Review
Sweet
I
(Delta)
magine a sporty little compact car
boasting lots of stock features at a
budget price – fun for the owner, but
likely snubbed by sports car purists. That is,
until one stops to look under the hood.
And so it goes with the Delta 16 – a
sporty little compact kayak that, for lack
of a better phrase, comes tripped out
with enough standard features to raise an
eyebrow or two. And the package may be
enough – just maybe – to entice fans of the
more traditional Brit boats to take a look at
what the 16 has to offer.
Members of the South Island Sea
Kayaking Association (SISKA), BC's newest
paddling club, were offered the chance to
look under the hood and kick the tires as
this issue's guest reviewers. And as should
be expected for a start-up Brit-style boat,
in thermoform no less, the reviews were all
28 Wavelength Magazine
16
over the map.
The boat's creator, Mark Hall, dubs it the
"full-frontal lobotomy for the British Canoe
Union." And it's certainly a departure for a
manufacturer known to make predictable
and stable boats. At just 22 inches wide, it's
the narrowest of the Delta offerings, with
the fit tailored for the smaller to medium-
sized paddler.
It's the level of experience the boat
is designed to attract where views vary
most widely. Delta tells us it's for an
intermediate to advanced paddler. But a few
key reviewers – among the most veteran
of SISKA's considerably experienced
membership – thought differently, labelling
Delta 16 specs
Length Beam Depth Cockpit Total storage Weight
16' 22" 12" 32.5"L x 16"W 371.1 L 50 lbs
FALl 2009
SISKA's Michael Jackson
intermediate paddlers.
tries the 16 off the
Chatham Islands near
Let the controversy begin!
Victoria, BC.
the 16 more on the level for beginner to
Perhaps the most compelling review
came from one guest kayaker, Dorothea
Hoffman, a female used to a narrow boat
and one of the smaller-sized reviewers for
which the boat was designed.
"At 5’4”, 135 lbs, I am a woman who
usually prefers my 19 inch wide boat. But it
was quick and easy to adjust the boat to fit
my smaller frame, and I felt very secure and
connected with the boat," she says.
A new fit kit that will allow slender
kayakers to adjust the seating to size will
take that comfort one step further.

Win this kayak
So here's a tally of the assessments.
The basics: The Delta 16 is unique for
its four hatches, two of which can best be
described as pods – two day hatches, one
in front and one behind the cockpit. Both
are self-contained, with the rear day hatch
taking up only a portion of the boat's
width. This has two advantages: making the
gear in the pod easy to reach and allowing
longer gear such as tents to be stowed
alongside the pod, something not possible
if your day hatch is divided by a bulkhead.
The front day hatch also sits in a pod
that lies under the deck inside the cockpit.
This might appear to obstruct leg room,
but careful design avoids that trap.
The Delta 16 has considerable rocker,
which for larger paddlers doesn’t necessarily
equate into added maneuverability. But
once again, correctly-sized Dorothea set
the tone: "Due to the interesting curve
of the hull above the chines, the boat has
great secondary stability. Easy to put and
hold on edge, a cinch to turn, it is an easily
paddled boat."
In other words, be careful you're the
About our
guest testers
Delta 16
right size if you want to take advantage of
this kayak's ability. Entering the
For advanced paddlers, the 16 is likely
to come to life in surf and waves, where its thermoform debate
size and design is best suited.
To add to the versatility, Delta has added
a choice of a skeg, rudder or none (but
not both). This will widen the 16’s appeal
significantly.
The rating
Touring: Delta is known for getting
a lot of volume out of a little, and the
16 matches this with a healthy 210 litres
storage in the hatches – good for a week of
gear, maybe two if you scrimp. The ability
to slide the seat forward helped center
weight and avoid weathercocking.
Playing: "Easy to roll, easy to balance
brace." The rolling is aided by a quirk of
the Delta design: when inverted, it sits
naturally at a 15-20 degree angle, a huge
assist in getting upright.
Stability: The Delta 16 is very easy to
turn and maneuver for a smaller paddler.
Weathercocking was an issue for a medium-
sized paddler off Gabriola. The skeg helped
tracking immensely.
The positives: A thoughtful design,
lots of extra features and attention to detail
make this an interesting boat to review
and paddle. Clearly Delta is interested in
raising the bar through paying attention to
kayaker's needs. People who like this kayak
are likely to love it.
Overall: Full-frontal lobotomies aside,
Delta Kayaks has moved into a niche of
its own here with a very affordable and
versatile smaller boat catering to a smaller
person.
We would love to take this out in surf,
arguably the 16's forte. When we do we'll
post the results online on the Wavelength
Forum (www.wavelengthmagazine.com/
forum). In the meantime, consider this an
option for the smaller paddler who wants
a racy option without going the traditional
sports car, er, Brit boat route.
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FALL 2009 Wavelength Magazine 29