about a cup in each compartment after a pool rolling session. TE and KB reported no leaks during their trials. The Telkwa’s fiberglass bulkheads are molded with a lip that provides a groove to hold caulking and a flange for glassing the bulkheads to hull and deck.

With a 100-pound cargo load aboard, KB “was amazed by how little the load affected the performance. I actually preferred the feel of the Telkwa under way when it’s loaded. Gear hauling is definitely this kayak’s forte.”

As a cruising kayak, the Telkwa drew high praise. “With the exception of a couple of easily remedied flaws—rudder locking and thigh bracing—the Telkwa is an exceptionally comfortable kayak to paddle. I was quite impressed by its balance in the wind. The hull and deck perform so well that it would be worth the effort to do some custom outfitting” (TE). “Excellent on extended trips where large volumes of gear had to be hauled” (DL). “It may not be a super-sporty high performer but it does what you need it to do well. It hauls gear and handles exceptionally well in the wind” (KB).

Design Response

Thanks for taking time to consider the merits of our kayak. Your reviewers confirm the design goals in creating the Telkwa—a moderately high volume cruising kayak for the medium to large paddler. It would be quite interesting to also have the comments from a slightly smaller paddler as quite a few purchasers are a bit smaller than your reviewers.

The biggest design problem for a large-volume kayak is performance in the wind. As noted by your reviewers, “the Telkwa performed remarkably well in the wind.” Another performance characteristic is the ability to catch and surf even small waves. The boat really makes good time in this circumstance but you have to expend a bit more effort for the extra fun.

Your reviewers noticed the fine finish and detail in our vacuum-bagged construction and assembly; we spend extra time and effort on our outside seams. The weight of the Telkwa is a function of the size of the kayak and the fact that we use a bit more fiberglass material to ensure our kayaks’ durability. If weight is a real concern the Kevlar laminate knocks off about eight pounds.

We have improved the paddle float rescue straps since the boat was reviewed. They are easier to tighten ad easier to use with cold hands. The seat base can be easily modified by removing the inner foam padding form its mesh cover and trimmed to make a custom fit. Alternatively, add a Sport Seat between the foam pad and the mesh cover with the valve sticking to the side and deflate until comfortable. Take care not to change the stability when doing this. A new deeper and easier-to-center rudder slot is planned for the 1998 version to eliminate the problem of the rudder coming out of the slot under pressure from the foot pedals. We are also considering offering a fixed footbrace/rudder control as an option. A new ergonomic toggle will also soon be available.

The Telkwas is, as described in the review, a cruising kayak: it’s comfortably stable in all conditions, it carries plenty of gear, it’s plenty fast, it tracks well and it’s surprisingly nimble for such a large kayak. And we feel it’s one of the best-looking a kayaks on the water.
Don Lockwood and Steve Schleicher

Options and Pricing
Designed: 1995
Standard Layup: Uni-directional and woven fiberglass, vacuum bagged with vinylester resin. Fiberglass seams and kevlar-reinforced bow and stern.
Optional Layup: Kevlar
Standard Features: Creature Comfort Seat, recessed flip-up rudder, recessed deck fittings, quick-release paddle float rescue straps, chart holder & stern deck storage lines, flush hatches, under foredeck storage tray, bulkheads, easily adjusable foot controls
Weight: 61 lbs (56lbs in Kevlar)
Price: Glass $2290 US/ Kevlar $2665 US
Availability: through selected dealers
Manufacturer’s Address:
Rainforest Designs Ltd.
P.O. Box 91
Albion, B.C. Canada V0M 1B0
Phone: (604) 467-9932
Fax: (604) 467-8890