Coupled with our new kink free skeg deployment system, and our super tough ZyTx, Seaward's design team came up with a high performance skeg kayak in thermoform on a multi-chine hull.
It has startling maneuverability, easy edging and superb secondary stability. The ease with which this kayak goes through the water is astounding. The Infiniti TX features a 3 storage compartments, quick release rescue straps, tow bar built into the rear deck, "Sea Dog" footpedals, sealed bulkheads, anatomical padded bucket seat, padded thigh braces and adjustable IR backband.
Standard Features Molded Padded Seat |
Safety Features Quick Release Rescue Straps
|
Download the Thermoform Kayak Product Brochure (PDF, 389KB) |
Dimensions
| LENGTH | BEAM | DEPTH | COCKPIT | TOTAL STORAGE | WEIGHT |
| 17'5" | 23.5" | 15.25" | 16.5"W x 30"L | 200.2 ltrs | 55.5 LBS. |
All Seaward Thermoform kayaks are available in the following colours:
| red | mango | yellow | white |
Reviews of the Infiniti 175TX
"The Infiniti 175 TX" in Adventure Kayak 2008 and Sea Kayak 2008 (2008-10-16) » View as Text
InsideOut
By Tim Shuff
INFINITI 175 TX
The new seaward Infiniti is one of few high-performance skeg kayaks made of lightweight thermoform plastic. With a choice of both 15’ and 17’ versions, we tested the 17’. “High-performance” in this case we assume to mean a design suited for advanced skills that involved edging _ because edging is what the Infiniti does best. It may well be named for the number of angles it can be comfortably tilted to.
Unloaded the Infiniti has a low to moderate initial stability that invites the paddler to take full advantage of its edging capability. The initial stability increases with payload.
The curve of the infiniti’s shallow-arched hull is subdivided by several hard chines. Where some multi-chine hulls have very distinct “dial in points” that noticeably carve a turn when engaged, the infiniti behaves more like a soft chined boat. It edges smoothly to any degree of lean and carves only slightly, while being very easy to turn with the paddle.
Despite this easy turning on edge, the Infiniti tracks very well too. It hardly weathercocks at all in high winds even without the skeg deployed. In fact, before I figured out the counterintuitive slider - which drops the skeg when pushed forward – I spent a lot of time wondering if the skeg was up or down.
Some kayaks are designed to turn upwind with the skeg up and downwind with the skeg down. This is a tradeoff that gives more options for control in different sea conditions but makes the boat more skeg – dependent. The Infiniti doesn’t go there. The small skeg is helpful – particularly in downwind runs – but not essential.
The infiniti has a stylish raised deck (casket style, with hard lines like the NDK Greenlander) that provides ample volume in the cockpit as well as the hatches. The cockpit opening too, is large. There is space for larger paddlers with inseams up to about 34 inches. The seat pillars are spaced wide enough to give lots of hip room and smaller paddlers can pad them out. The backband, seat and thigh braces are very comfortable, though some complained the skeg control dug into their left knee.
The Infiniti will comfortably fit all but the largest and smallest bodies. Intermediate to advanced paddlers will enjoy it for its combination of edging performance, cargo capacity, good looks and numerous standard features.
FEATURES GALORE
Seaward’s bonus features include a comfortable neoprene backband with ratchet adjustments, paddle float straps with ingenious quick-release buckles (pull the red tab to eject) and a toe (or locking) bar behind the seat.
THINKING INSIDE THE BOX
The slender skegbox takes up little space in the 90-litre rear hatch. The skeg has an anti-jam design that deploys when you pull on the cable (because the cable attaches to the skeg in front of the pivot point.) Inside the Kajak-Sport hatches, total storage capacity is high – 224 litres.
THE EDGE OF INFINITI
The hull, distinctive with multiple hard chines like a folding kayak, edges smoothly to any degree of lean. The long waterline and sharp ends provide good speed and tracking when not on edge.
SEA KAYAK REVIEW – AUGUST 2008
DESIGN STATEMENT
The Infiniti 175 evolved from Seaward’s successful performance-fiberglass Quantum. It fills a consumer demand for an affordable, elegant, skeg-equipped, multi-chined thermoformed kayak. The low fore and aft decks make the Infiniti TX easy to roll, and it is quick and easy to maneuver. This kayak is designed for medium to large paddlers. It is fitted with two storage hatches plus a day hatch. Seaward reengineered the skeg control, reversed its operation and moved the pivot point of the blade, creating a unique kink-free skeg cable. The production Infiniti 175 will be joined in this year by the Infiniti 155, which has a length of 15 feet, 5 inches and a beam of 21.5 inches—ideal for the smaller aspiring kayaker. Both production models feature Seaward’s newly designed, adjustable thigh braces.
—Steve Ree and the Seaward Design Team
Best Features: Maneuverability and balance in wind
To improve: Larger skeg blade
Reviewers
JK: 5’ 6”, 140-pound male. Day paddle, winds to 10 knots, waves to 2 feet. 50 pounds of cargo.
GL: 5’ 11”, 165-pound male. Day paddle, winds to 15 knots, waves to 2 feet. 60 pounds of cargo.
TE: 6’ 1”, 200-pound male. Day trips, winds to 22 knots, waves to 2.5 feet. No cargo.
First Glance
The thermoformed Infiniti “looks as smooth, shiny and sleek as a new glass boat” (GL). It is “well made with no obvious construction flaws. The hardware on the interior has no sharp edges and will not snag gear” (JK). “The chines add stiffness, and the hull didn’t oil-can while afloat, but it can be flexed in by pushing on it with moderate force. It has great impact resistance and absorbs impacts without any indication of cracking. The weight is low to average, and it’s very well balanced on the shoulder. For a large boat, it’s easily managed” (TE). The carry handles at the ends are suitcase-type, bolted along the deck centerline and are “not well placed for swimmers or rescues” (JK).
Fit
The cockpit opening was long enough for the reviewers to get in seat first. TE “could do a cowboy scramble without difficulty.” For JK, “the foredeck seemed a little high; the drip ring on my paddle occasionally snagged deck lines.” TE had “plenty of foot room in the cockpit for size-13 booties. The back of the coaming is fairly low, and I could do a nearly complete layback, with my hips lifting only slightly as my head touched the aft deck.”
The foam-padded seat is “comfortable” (JK) and the back band is “very comfortable. I liked its swivel attachment to the coaming” (GL); “when leaning back, it flexed effortlessly out of the way and was always in place after a reentry” (JK). The thigh brace flanges are foam padded. “They provided a solid connection with the boat” (TE), although for JK, the recess for the skeg control dug into his left knee, and GL noted that the flanges “flex too much, but support is still good.” The Sea Dog foot braces are “pretty solid. I especially liked the broad surface area” (GL).
The deck fittings are “smartly laid out. The nicely thought-out paddle-float rescue setup includes adjustable straps and easily grabbed tabs to release the paddle once you’re back in place in the cockpit” (GL).
The skeg’s pivot is not at the end of the blade but is closer to the middle, and the control cable is in tension as the blade is lowered. That eliminates cable kinking but reduces the amount of blade exposed when deployed. “Usually a skeg noticeably stiffens tracking. That wasn’t the case with the Infiniti” (TE). GL agreed that “the small area reduces the skeg’s usefulness. It was only just noticeable when deployed and although it corrected mild weathercocking, it wasn’t capable of producing leecocking” to aid downwind courses.
Stability and Maneuverability
The initial stability was rated as “pretty light” (JK) and “low to moderate” (GL and TE). Secondary stability was “low to moderate” (JK) and “moderate” (GL and TE). “I could get the coaming to the water, but I needed to have the paddle at the ready. Once the Infinti was underway, it felt fine and was easily edged” (TE).
JK thought the Infiniti was “not a strong tracker,” although for GL, the “tracking was good, with a little yaw.” “The Infiniti carved turns adequately but required extreme edging to turn more sharply” (JK). TE and GL liked the Infiniti’s maneuverability: “The Infiniti responded very well to edged turns. With a good angle on the hull, it can make nice tight turns. Even in a cross wind, the Infiniti was easily maneuvered” (TE).
The Infniti had “very good balance in the wind, with only a slight bit of weathercocking. It turned upwind and down with a bit of lean and sweep. Dropping the skeg eliminated weathercocking but didn’t aid downwind turn” (GL). TE agreed: “It was very well balanced in the wind. Even with the skeg raised, I could manage any course. Edging made it easy to adjust course” (TE).
Speed
GL noted “very good speed with moderate effort.” JK “could cruise at 3.5 to 4 knots, hold an exercise pace at 4.5 to 5 knots and sprint to about 6.5 knots.” TE recorded 4.5 knots, 5.3 knots and 6.25 knots for the same categories.
In rough conditions, TE “didn’t take a lot of water over the bow. For surfing, the Infiniti was a bit sensitive at take off with the skeg up, and I missed few waves. With the skeg deployed, there was just enough difference to get a good line on the wave face. Acceleration was good, and speed was excellent.”
Roll and Rescue
“The Infiniti rolls pretty well. The back deck is a little high for me, but the back band pivots out of the way nicely” (JK). TE found “lots of lateral movement in the seat, but otherwise rolling was fine. For a layback roll, I had good clearance for almost a full layback.”
“The cockpit does not inhibit exiting” (JK). TE “could just squeeze both knees past the thigh braces without having to lead one leg ahead of the other.” GL noted “it takes a bit of effort to clamber onto the high rear deck. With the outrigger in place, it’s easy to complete the self-rescue. The red tab to release the buckle offers an easy way to retrieve the paddle” from the deck.
Cruising
There is “plenty of stowage volume for up to a two-week trip” (GL). The KajakSport hatches are not tethered but have a molded tab to tie a tether to. The molded plastic bulkheads are glued and caulked. Leakage reported in the three compartments varied from a few drops to a half cup of water.
“With 50 pounds of cargo, the Infiniti still came up to speed pretty well. Cruising and exercise speeds remained the same, but the top speed dropped by about half a knot. The primary stability increased to moderate, and the secondary increased to moderately strong. The Infiniti maneuvered about the same with a load. Based on the differences in stability and handling, I think the Infiniti would be better for paddlers larger than I” (JK). “With 60 pounds of gear, the kayak had improved stability, felt good on edge and was not difficult to turn or hold any course” (GL).
The Bottom Line
“The Infiniti is a fine all-around kayak for medium to larger paddlers—good for day paddles while camping” (JK). GL thought the Infiniti would be well suited for “medium to large paddlers looking for a lightweight, multiday, inland-seas cruiser—a kayak that can carry a load and handle most seas with zest enough to keep it fun.” TE thought “the low to moderate stability would make the Infiniti best for intermediate paddlers and above. Its balance in the wind was great. It would make a good general-purpose boat.”
Manufacturing Data Designed: 2007 Construction: Thermoformed, vacuum-molded plastic Standard Features: Kink-free skeg system, adjustable thigh braces, sealed thermoform bulkheads, anatomically molded seat, padded adjustable backrest, retroreflective deck lines, shock cords, recessed deck fittings, quick-release rescue straps, built in tow bar, molded carry handles
Options: Aquameter compass, Immersion Research adjustable back band Weight: 52 lbs. Price: $2,475 Cdn. $2452
Availability: See website for a list of dealers Manufacturer: Seaward Kayaks, 800-595-9755 or 250-246-2223; info@seawardkayaks.com; www.seawardkayaks.com
MANUFACTURERS RESPONSE
We would like to thank Sea Kayaker for a comprehensive and very fair review.
Your paddlers have confirmed our design criteria that the infiniti 175 TX is intended for medium to large paddlers, and they have also endorsed Seaward’s use of ABS thermoformed vacuum-molded plastic as a lightweight, resilient and economical material for the paddling industry.
Sea Kayaker tested one of the first Infiniti 175 TX’s from our production line, and we have already tethered all the Kajak Sport hatches and are modifying the size of the skeg blade to improve its effectiveness. I am confident that paddlers will long enjoy the zesty performance, maneuverability and “cruisability” of the infiniti 175 TX. Thank you again for your very balanced review.
By Tim Shuff
INFINITI 175 TX
The new seaward Infiniti is one of few high-performance skeg kayaks made of lightweight thermoform plastic. With a choice of both 15’ and 17’ versions, we tested the 17’. “High-performance” in this case we assume to mean a design suited for advanced skills that involved edging _ because edging is what the Infiniti does best. It may well be named for the number of angles it can be comfortably tilted to.
Unloaded the Infiniti has a low to moderate initial stability that invites the paddler to take full advantage of its edging capability. The initial stability increases with payload.
The curve of the infiniti’s shallow-arched hull is subdivided by several hard chines. Where some multi-chine hulls have very distinct “dial in points” that noticeably carve a turn when engaged, the infiniti behaves more like a soft chined boat. It edges smoothly to any degree of lean and carves only slightly, while being very easy to turn with the paddle.
Despite this easy turning on edge, the Infiniti tracks very well too. It hardly weathercocks at all in high winds even without the skeg deployed. In fact, before I figured out the counterintuitive slider - which drops the skeg when pushed forward – I spent a lot of time wondering if the skeg was up or down.
Some kayaks are designed to turn upwind with the skeg up and downwind with the skeg down. This is a tradeoff that gives more options for control in different sea conditions but makes the boat more skeg – dependent. The Infiniti doesn’t go there. The small skeg is helpful – particularly in downwind runs – but not essential.
The infiniti has a stylish raised deck (casket style, with hard lines like the NDK Greenlander) that provides ample volume in the cockpit as well as the hatches. The cockpit opening too, is large. There is space for larger paddlers with inseams up to about 34 inches. The seat pillars are spaced wide enough to give lots of hip room and smaller paddlers can pad them out. The backband, seat and thigh braces are very comfortable, though some complained the skeg control dug into their left knee.
The Infiniti will comfortably fit all but the largest and smallest bodies. Intermediate to advanced paddlers will enjoy it for its combination of edging performance, cargo capacity, good looks and numerous standard features.
FEATURES GALORE
Seaward’s bonus features include a comfortable neoprene backband with ratchet adjustments, paddle float straps with ingenious quick-release buckles (pull the red tab to eject) and a toe (or locking) bar behind the seat.
THINKING INSIDE THE BOX
The slender skegbox takes up little space in the 90-litre rear hatch. The skeg has an anti-jam design that deploys when you pull on the cable (because the cable attaches to the skeg in front of the pivot point.) Inside the Kajak-Sport hatches, total storage capacity is high – 224 litres.
THE EDGE OF INFINITI
The hull, distinctive with multiple hard chines like a folding kayak, edges smoothly to any degree of lean. The long waterline and sharp ends provide good speed and tracking when not on edge.
SEA KAYAK REVIEW – AUGUST 2008
DESIGN STATEMENT
The Infiniti 175 evolved from Seaward’s successful performance-fiberglass Quantum. It fills a consumer demand for an affordable, elegant, skeg-equipped, multi-chined thermoformed kayak. The low fore and aft decks make the Infiniti TX easy to roll, and it is quick and easy to maneuver. This kayak is designed for medium to large paddlers. It is fitted with two storage hatches plus a day hatch. Seaward reengineered the skeg control, reversed its operation and moved the pivot point of the blade, creating a unique kink-free skeg cable. The production Infiniti 175 will be joined in this year by the Infiniti 155, which has a length of 15 feet, 5 inches and a beam of 21.5 inches—ideal for the smaller aspiring kayaker. Both production models feature Seaward’s newly designed, adjustable thigh braces.
—Steve Ree and the Seaward Design Team
Best Features: Maneuverability and balance in wind
To improve: Larger skeg blade
Reviewers
JK: 5’ 6”, 140-pound male. Day paddle, winds to 10 knots, waves to 2 feet. 50 pounds of cargo.
GL: 5’ 11”, 165-pound male. Day paddle, winds to 15 knots, waves to 2 feet. 60 pounds of cargo.
TE: 6’ 1”, 200-pound male. Day trips, winds to 22 knots, waves to 2.5 feet. No cargo.
First Glance
The thermoformed Infiniti “looks as smooth, shiny and sleek as a new glass boat” (GL). It is “well made with no obvious construction flaws. The hardware on the interior has no sharp edges and will not snag gear” (JK). “The chines add stiffness, and the hull didn’t oil-can while afloat, but it can be flexed in by pushing on it with moderate force. It has great impact resistance and absorbs impacts without any indication of cracking. The weight is low to average, and it’s very well balanced on the shoulder. For a large boat, it’s easily managed” (TE). The carry handles at the ends are suitcase-type, bolted along the deck centerline and are “not well placed for swimmers or rescues” (JK).
Fit
The cockpit opening was long enough for the reviewers to get in seat first. TE “could do a cowboy scramble without difficulty.” For JK, “the foredeck seemed a little high; the drip ring on my paddle occasionally snagged deck lines.” TE had “plenty of foot room in the cockpit for size-13 booties. The back of the coaming is fairly low, and I could do a nearly complete layback, with my hips lifting only slightly as my head touched the aft deck.”
The foam-padded seat is “comfortable” (JK) and the back band is “very comfortable. I liked its swivel attachment to the coaming” (GL); “when leaning back, it flexed effortlessly out of the way and was always in place after a reentry” (JK). The thigh brace flanges are foam padded. “They provided a solid connection with the boat” (TE), although for JK, the recess for the skeg control dug into his left knee, and GL noted that the flanges “flex too much, but support is still good.” The Sea Dog foot braces are “pretty solid. I especially liked the broad surface area” (GL).
The deck fittings are “smartly laid out. The nicely thought-out paddle-float rescue setup includes adjustable straps and easily grabbed tabs to release the paddle once you’re back in place in the cockpit” (GL).
The skeg’s pivot is not at the end of the blade but is closer to the middle, and the control cable is in tension as the blade is lowered. That eliminates cable kinking but reduces the amount of blade exposed when deployed. “Usually a skeg noticeably stiffens tracking. That wasn’t the case with the Infiniti” (TE). GL agreed that “the small area reduces the skeg’s usefulness. It was only just noticeable when deployed and although it corrected mild weathercocking, it wasn’t capable of producing leecocking” to aid downwind courses.
Stability and Maneuverability
The initial stability was rated as “pretty light” (JK) and “low to moderate” (GL and TE). Secondary stability was “low to moderate” (JK) and “moderate” (GL and TE). “I could get the coaming to the water, but I needed to have the paddle at the ready. Once the Infinti was underway, it felt fine and was easily edged” (TE).
JK thought the Infiniti was “not a strong tracker,” although for GL, the “tracking was good, with a little yaw.” “The Infiniti carved turns adequately but required extreme edging to turn more sharply” (JK). TE and GL liked the Infiniti’s maneuverability: “The Infiniti responded very well to edged turns. With a good angle on the hull, it can make nice tight turns. Even in a cross wind, the Infiniti was easily maneuvered” (TE).
The Infniti had “very good balance in the wind, with only a slight bit of weathercocking. It turned upwind and down with a bit of lean and sweep. Dropping the skeg eliminated weathercocking but didn’t aid downwind turn” (GL). TE agreed: “It was very well balanced in the wind. Even with the skeg raised, I could manage any course. Edging made it easy to adjust course” (TE).
Speed
GL noted “very good speed with moderate effort.” JK “could cruise at 3.5 to 4 knots, hold an exercise pace at 4.5 to 5 knots and sprint to about 6.5 knots.” TE recorded 4.5 knots, 5.3 knots and 6.25 knots for the same categories.
In rough conditions, TE “didn’t take a lot of water over the bow. For surfing, the Infiniti was a bit sensitive at take off with the skeg up, and I missed few waves. With the skeg deployed, there was just enough difference to get a good line on the wave face. Acceleration was good, and speed was excellent.”
Roll and Rescue
“The Infiniti rolls pretty well. The back deck is a little high for me, but the back band pivots out of the way nicely” (JK). TE found “lots of lateral movement in the seat, but otherwise rolling was fine. For a layback roll, I had good clearance for almost a full layback.”
“The cockpit does not inhibit exiting” (JK). TE “could just squeeze both knees past the thigh braces without having to lead one leg ahead of the other.” GL noted “it takes a bit of effort to clamber onto the high rear deck. With the outrigger in place, it’s easy to complete the self-rescue. The red tab to release the buckle offers an easy way to retrieve the paddle” from the deck.
Cruising
There is “plenty of stowage volume for up to a two-week trip” (GL). The KajakSport hatches are not tethered but have a molded tab to tie a tether to. The molded plastic bulkheads are glued and caulked. Leakage reported in the three compartments varied from a few drops to a half cup of water.
“With 50 pounds of cargo, the Infiniti still came up to speed pretty well. Cruising and exercise speeds remained the same, but the top speed dropped by about half a knot. The primary stability increased to moderate, and the secondary increased to moderately strong. The Infiniti maneuvered about the same with a load. Based on the differences in stability and handling, I think the Infiniti would be better for paddlers larger than I” (JK). “With 60 pounds of gear, the kayak had improved stability, felt good on edge and was not difficult to turn or hold any course” (GL).
The Bottom Line
“The Infiniti is a fine all-around kayak for medium to larger paddlers—good for day paddles while camping” (JK). GL thought the Infiniti would be well suited for “medium to large paddlers looking for a lightweight, multiday, inland-seas cruiser—a kayak that can carry a load and handle most seas with zest enough to keep it fun.” TE thought “the low to moderate stability would make the Infiniti best for intermediate paddlers and above. Its balance in the wind was great. It would make a good general-purpose boat.”
Manufacturing Data Designed: 2007 Construction: Thermoformed, vacuum-molded plastic Standard Features: Kink-free skeg system, adjustable thigh braces, sealed thermoform bulkheads, anatomically molded seat, padded adjustable backrest, retroreflective deck lines, shock cords, recessed deck fittings, quick-release rescue straps, built in tow bar, molded carry handles
Options: Aquameter compass, Immersion Research adjustable back band Weight: 52 lbs. Price: $2,475 Cdn. $2452
Availability: See website for a list of dealers Manufacturer: Seaward Kayaks, 800-595-9755 or 250-246-2223; info@seawardkayaks.com; www.seawardkayaks.com
MANUFACTURERS RESPONSE
We would like to thank Sea Kayaker for a comprehensive and very fair review.
Your paddlers have confirmed our design criteria that the infiniti 175 TX is intended for medium to large paddlers, and they have also endorsed Seaward’s use of ABS thermoformed vacuum-molded plastic as a lightweight, resilient and economical material for the paddling industry.
Sea Kayaker tested one of the first Infiniti 175 TX’s from our production line, and we have already tethered all the Kajak Sport hatches and are modifying the size of the skeg blade to improve its effectiveness. I am confident that paddlers will long enjoy the zesty performance, maneuverability and “cruisability” of the infiniti 175 TX. Thank you again for your very balanced review.
Testimonials about the Infiniti 175TX
"I am picking up my new infiniti 175 tonight. Would\'ve been able to bring it home yesterday but they needed to do a repair to the skeg cable and said it needs to sit 24 hours. I had looked at other models at other dealers and thought I wanted an eddyline falcon S18, but couldn\'t come to terms with that dealer. I took a test ride in the Seaward Infiniti 17 footer at Braddocks Bay Paddlesports and immediately knew this was the kayak for me. I have scoured the internet today and now I\'m certain I made the right choice. You build a quality product. My first kayak was an Old Town Cayuga 14 and I quickly outgrew that. I wanted a more responsive boat and I found it! My friends and I are intrigued with that paddle strap on the back for self rescue and can\'t wait to try that one on our canoe/kayak trip later this summer! " ~ Unknown
"I thought I'd wait until I had used the boat several times both on river and lake, rough and calm conditions before writing this testimonial so that it could be as genuine and thorough as possible! Feel free to prune or re-organize it as you see fit. Here it goes...
I started looking for a kayak of my own last year, telling myself I would not commit to the purchase until this year (2011) once I had seen and tried many of the options out there.
That choice came this spring in the form of the Seaward Infiniti 175TX. Before I get into the operational details of the boat, I think it's important to mention the obvious quality differences even just at face value when one encounters a Seaward product.
Like anyone trying to shop for a new vehicle, I wanted to compare various makes, models and manufacturers' products to discern which had the better offering. It is easy enough to look at statistics, pictures and so on via the Internet, magazines or pamphlets. On that front, it's hard to determine differences between products. Seaward was one of many on the list of possibilities, but on actually getting to see the various boats, Seaward ascended to the top of the list.
The first thing you'll notice about their boats, before you even get one into the water, is the engineering quality. Everything Seaward does on their boats is done to perfection; you can tell each one is crafted carefully by hand, and gone over in great detail to ensure there are no flaws. Every aspect of how they are built seems to be engineered to be tougher and/or better thought-out than competitors products. Cables are thicker, skegs are metal (not plastic), bulk heads are solid embossed walls (not foam), and the list goes on and on right down to the quality of the nuts and bolts used to affix things within the hull and deck.
I was leaning toward an ABS type boat because I planned to do a lot of river/creek exploring in addition to lake use, and that meant a potential to hit logs, rocks and other hazards that might be unseen on the surface. I wanted a tough boat, but one not as soft and heavy as a roto-moulded polyethylene, so the Infiniti 175TX was of great interest to me. It fit like a glove on trying it, and definitely sat at the top of the list for my future boat.
Fast forward to a few months later, and I had purchased the Infiniti 175TX. I have now used the boat in both flat-water river and creek conditions, and rough conditions on river and lake.
The Infiniti has a very sporty feel to it. The narrow V hull in the bow and stern paired with its multi-chine'd hull make it extremely responsive. It's actually quite surprising the first time you start to edge it and feel how the different chines can change how it responds in a turn on the water. This does give the boat a more "touchy" sort of feel, with a bit less initial stability than other more round or flat-bottomed sea kayaks. This more "touchy" responsiveness at first might make one think that it's less stable in rough conditions, but I found the opposite is true. When the water gets rough, the Infiniti just seems to shrug it off and ride confidently through swells and crashing waves. Also interesting is that the more you load the boat, the more stable it becomes.
It tracks straight; very straight. Even without the use of the skeg, the boat is easy to keep in a straight line. Deploy the skeg, and you go straight as an arrow, wind or no wind. Skeg deployment is very nice - the lever that operates it is within easy reach on the left of the cockpit top, and the mechanics are smooth and effortless. The skeg itself is made of aluminium, not plastic, and the cable, housing and all mechanical aspects of it are very well engineered. Even if you accidentally jam it with sand or silt when beaching, you can force the skeg down and clear it - something I've never seen work on other boats.
The hatches open up to very roomy compartments. The day hatch is surprisingly large and easy to get at. The lids are also very good at keeping the water out, even when the boat has been overturned multiple times during wet-exit practice. Perhaps more aesthetically worthy to note, I also love the embossed maple leaf and Seaward logo on the hatch covers. It makes them quite unique among other boats. Compartments are separated by solid plastic bulkheads with the boat name embossed across them; excellent quality in comparison to the typical foam bulkheads found in many other boats.
The rigidity of its ZyTx ABS plastics make the boat very smooth and fast in the water, and is even tougher than I thought it'd be. It resists scratching better than a roto-poly boat, and yet is amazingly light weight (lighter, in fact, than some of the fibreglass boats). As such, I find it easy to carry myself, and load on the truck myself for trips. The only issue would take here is with the choice in colours - you are limited to only 4 versus the far more flexible choices with the fibreglass boats.
The seat is very comfortable and configurable to suit just about any size or style of kayaker while still keeping the seat design simple enough that it's not the sort of huge, cushioned beast that you find in some day-touring boats. The very bast where the seat back connects to the seat bottom might cause some irritation for people with lower-back issues, but it can also be changed out for a back-band should that be a concern.
Lastly, though perhaps a small thing, I was impressed too with the extras. Seaward includes a high quality water-proof cockpit cover for the boat, some protectant for the ABS plastics and a Canadian boating guide book with the purchase. The cockpit cover is immensely useful for keeping the boat clean and dry when not in use, and aerodynamic during transport. Seaward themselves were also a pleasure to deal with, helping to answer some extra questions, and making me feel as if they genuinely wanted me to go out and enjoy my new boat.
" ~ Aaron McDonnell
*All Seaward Thermoform kayaks are made from fully recyclable ABS plastic. All off cuts are sent back to the manufacturer to be reformed into new product. Seaward Kayaks is helping to Keep North America Beautiful.
