Flatwater fitness & touring kayak

KAPE Spirit 55

This great stable kayak is our preferred choice for the newcomers of fitness paddling or fast touring. Highly recommended and much loved for both personal and club use.

The balanced hull gives predictable handling qualities and high initial stability at all speeds, conditions and over a large load range, making the boat a great option for all beginners to gain confidence. On the other hand the flattened midship and stern sections keep a low volume and a hull area similar to a slimmer fitness model. This makes the Spirit 55 not just stable but quite efficient and never too bulky.

Modest freeboard and flat rear deck let us install hatches of different size & deckfittings such as bungee cords or carry handles.

"Para version" of the Spirit 55 is available as the model meets paracanoe standards in "K1" boat class. This also includes the specially designed paracanoe seat and a manual rudder cord locker.

  • Paddler weight

    60 - 120 kg

  • Length

    520 cm
  • Width

    55 cm
  • Stability level

    8/10
  • Boat weight

    Standard: 16.5 kg / Standard+: 16 kg / Super: 14.5 kg / Extra hard: 14.5 kg / Extra light: 13 kg / Premium: 15 kg
    (Specified weights are valid for standard fittings. They are approximate and may vary by ± 5% due to manual production.)
  • Cockpit size

    102 x 42 cm
  • 01

  • 02

  • 03

  • 04

  • 05

  • 06

  • 07

  • 08

  • 09

Features & fittings

As standard, our kayaks are equipped with high-quality and easily adjustable fittings intended for general use.

Seat

    Fitness models are available with two main type of seats. For greater stability all boats come with a light weight & low positioned touring seat as standard, but they are also available with various racing seats. The racing seat provides a higher center of gravity, better position & allows good posture and paddling technique. This comes at the cost of decreased stability, and they also weigh somewhat more.

    Racing seat options are as follows:

    • (Low back, high position) racing seat with the most popular shape in the market,
    • Low position racing seat reducing seat height by 1 cm giving more stability for the athlete,
    • High-back racing seat for athletes looking for a better grip on the back,
    • High-back, low position seat aims for more stability and better grip at the same time.

    Touring seat and racing seats are not convertible, so it is important to choose the suitable one. If the decision is not sure, we recommend to start with the touring seat, since it is much easier to retrofit the seat platform of the racing seat than removing the rails of the touring seat.

    Rudder

      The kayak is equipped with a responsive plastic understern rudder as standard. It provivides excellent tracking and easy steering but is exposed to imact damages of both the rudder blade and the boat hull.

      However choosing the durable stainless "marathon" rudder will slightly decrease the response of steering, it minimise weed pick-up that is often a must for summer paddling in still water. Hence this is our most popular non-standard fitting option for a fitness kayak.

      Footrest

        Fitness kayaks have tiller bar (T-bar) steering as standard and they are equipped with simple yet reliable footrests with easy-to-adjust spring sliding system. The fixing frame & fittings of the footrest are positioned behind the footplate, so the full width of the boat is available for your feet. This provides comfort & full use of the tiller bar for effective steering. It is also perfect for club use to regularly adjust the footrest distance.

        Reaching under the footrest you can find two thumb nuts at the bottom of the fixing frame - they are to secure the footrest position. Don't forget to realease them before adjusting the footrest distance by the spring slider.

        In non-STANDARD constructions, the footplate is covered with EVA traction pad for non-slip and increased comfort & equipped with adjustable foot strap to add more power to paddle strokes through leg drive.

        Full & adjustable angle footrest is also available for maximum leg drive & customisation.

        However our spring sliding footrest system provides high adjustability, let us know if the boat is for a much shorter or taller paddler (approx. under 170 cm or over 185 cm). Then the complete footrest system will be moved more forward or backward during the construction of the kayak.

        Bulkheads & compartment

        Rear and front bulkheads are installed as standard in all fitness kayaks.

        A bulkhead (partition) is an upright wall within boat separating watertight compartments so that the capsized boat does not sink. The divided area (compartment) behind the rear bulkhead may be also for cargo storage.

        A small (d: 10 cm) hatch is placed in the rear bulkhead, mainly to let the rear compartment to dry when not in use and to ventilate the stored boat. Through this, smaller objects (eg. key and water bottle) can be placed in the rear compartment. We leave this only if storage hatch is also installed on rear deck.

        Some cargo can be loaded to the rear compartment through a somewhat bigger hatch on the rear bulkhead. The bulkhead size and shape of this particular model let us to install a hatch there with a diameter up to 12.5 cm.

        A rear compartment divider can be installed 40 cm behind the rear bulkhead (or rear deck hactch) to prevent the cargo slipping to the stern.

        Hatches & deckfittings

          Flat deck surface of the model allows to install various deck hatches, bungee cords, nets or handles.

          Rear compartment has enough space to store cargo for daytrips. Most often a simple threaded hatch with a diameter of 20 cm is installed on the rear deck, behind the cockpit or the bungee cords.

          For larger packages, a round 24 cm diameter or a 44/26 cm oval "click-on" hatch can be istalled. These hatches (basically used in sea kayaks) are somewhat heavier and protrude 3-4 cm from the deck surface.

          Bungee cord or a bungee net can be installed on the rear deck - usually right behind the cockpit.

          Carry handles can be installed to help moving boat to and from the water or to make portages easier.

          Note that above described not standard fittings results in extra weight!

          Available with overstern rudder

            Overstern rudders are also available for the model. They have a kick-up system so vertical impacts will cause the rudder blade to rise up and avoid any structural damage. It is to protect the hull and the rudder system at once.

            Overstern (kick-up) rudders are advised on shallow, quick rivers with rapids and riffles, in strong currents or close to rocky shores or ripraps when powerful and precise maneuvering required.

            The professional "SmartTrack" rudder (basically used in sea kayaks), as well as our in-house made "Klappsteuer" stainless overstern rudder can be installed. The "Klappsteuer" gives a very smooth and even steering around the center of a rudder wheel, but can't be fixed in horizontal position.

            To install an overstern rudder the stern of the boat must be prepared during production, i.e. they cannot be retrofitted to kayaks originally with understern rudders.

            Travelling paddlers, clubs or resellers might want to consider having the boat set-up to take both options by equipping the preferred rudder system during production, but also prepare the stern to let us retrofit the other one. So one can be change between understern and overstern systems as conditions change, they progress or the boat is sold for a specific use.

            CONSTRUCTIONS
            To let us meet the preferences of a wide range of paddlers we offer multiple constructions to choose from. These constructions are set up in line with the requirements of each segment of the recreational market - from rentals, clubs & hobbyists to top-ranking athletes - while providing the most favourable quality and price conditions for that specific group of users.

            More about constructions

            Our composite boats are made in multiple constructions (layups). We designed them to meet the needs of as many recreational users as possible - from clubs & hobbyists to top-ranking athletes.

            Different materials and technologies are used in each construction. They determine the weight, stiffness and interior appearance of the boat. In practice, an upper construction results a stiffer, more lightweight & spectacular boat, but it requires more caution during use


            • STANDARD

              Economy fiberglass layup for hobby & recreational use. Long life, easy to maintain and repair.

              ease of handling
              easy to repair
              flexible hull
              heavy weight


              Single skin:
              woven fiberglass and choppend strand mat


              Polyester resin


              Hand lay-up


              Weight


              Stiffness

            • SUPER

              Stiff and light layup with sandwich core & hibrid reinforcement. Good trade-off between weight, stiffness & impact resistance.
              Recommended for fitness, fast touring, long distance river paddling & for experienced paddlers in extreme conditions.

              stiffer hull
              lighter weight
              clear carbon-kevlar hull available
              should be handled with moderate care
              limited repairability


              Sandwich core material


              Carbon-kevlar reinforcement
              (clear surface available)


              Vinyl ester resin


              Vacuum bagging


              Weight


              Stiffness

            • EXTRA

              High performance light weight carbon construction. Recommended for competitors, athletes and true paddling enthusiasts.

              light weight
              stiff hull
              clear carbon sufaces available
              should be handled with care
              limited repairability


              Sandwich core material


              Carbon reinforcement
              (clear surface available)


              Vinyl ester resin


              Vacuum bagging


              Weight


              Stiffness


            Design & colour customisation

            All boats are made to order. You can choose your preferred colour(s) of the hull, the deck areas, the trim (seam between deck & hull), the cockpit rim (coaming) and the seat.

            These deck designs are available in all constructions:

            • #0000 - MONO
            • #0101 - PARALLEL
            • #0102 - THREE PARALLEL
            • #0201 - POINTED
            • #0201-02 - POINTED BULLET
            • #0301 - SLIM NARROW
            • #0302 - SLIM NARROW CLOSED
            • #0303 - SLIM WIDE
            • #0401 - CHEVRON
            • #0402 - CHEVRON VAR
            • #0403 - CHEVRON DOUBLE
            • #0404 - CHEVRON WING
            • #0405 - CHEVRON WING VAR
            • #0406 - CHEVRON POINTED
            • #0501 - ZIG
            • #0502 - ZIG-ZAG
            • #0503 - ZIG-ZIG-ZAG-ZAG
            • #0504 - ZIG-ZAG-ZAG-ZIG
            • #0601 - NOSE-TAIL
            • #0701 - TIGER
            RAL 1001
            RAL 1001 "Beige"
            RAL 1016
            RAL 1016 "Sulfur yellow"
            RAL 1018
            RAL 1018 "Zinc yellow"
            RAL 1023
            RAL 1023 "Traffic yellow"
            RAL 2003
            RAL 2003 "Pastel orange"
            RAL 2004
            RAL 2004 "Pure orange"
            "KAPE red"
            RAL 3003
            RAL 3003 "Ruby red"
            RAL 3020
            RAL 3020 "Traffic red"
            RAL 3027
            RAL 3027 "Raspberry red"
            RAL 4003
            RAL 4003 "Heather violet"
            RAL 4004
            RAL 4004 "Claret violet"
            RAL 4005
            RAL 4005 "Blue lilac"
            RAL 4006
            RAL 4006 "Traffic purple"
            RAL 4008
            RAL 4008 "Signal violet"
            RAL 4010
            RAL 4010 "Telemagenta"
            RAL 5002
            RAL 5002 "Ultramarine blue"
            RAL 5003
            RAL 5003 "Sapphire blue"
            RAL 5005
            RAL 5005 "Signal blue"
            RAL 5010
            RAL 5010 "Gentian blue"
            RAL 5012
            RAL 5012 "Light blue
            RAL 5013
            RAL 5013 "Cobalt blue
            RAL 5015
            RAL 5015 "Sky blue
            RAL 5017
            RAL 5017 "Traffic blue
            RAL 5018
            RAL 5018 "Turquoise blue"
            RAL 5021
            RAL 5021 "Water blue"
            RAL 5023
            RAL 5023 "Distant blue"
            RAL 6001
            RAL 6001 "Emerald green"
            RAL 6018
            RAL 6018 "Yellow green"
            RAL 6019
            RAL 6019 "Pastel green"
            RAL 6026
            RAL 6026 "Opal green"
            RAL 6029
            RAL 6029 "Mint green"
            RAL 6034
            RAL 6034 "Pastel turquoise"
            RAL 7001
            RAL 7001 "Silver grey"
            RAL 7004
            RAL 7004 "Signal grey"
            RAL 7016
            RAL 7016 "Anthracite grey"
            RAL 7024
            RAL 7024 "Graphite grey"
            RAL 7033
            RAL 7033 "Cement grey"
            RAL 7037
            RAL 7037 "Dusty grey"
            RAL 7047
            RAL 7047 "Telegrey 4"
            RAL 9010
            RAL 9010 "Pure white"
            RAL 9017
            RAL 9017 "Traffic black"
            Clear carbon (limited availability)
            Clear carbon (limited availability)
            Clear carbon-kevlar (limited availability)
            Clear carbon-kevlar (limited availability)

            Tips & more about the available colours


            Think carefully about choosing black and dark colours!

            Such boats warm up more & they become matt very soon. Scratches and limescale are also much more visible on these surfaces.

            Less is more:

            We recommend picking only two, maximum three colours for a coherent boat design.

            More is more:

            (Because of the overlapping gelcoat layers) more colours results in more weight.


            Availability of clear (transparent) surfaces:

            Clear carbon seat & cockpit rim are available in EXTRA & ULTRA constructions.

            Clear carbon hull and/or deck (parts) are available in EXTRA & ULTRA constructions.
            (Bow & stern of the clear carbon boat are black gradient)

            Clear carbon-kevlar hull is available in SUPER construction.
            (Bow & stern of the clear carbon-kevlar boat hulls are colored)


            RAL colors CANNOT be displayed entirely proper on computer screens. The color depends on your monitor and printer. Therefore the exact shade of the product may be different than seen here! Please use these color samples as a reference only! We recommend you to see a physical and official RAL color guide to be sure of the correct color.

            FITTINGS
            Front & rear bulkheads are installed as standard.

            Standard Choice

            S131
            Low pos. "Stability" seat
            F121
            Narrow Footrest
            R131
            Plastic Rudder

            Available at no extra charge

            S121
            High pos. "Fitness" seat
            R121
            Stainless "Marathon" Rudder

            Available for extra charge

            F233
            PRO (Full & Adjustable Angle) Footrest
            F172
            Foot Pedal
            R123
            Stainless Overstern Rudder
            M192
            Bungee cord on aft deck
            H24
            20 cm round, threaded hatch on aft deck
            M41
            Carry handles
            +R1X1
            Spare Part: Plastic or Stainless "Marathon" Rudder

            Similar models

            Spirit 55 Para

            Spirit 55 meets paracanoe standards in "K1" boat class. This also includes the specially designed paracanoe seat and a manual rudder cord locker.

            More...

            Spirit 51

            Our most popular fitness kayak model with efficient hull design, steep deck and sharp bow for outstanding performance.

            More...

            Find a dealer!

            Our distributor partners from all over the world are happy to help you to get your boat as soon as possible. Find your nearest KAPE dealer!
            If you cannot find a dealer in your country, please contact us directly using the form below!

            Contact us

            Should you need any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us directly. We are at your disposal for any clarification
            Kape-Sport Kft.
            IV. körzet 81-2., 6763 Szatymaz HUNGARY

            info@kape-kayak.hu

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