A KAYAK SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO PROVIDE OPTIMAL CONTROL FOR THE FEMALE PADDLER

Meet Eliza

Eliza is a sleek, fifteen foot long kayak. She’s ideal for day tripping and suited for female paddlers of all skill levels. Eliza’s slightly V-shaped hull and finely-tuned chine and rocker profiles create a perfect balance of stability, tracking, and maneuverability. She’s also designed for reduced drag, so smaller paddlers quickly achieve a comfortable touring pace on the water. Add a low deck profile and compact, woman-specific cockpit design and you’ve met Eliza: the kayak specifically designed for the female paddler.

What's in a name

Eliza is as beautiful as her namesake: a gem of an isle in the San Juan Islands, just off the west coast of Washington state. Some historians would have you believe explorer Charles Wilkes named the island after Francisco de Eliza, the Spanish commander of an early expedition to the Northwest. But if you know anything about real history, the kind that doesn’t always find its way onto the pages of a book, the answer is simple: Wilkes named the island after his sister and daughter, both named Eliza.

How Eliza was born

Necessity is the mother of invention; and women needed a boat of their own. For too long, boats were designed for big, strong paddlers (a.k.a. men). The result: women are placed in longer kayaks under the notion that longer hulls are faster for everyone. But the benefit of these longer hulls is lost on smaller paddlers who do not have the strength to drive them. Worse, drag analyses of many kayak models demonstrates that shorter boats often have less drag at touring speeds which, for the vast majority of sea touring kayakers, rarely exceed 4 knots. Add to this the effect of wind and waves and a small paddler can find themselves struggling with a kayak that is just too much for them to handle. Where’s the fun in that? Eliza doesn't believe one size fits all, and she'll show women the kind of paddling men have enjoyed for years.

Eliza: designed by women, built for women

The Eliza series is the culmination of input from many women paddlers of varying skill levels. The response was clear: women want comfort, light weight, ease of paddling, and attractive design.

Comfort
For comfort, we consulted with a women physician paddler on cockpit ergonomics. The result is a simple cockpit design shaped just for women: the cockpit is wider and shorter to support women comfortably (no more struggling to attach spray decks!) Cockpit outfitting built for a woman's comfort with a sweet CNC cut foam seat and hip pads, and a supportive back band.

Light Weight
From hatch design to outfitting, everything about Eliza is crafted to shed weight. The proof is in the product: the composite Eliza is one of the lightest production kayaks in the world. Not only is she easy to load solo on your car but she's a joy to paddle.

Ease of Paddling
Eliza is suitable for women up to 160 lbs. By design, Eliza isn't a sprint kayak. Instead, she is exceptionally easy to paddle up to 4 knots, making her far more efficient for smaller women. Eliza's hull and deck design give her excellent manners in wind and waves from any angle, and she surfs following seas very well. Eliza is ideal for women paddlers and the testing proved it: when we put women in the Eliza they were at the front of the pack.

With Eliza polymer and Eliza composite, women have two new, attractive options to help them go farther (in comfort!) with less effort.

Two Eliza's? Yes!

Eliza polymer: This boat has a very quiet entry, along with excellent glide and tracking. Although rudder-equipped, she also performs well with the rudder retracted. Eliza's stability will reassure the novice, and as skills progress paddlers will appreciate her maneuverability on edge. Like the composite version, Eliza's deck is designed to shed water and minimize windage. Two neoprene hatches with cross strapped covers, and simplified outfitting provide function while reducing weight. The wider, shorter cockpit combines with the low rear deck for unrestricted rolling, bracing, and general paddling. Necky’s super-comfy touring seat and hip pads, along with injection molded foam thigh hooks assure supportive comfort and easy re-entry during rescues. Storage capacity allows for weekend outings, and with minimalist packing, longer trips.

Eliza composite: Offered in fiberglass or carbon, the composite Eliza is one of the lightest production kayaks in the world. The composite Eliza is narrower than the poly version and equipped with a skeg. Eliza's low profile and cockpit dimensions allow advanced paddlers excellent flexibility for rolling, bracing, rotation, surfing and spirited paddling. Subtle edging evokes immediate response and aggressive edging provides skilled paddlers with outstanding maneuverability. Two Valley® hatches with composite bulkheads assure water tight compartments, and CNC cut foam seat and hip pads, combined with molded in carbon thigh braces, and reduced deck fittings keep things simple, functional, and light. Even some die-hard, powerful, long boat guys are paddling Eliza on the outer coast because its ease of paddling and playfulness equate to more fun! Capacity is small, but with careful packing week long trips have been easy.

Eliza gives back

Since the Eliza was first launched, Necky Kayaks has donated 1% of the Eliza gross sales to the Breast Cancer Fund. The Breast Cancer Fund is one of the leading national organizations focused on identifying the environmental causes of breast cancer and preventing the disease.

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