Lightning Review: P&H Cetus LV

Photo by Pete at Summit to Sea

While at the East Coast Canoe & Kayak Festival I was busy running a booth for the St. Johns Riverkeeper, but I did manage to spare a few moments to go paddling. I stopped by the P&H booth (conveniently located next to the Sea Kayak Carolina booth) to paddle a few boats. The first of which was the Cetus LV.

I was very impressed with the boat & was quite happy with the agility. This boat is truly a low volume boat. P&H didn’t just subtract an inch or two from the beam of the standard Cetus and call it the ‘Cetus LV’. This boat is not for the heavy paddler. I think that paddlers 110-160lbs will get the most enjoyment from this boat.

When put on edge, the Cetus LV responded quickly and smoothly. The transition between initial and secondary stability was smooth and comfortable. Though the demo location was a small man-made lake, there was enough wind to really get a feel for the boat. Even in a beam wind of 15mph the Cetus LV tracked straight as an arrow. However, with a slight edge it still responded quickly, yet smoothly. I tested the Cetus LV with the wind at every ppossible angle, and it remained steady. I didn’t even have to deploy the skeg with a full on beam wind.

I regret the fact that I didn’t get any pictures of the Cetus LV while I was demoing the boat. Since the Cetus LV is just now entering production, P&H has not released the official specifications or photos. Whenever the specs are released I will be sure to post them.