Jackson Kayak’s newest exploration/touring kayak is named for a tube-nosed seabird with fossil record dating back 60 million years that returns to land only to breed.

Like its namesake bird, the Petrel offers timeless comfort on the water with a smooth-paddling hull design makes it a contender for the title of most versatile light-touring kayak ever.

“We like to design boats that will keep you paddling as long as you want although we do encourage you to return to land more frequently than just to breed,” quipped Jackson Kayak President Eric Jackson.

“The story behind was the Petrel was to develop the most feature-laden, most comfortable kayak in it’s class. The Petrel delivers that with a high performance hull, quick and easy customisation for the modern adventurer, and the most comfortable seating system available, “ states Jackson Kayak Product Manager, Damon Bungard.

The built-in Yakattack track systems allow paddlers to customise the boat for their own unique needs and tools specific to such activities as birdwatching, fishing, photo expeditions and more. The YakAttack tracks allow the quick installation of such devices as smartphones and tablets to access maps, journals, and guide book apps, cameras, GPS, fishing rod holders, or just about anything else the fisherman or techno-addicted outdoor enthusiast could want.

The Petrel delivers speed, stability and silence to day- or overnight trippers. The boat aims to delight a broad range of paddlers with features more experienced touring kayakers demand including deck rigging on the bow, and a proprietary, new hinging stern hatch system for dry storage for snacks, extra clothes, or camping gear. The Petrel also comes standard with Jackson’s new slidelock foot braces with added comfort, and Jackson Kayak’s unique Elite Seat that provides all-day comfort and is removable as a camp chair.

The Petrel is unique in its class in that it offers two sizes that deliver a similar on-water experience, but for different sized paddlers.. The Petrel 12.5 is ideal for 150-230 lb paddlers, and the Petrel 12, being only a few inches shorter but over 2” narrower, allows for a smaller paddler (100 – 160 pounds) to have the same level of speed and stability, but the boat is 6 pounds lighter and easier to manage, especially during transport and loading. The carry weight for both boats is 5 pounds less when the Elite Seat is removed.

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About Jackson Kayak. Founded in 2003 by Whitewater Hall of Famer Eric Jackson, family-owned and American-made, Jackson Kayak is the world’s leader in the design and manufacturing of whitewater kayaks and kayak fishing boats as well as expedition touring kayaks.