Gear Review: P&H Aires 155 Sea Kayak
Value Rating: 8
Durability Rating: 10
Overall Rating: 10
Location of Test: Deception Pass Washington, Columbia River, Garibaldi Bay
Duration: Multiple Day Long Paddles
Product Name: Aires 155
Product Brand: P&H Custom Sea Kayaks
Best Use: The one boat to rule them all, except be careful in bigs rocks.
Sizes Available/ Specs:
Lot's of different lay-ups: Mine is the Carbon Kevlar Expedition Lay-up which is 54lbs. 15'9". Available in Standard Diolen, Lightweight Carbon Kevlar. While we carry stock Diolen models, if you're willing to wait, everything from custom lay up to fitting to colors can be yours.
The Full Review
Take everything you love about the Delphin, and make it perfect. The Aires 155 is the prime example of the amazing things you can do with composite materials in making a killer boat.
When paddling, it's a super comfortable and stable boat. Ample packing space, 4 hatches (including a cookie jar!), and a flat rear deck make the boat so stable I can actually stand on it.
You cannot beat the feeling of this boat on the water. The improved bow rocker with hard chines rides nice and high over all features, and those same chines bite into the water quickly, making maneuvering a breeze. The flat hull in the middle makes this boat both incredibly maneuverable, and a the boss of surfing waves. The squared off stern then helps keep the boat tracking nice and straight.
The Good:
From design to construction to the seat, to the little features like a recess for the paddles and using molded in recesses, this boat screams perfection.
The Bad:
While you don't need to be gentle, don't treat it like a plastic boat and bash it around on rocks.
At 15'9", this boat is not designed to camp with for 3 weeks. But if you think like a backpacker, and not a car camper, you can easily get 5-10 days with this boat.
The Bottom Line:
If you're not needing a dedicated boat for bashing rocks, you could not find a better boat for paddles 1 week or less.
The Full Review
Take everything you love about the Delphin, and make it perfect. The Aires 155 is the prime example of the amazing things you can do with composite materials in making a killer boat.
When paddling, it's a super comfortable and stable boat. Ample packing space, 4 hatches (including a cookie jar!), and a flat rear deck make the boat so stable I can actually stand on it.
You cannot beat the feeling of this boat on the water. The improved bow rocker with hard chines rides nice and high over all features, and those same chines bite into the water quickly, making maneuvering a breeze. The flat hull in the middle makes this boat both incredibly maneuverable, and a the boss of surfing waves. The squared off stern then helps keep the boat tracking nice and straight.
The Good:
From design to construction to the seat, to the little features like a recess for the paddles and using molded in recesses, this boat screams perfection.
The Bad:
While you don't need to be gentle, don't treat it like a plastic boat and bash it around on rocks.
At 15'9", this boat is not designed to camp with for 3 weeks. But if you think like a backpacker, and not a car camper, you can easily get 5-10 days with this boat.
The Bottom Line:
If you're not needing a dedicated boat for bashing rocks, you could not find a better boat for paddles 1 week or less.