About the Viking Espri: A Practical Paddle-Powered Alternative

In a market in which most of the modern fishing kayaks are powered by advanced pedal drives that run fins or propellers, Viking Kayaks are (to some) a breath of fresh air. Whereas the market has become dominated by pedal drives, Viking Kayaks let you get back to basics.

Take the Viking Espri for a case in point. This kayak, notwithstanding the fact that it is still fishing-optimized, is a paragon of paddling simplicity, and the truth, it doesn’t leave much to be desired (if anything) all while offering incredible versatility, stability, handling, and other yakker-friendly features.

Here’s what you can expect from this Viking kayak.

Pure Paddle-Powered Bliss

For a sit-on-top kayak, the Viking Espri very much has more of the classic lines and aesthetics of conventional, traditional kayaks, with a razorlike prow and a graceful, almost teardrop-like shape.

The result of this design, even engineering, if you will, is that the Espri offers handling that few other modern kayaks do. The Espri will slice through smooth water and a light chop alike, braving all manner of conditions with grace and agility. It is fast and handles like a dream, and you can put it about with as much as a thought.

But speed is only one asset in the Espri’s retinue of advantages. It is also remarkably stable. So much so that it almost is not believable until it has been experienced. In fact, you can stand in the Espri. It might not accommodate standing and casting like some other modern sit-on paddle kayaks, like the NuCanoe Frontier 12, but you can still do it.

This opens up a lot of opportunities. Need to stand to get a better vantage point? To cast to fish? To stretch your legs? The Espri opens up doors that hitherto were bolted - at least for paddlers running kayaks of this sort of design.

Moreover, the primary stability of this kayak is just something you have to experience. Most other kayaks like it have a propensity to roll, and it might be a little friskier than other vessels of similar design, but not by much. All in all its rock-solid.

So with this Viking kayak, you can unparalleled speed, handling, and stability, which are rare in concert, but you’ll get them in this package. That’s forgone.

It is, however, only the tip of the iceberg. The Espri offers a whole lot more. Let’s take a second to talk about room - another thing which kayaks of this design usually have only in precious short supply.

Looking at the Espri in profile, or even overhead, it definitely doesn’t look like the thing offers a lot of room. That’s fair, because most kayaks laid out like this don’t. But not the Espri.

Without even making any adjustments or modifications, the Espri has plenty of room behind the cockpit for another sailor. Take along your pet or a kid, there’s room to spare back there. It might not be as comfortable as some tandem vessels, but you could still do it.

Or, if you will, use the space behind the cockpit for your gear. Got dry sacks? Going kayak camping and need room to tie down your tent and tarps? Planning on setting up a decoy spread and hunting waterfowl? The Espri has room for all these. Again, there are bigger, more capacious kayaks, but the Espri offers quite a nice balance.

That’s not all the space the Espri offers, though. There’s dedicated dry storage just in front of the seat in the cockpit, which is perfect for valuables or other essentials - charts, compasses, electronics, and the like, as well as a large dry well at the front of the cockpit which communicates with the void in what we might call the forepeak, under the bow. Once more, there’s plenty of room for your valuables, tackle, and any other essentials your float plan requires you to take on the water.

With space in the rearview, we can talk about the other features that this Viking kayak offers. First, and for anglers, there are two rear-facing, flush-mounted rod holders just behind the seating. They’re perfect for stashing your pre-rigged outfits at the ready, and within reach but out of the way. They’re also ideal for trolling.

The Viking Espri is also laid out for safety, a nice feature in a kayak of this size, and for this purpose. For one, it comes with full safety grab lines fitted around the sides. These make it much easier to reboard the yak in the event you ever find yourself pitched overboard.

Beyond that, the vessel is rigged with a StarPort base that is ready to accept a safety flag, as well as a StarPort HD at the front of the cockpit. The fore StarPort is perfect for rigging another rod holder, a GoPro, or something else of that nature.

The Espri is also a joy to launch and land, in part because there is no pedal drive to fuss with. But beyond that, there are two easy-grab handles, one at the bow and another at the stern, which make it easier to get the yak up on the beach, onto a cart or trailer, or even on the roof rack. Handling the Espri is a breeze compared to larger, heavier kayaks, which is another thing: this Viking kayak weighs only 22 kg, or 48.4 pounds, a true featherweight beside most modern sit-ons.

Still Have Questions About This Viking Kayak?

Not sure if the Viking Espri is for you? That’s fine. There are lots of modern fishing kayaks and all of them offer something a little different from each other. That’s why we’re here, to help you sift through the details and catch any others you might otherwise miss.

We’ll gladly answer any questions you have about the Viking Kayaks we sell, and if you like, you can let us know your intended sport and we’ll make personalized recommendations for you so you can get the kayak that represents the best value for your investment.