Haydale graphene contributes to stronger, lighter sea kayaks

Haydale Graphene Industries plc (Ammanford, U.K.) announces that its bespoke mechanical graphene masterbatch has been used to create stronger and lighter composite sea kayaks for Norwegian paddle sport brand Norse Kayaks.

Using the graphene-enhanced material, the Norse kayak is now 30% lighter, going from 23 kilograms (~60 pounds) to 16 kilograms (~35 pounds), making the composite kayak easier to load and transport. Moreover, graphene’s implementation in the vacuum infusion composite layup process has also increased impact strength and stiffness, improving the resistance to breakage in critical areas of the kayak. Vibration dampening has also improved the user experience.

Norse uses vacuum infusion molding techniques to ensure a flawless finish and the even distribution of materials across the kayak are said to give it optimal construction quality at a competitive price compared to comparable composite kayaks.

“It has been a challenge for the composites industry to effectively use nanomaterials in the resin infusion process, but now having worked closely with Norse on a bespoke graphene resin solution we are delighted with the product enhancements they have seen,” Haydale CEO Keith Broadbent says. “With all the benefits Norse has seen, there is potential to replicate this in the automotive and aerospace sectors and beyond where vacuum infusion is part of the manufacturing process.”

Renowned for building well-made, high-quality kayaks since 2013, Norse currently has 12 designs in its fleet. The new graphene-enhanced kayak prototype has already sold 30 units.

“The use of graphene has exceeded our expectations and we are sure that this will set a new standard of what is possible to do with a sea kayak,” Norse Founder Kjetil Sandvik says. “We have never seen this kind of impact strength on lightweight sea kayaks in our 20 years’ experience in the kayaking business.”

The kayaks are designed in Bergen, Norway, and built at A. J. Fishing Industries in Sri Lanka for touring, expedition and fitness paddling.