Sea Kayaker Magazine
Review Skim Distance, June 2007

REVIEWERS
GL: 5’11” 165-pound male. Day trips, winds to 25 knots, wind waves to 3 ft No cargo.
TW: 6’ 1” 180-pound male. Day trips, calm conditions and boat wakes to 1 1/2 feet. Light winds. No cargo.
TE 6’ 1” 200-pound male. Day trip, winds to 25 knots, waves to 3 feet. No cargo.

BOAT SPECS
Length overall 19’ 3”
Beam 20 1/2”
Volume 13.09cu. ft. Cockpit size31’ ” x 16 1/4”
Cockpit coaming height
Forward 11 5/8”
Aft 7 3/4”
Height of seat 1 1/4”
Weight 57 1/2 lbs.

BEST FEATURES
• Deck layout
• Speed

TO IMPROVE
• Foot and knee room
[Skim note: see Manufacturers Response.]

The Review
First Glance
With its “sleek lines the Distance looks like it can cover miles with ease. The finish was impeccable, from the very clean deck to the hull seams and carefully beveled edges of the seat and coaming” (TW). “It’s a bit heavy for a long solo carry, but it balances well and didn’t dig into my shoulder” (TE).
"The finish was impeccable, from the very clean deck to the hull seams and carefully beveled edges of the seat and coaming"
The deck fittings are recessed and support a perimeter grab lines that run the full length of the decks. There are bungees on both decks for holding a spare paddle. Beads hold the foredeck bungees up to make it easier to slip paddle blades under. The straps for a paddle float outrigger have quick release buckles: “A very solid system that is easy to operate” (TE). A stainless steel bar aft of the cockpit and cam cleat that hold a towing line. The bar can also be used to lock the kayak. The deck layout is '"well designed and well executed” (TW).

Fit
The cockpit was long enough for TE and GL to do a seat-first entry. The foredeck is low and “provides plenty of clearance for paddling” (TE) but the foot room was tight for sizes 10 (GL) to 13 (TE). The low deck was “a source of discomfort. My legs were pushed down, nearly straight and with very little bend while paddling” (TW). The aft deck is “very low and allows a full layback” (TE).
“The seat had a foam pad that provided just enough cushion to be comfortable. The back rest provided great lower back support with out pinching, binding or slipping down” (TW). The thigh brace flanges are molded into the coaming and padded with foam and provided " excellent support and an excellent knee position so I didn’t have to sit splayed” (GL).
"The thigh brace flanges are molded into the coaming and padded with foam and provided "excellent support and an excellent knee position so I didn’t have to sit splayed"
TE thought they “didn’t have quite enough hook though I never slipped while rolling. An additional wedge of foam and they’d be just right.” The pivoting foot braces provide very comfortable solid support with a wide area of contact”(TE).” GL “had some difficulty adjusting them. They seemed to stick at times which made me worry about how they would slide after sand or other grit got in.” The skeg slider “is very smooth to operate” (TE). The skeg has a short cord tied into the corner in case the skeg gets jammed and needs to be pulled down. The Distance is ready to take a rudder. There’s a pivot-pin hole in the stern, cable housings and pivoting foot braces.

Stability and maneuverability
The Distance had “Low-moderate initial stability and very good secondary stability” (GL). TE noted “very good initial stability. I could sit comfortably in sloppy water with my hands off the paddle. The secondary stability is also very good and would allow me to edge to coaming to the water. Overall a profile conducive to edging techniques.” “It was responsive to waves without feeling overly tippy and secondary stability became progressively stiffer the further I edged the hull” (TW).

The Distance “is comfortable on edge and it carves well thought the stern doesn’t skid around for tight turns.” (TE). It has “excellent tracking, with just a little bit of yaw” (GL). It is “a fun and comfortable paddle in a 10-knot breeze, pretty well balanced without the skeg. Not a lot of windage, but still felt like a bit too much boat. It leecocked in a 25-knot blow making upwind turns difficult: a combination of wind and wave—steep 3 footers—kept knocking the boat downwind, and it took a lot of effort to head it upwind” (GL). TE thought the Distance “was very well balanced in wind. Leaning forward I could get it to veer to windward, leaning aft I could get it to veer downwind. In the strongest wind I had to work to get the bow into the wind and lean forward. Most of the time the bow weathercock very slightly. The skeg can be used to set a course at any angle to the wind. Overall it performed exceptionally well in the wind with our without the skeg.” The “smooth foredeck doesn’t throw water up. Very little spray reached the cockpit” (GL).
"Overall it performed exceptionally well in the wind with our without the skeg."
Speed
The Distance has “lightning-fast speed and excellent acceleration. It's a high-mileage tourer and a great workout boat” (GL). TW “paddled at 3.5 knots with minimal effort, 4 to 4.5 knots at a comfortable touring pace and 6 knots when paddling aggressively. The Distance seemed like it had a top speed beyond my ability.” TE could “hold 4.5 knots at a relaxed pace, 5.25 knots at an exercise pace and in a short sprint I could just hit 6.25 knots.”
"The Distance has “lightning-fast speed and excellent acceleration. " / "..The Distance seemed like it had a top speed beyond my ability.”
For surfing following seas the Distance had “the speed to catch waves and the directional stability to get off on the right line. On the wave face it wasn’t prone to broaching. On occasion the bow would submerge, but not deeply and hardly enough to check speed. I got some very fast rides. It was a bit slow to crank around, but that’s to be expected with a long kayak” (TE).

Roll and Rescue
“Solid thigh bracing and a very secure seat made the Distance easy to roll” (TW). “Reentry and roll worked well though it takes a moment to slide past the thigh braces. Once up the kayak was stable even with a cockpit full of water” (TE). “Paddle outrigger re-entry was easy with or without a paddle-float. The buckled straps behind the cockpit offer a very secure outrigger. A pull on the strap tab released the paddle, a nice feature” (GL). TW advised paddlers to make sure the straps are “adjusted to the particular paddle. It would be challenging to tighten or loosen the straps in cold, wet conditions.”

Cruising
The three compartments “have enough volume for a multiday trip; longer than a week would be doable. Large fore and aft hatches are easy to get gear in and out, though shallowness limits bulky items” (GL). The KajakSport hatches fit tightly and did not leak” (TW).

The Bottom Line
GL thought the Distance would be a good kayak “for intermediate or advanced kayakers looking for speed for long crossings, superfast workouts, or to tack on extra miles to weeklong-plus tours.” “Although the low foredeck was a compromise of comfort for me, the Distance would be high on my list for a long-distance touring kayak. The thoughtful deck rigging, quality construction, speed and ample dry storage make it a prime kayak for two-week or longer trips” (TW).
"It would be on my short list for a fast touring kayak"
“The Distance is a very enjoyable boat to paddle. It is exceptionally well mannered in the wind, thoughtfully detailed, has a good turn of speed and its outfitting and stability make it quite comfortable. It would be on my short list for a fast touring kayak”(TE).

MANUFACTURER’S RESPONSE:
Many thanks to the Sea Kayaker test crew for a detailed and thorough review of our Distance. I’m happy to read that you approve of the details and characteristics that we focused on when Distance was designed.
Our ambition was to create a boat that combines the need for volume and seaworthiness on long distance trips with good speed and manoeuvrability for short trips and workouts. And overall, a boat without unnecessary bulk, that is fun to paddle and encourages you to practice edging and paddling techniques. Reading your review and talking to Skim paddlers, I can happily confirm that we have succeeded in our ambition!
I also appreciate your comments on the finish. We do put a lot of effort into attaining 100 percent quality when building the Skim kayaks. And it’s not just eye candy. It has, as you indicate, a lot to do with owning a waterproof, durable kayak with an inside finish that won’t hurt you or damage your gear. And which will stay that way year after year.
Later this year, the Distance will have a new cockpit configuration. The main change will be slightly more curved thigh brace flanges, creating the "hook" one of the reviewers asked for. This new shape also gives a little more vertical room for your legs. We’ve been very careful not to alter the excellent contact between boat and paddler that is the characteristic of Skim kayaks.

Göran Pehrson,
CEO and product developer, Skim Kayaks

MANUFACTURING DATA
Designed: 2002/03
Standard construction: Diolen polyester/fiberglass
Standard features: Skeg, rescue straps, towing system
Options: rudder
Weight: 57,5 lbs
Price: 3590 USD
Availability: See website for list of dealers
Manufacturer: Skim Kayaks, 0046 8 6550407, info@skimkayaks.com, www.skimkayaks.com

SPEED VS. RESISTANCE
Resistance in pounds
Speed | Winters/KAPER(W) | Broze/Taylor(B)
2 knots | 0.98 | 0.97
3 knots | 2.05 | 2.03
4 knots | 3.59 | 3.77
4.5 knots | 4.80 | 4.86
5 knots | 7.03 | 6.82
6 knots | 12.91 | 12.18

HYDROSTATICS
Waterline length 14’ 10.5”
[unfortunately wrong waterline length was published in the article. It has now been measured correct to 17' 8''.]
Waterline beam 19.8”
Draft 5.4”
Prismatic coefficient 0.50
Wetted surface in sq. ft. 21.16
Center of buoyancy 51.2%
(Hydrostatics calculated with 250-lb. load)