Valley Sea Kayaks of Nottingham England is home to one of the largest and most respected ranges of sea kayaks in the world. In an industry where many are quick to claim unsubstantiated “firsts”, Valley can legitimately claim that they were there at the start of the modern incarnation of the sea kayak. The first true sea kayak by Valley, the Anas Acuta, was developed in 1971 and is still in production today.

Through the years, a love and respect for the sea has dictated everything that the company has done. Their designs have evolved with the sport, leading to kayaks like the Nordkapp, the first kayak designed specifically for a major expedition and the Skerray, the first true sea kayak molded in polyethylene. The focus at Valley has not been limited to the performance of the Valley hulls. They have sought ways to make the sport safer and more enjoyable, developing features such as watertight rubber hatches, retractable skegs, safety end toggles and recessed deck fittings.

Thirty-five years later, the enthusiasm of the Valley team is as keen as ever and because the sport is always evolving, so too is their range of kayaks. Recent introductions include the Aquanaut RM, a polyethylene version of their most popular composite model and the Qajariaq (aka the Anas Acuta HV) which is a higher volume, keyhole cockpit version of the ever popular Greenland model, the Anas Acuta. In the works is a radical new sea kayak, a model developed for ocean racing and the growing number of paddlers seeking a fast, fitness sea kayak.

The Valley Heritage

Founded in 1970 by Frank Goodman, Valley’s history very quickly became entwined with the infant sport of sea kayaking. Although kayaking on the sea can be traced back several thousand years through various indigenous populations, it was the introduction of the fiberglass sea kayak that led to the activity gaining popularity as a recreational pastime. Valley became one of the very first companies to commercially produce a specialty sea kayak when it launched the Anas Acuta in 1972. This kayak was developed from a native Greenland kayak brought back from the Western region and it is still produced today.

As the early pioneers pushed the boundaries, their needs changed. The desire to go greater distances, unsupported, led to the development of models designed to accommodate the required equipment without sacrificing performance. The most famous of these is the Valley Nordkapp, designed for the British Norway expedition in 1975 but most famously used for the first rounding of Cape Horn by kayak. The design principles adopted in this kayak: moderately v shaped keel, softer chines and the distinct Greenland side profile (although with increased freeboard to accommodate the increased loadings) become so widespread in other kayaks that these characteristics became known worldwide as “British style”. This style of kayak has such a reputation for sea worthiness that it is now the worldwide benchmark by which other sea kayaks are measured.

It isn’t just how people use a kayak that has changed; materials too have progressed from those first fiberglass kayaks. Improvements in the reinforcements and resins have led to tougher, lighter products. Now glass fiber is only one of several reinforcements used in the kayak’s shell, other materials being: e glass in cloth forms, polyester “diolene”, kevlar and carbon fiber all when used correctly improve the performance of the laminate. However probably the biggest improvements have been in the resin matrices; polyester resins are now significantly tougher and for higher performance or lighter laminates vinalesters and epoxies are now used. The 1980’s saw the most significant changes in the kayak industry with the development of rotomolded polyethylene. Although first utilized in white water kayaks for its impact resistant properties, Valley was one of the first companies to see its potential to make a tough, reasonably priced sea kayak and introduced the Skerray. This kayak pioneered many features now taken for granted: the molded skeg box, welded bulkheads and hard rubber hatch covers. Even today, many Valley competitors still haven’t caught up!

Kayak construction and design are not the only two areas where Valley has been instrumental in the evolution of the species. The respect for the sea at Valley has led them to develop several features directly related to kayak safety. Valley was the first company to develop a watertight hatch system specifically designed for kayaks and then developed recessed deck fittings to ensure safety lines remained in place. It is a testimony to the value of these important innovations that many competitors still purchase these products from Valley.

Valley Sea Kayaks has a rich history and the company has had a tremendous influence on modern sea kayak development. They still strive to produce the best kayaks for the sea. Many in the sea kayaking world say: “there’s nothing like a Valley”. This year, like all of the 35 before, will see new developments at Valley.

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