The Taran brings a radical new look to the Rockpool fleet, it is fast and sleek but with friendly handling characteristics that will please. It is designed for the intermediate to advanced paddler and steps away from the look of the conventional British sea kayak to give the high performance that modern paddlers are looking for. The Taran is a sea kayak that covers a multitude of roles: Day boat, Distance Cruiser, Weekend Tourer and Fitness Training through to Expedition Boat. It even has a reputation for setting records and winning races. The more we paddle it the more we find it can do! In 2011 Jeff Allen and Harry Whelan put the Taran on the map as a serious expedition boat after completing their record breaking 25 day circumnavigation of Ireland. In 2012 John Willacy took this to a new level, paddling his Taran to break the long-standing 80 day record for the circumnavigation of the UK. John covered the 2000 miles in 72 days. But just two weeks later this record was broken once again, this time by Joe Leach - in an impressive 67 days! There is no doubting the expedition credentials of the Taran now; the circumnavigation of the UK is a serious undertaking and in 2 weeks, there were 2 new records, with 2 Tarans! But the Taran isn't all about setting records or paddling expeditions; within Rockpool it is the boat of choice for our local day paddling, from cliff bottom bimbling to tide race surfing. Why plod along when you can cruise effortlessly? Choose a Taran! The Taran is now a regular choice for those looking to improve their paddling fitness too. Locally it is a common sight down at the Menai Straits training sessions. The confident handling and good speed give it a useful role as a fitness training boat, making for productive sessions even in the most demanding conditions. We are pleased that the Taran is chosen by such a wide range of paddlers from Intermediate to Elite level and for such a wide range of sea kayaking roles. For us it really has become a boat for all. Construction Rockpool kayaks are made using two different techniques, called the Standard and the Premier. Both of these are of equal strength, but the Premier is lighter than the Standard. Standard constructionTime proven handmade construction using polyester resin, chopped strand and woven glassfibre. Premium constructionThese kayaks are made using vacuum infusion on both deck and hull. Vacuum infusion is a technique that uses vacuum pressure to drive resin into the laminate giving a high resin to fibre ratio and superior laminate properties. This process uses a much stronger epoxy resin combined with a higher strength of carbon and aramid cloth to give a greatly improved strength to weight laminate. Kayaks made using both manufacturing methods are of similar strength, but the higher quality Premier construction uses less material resulting in the Premier being lighter than the Standard construction. More about Rockpool's designs
