Current Designs Isle
Current Designs has several new boats this season, but one of the more interesting is the Isle. The Isle is a Greenland style boat that is very similar to the Caribou, but the Isle is designed for a larger paddler. Typically Greenland style boats have a narrow beam and a small cockpit, but Current Designs has made the Greenland style boat available to larger paddlers.
The best hatch closure system available
The Solstice series, Caribou, Suka and Isle all share the same hatch closure system. It is hands down the best system out there. The latches are very simple and
can be repaired while in the wild. These closures offer downward pressure on the hatch that helps to seal water out. I have rolled the Caribou many times and have found the contents of my hatches as dry as they were when I put them in the hatch.
Inside the cockpit looking toward the bow
The Isle has the standard Current Designs footpegs and glassed bulkhead. I should have placed something in the cockpit to give some perspective, but just remember that the boat has a depth of 14″.
IR backband
CD has swapped their backband with buckle/webbing adjustment for this IR backband that has the cam-buckle adjustment. This back band looks a bit more comfortable, and it also has adjustment on the left and right side of the backband.
The classic Current Designs skeg deploy
The typical skeg deploy slide appears on the Isle, and thank God for that. This method of skeg adjustment is nice and solid and rarely needs any maintenance beyond a freshwater rinse.
Very roomy storage area allows for a ThermaRest Trail Lite Regular (24") to fit sideways
There isn’t much to say. The picture does the talking here, but there is plenty of extra room to fill
2 Thermarest Trail Lite Regulars, 2 ThermaRest Medium Pillows, and a 5L drybag
I decided to pack up the hatch to show how much room the boat has. Keep in mind that the gear in the above picture is packed in the space between the hatch opening and the bulkhead behind the seat.
2 Thermarest Trail Lite Regulars, 2 ThermaRest Medium Pillows, and a 5L drybag AND a full size camp chair with arm rests, and a 4-man tent
I think that I have adequately shown the volume of the stern storage space. Numbers on paper may mean something to one paddler, but others want to know what fits in there. I think that it is safe to say that packing for weekend trip will leave the Isle feeling empty. On the other hand, you have room to take those non-essential items (like a full sized camp chair) that you would like to have along.
Since I am much to small for this boat and could never dream of reaching the 450lb. maximum load (that would be 300lbs. of gear for me), you probably will not see me even test paddling this boat. I don’t think I could provide enough weight to make the boat perform as it was designed. But, I do think that this boat is worth a mention due to its unique features. I welcome any input from paddlers that have paddled the boat.
Don’t take my word for it, here is what Current Designs has to say:
“New for 2009, the Isle is a super-sized Greenland style design with all the great qualities for a bigger paddler. Sized comparably to our Solstice Titan LV, it’s a unique alternative to a North American style design. If you need a big person boat and seek the edging, rolling, and paddling qualities of a hard chine boat, the Isle is the boat for you. Skeg, back band, and thigh braces come standard.”
Length: 18’0″ (548.64 cm)
Width: 24″ (60.96 cm)
Chine: Hard
Cockpit size: 34.75″ x 18.75″ (88.265 cm x 47.625 cm)
Forward Hatch: 17″ x 7.5″ (43.18 cm x 19.05 cm)
Front Hatch Volume: 22 gal. (83.6 L)
Max. load: 450 lb. (202.5 kg)
Form: Symmetrical
Depth: 14″ (35.56 cm)
Hull: Shallow “V”
Cockpit type: Touring
Rear Hatch: 20″ x 9.5″ (50.8 cm x 24.13 cm)
Rear Hatch Volume: 32 gal. (121.6 L)
