P&H Virgo | Sea Kayak Review by Nick Butterfield
Photo: Alex Szecsey
First Impressions |
P&H markets their Virgo line as being for the “weekend warrior”, but don’t let that make you think its audience is confined to the casual boater. Their emphasis is just as much on the warrior part as the weekend part.
On a first look at the Virgo, the most prominent features are its wide, flat hull under the cockpit, its crisp hard chine, and ample bow and stern rocker. This brings out the core of its rough-water performance. The flat hull tapers to a well defined keel at the bow and stern, which keeps the boat tracking well on flat water but can easily be lifted with an edge to make clean, quick turns. The Virgo also has a high volume foredeck at the front of the cockpit, providing a more upright knee position familiar to whitewater paddlers and allowing good contact and control through the thigh braces.
Photo & Spec Information: P&H Website
Specs Overview |
Length: 14’ 5”
Width: 23”
Weight: CoreLite X - 56lbs
Photo: Nick Butterfield
Outfitting and Construction |
The Virgo comes standard with P&H’s CoreLite X plastic, Connect outfitting, and skeg system. The CoreLite X construction shaves a couple pounds off a typical plastic kayak and provides good stiffness compared to other plastic boats. It is fairly durable, and has withstood plenty of hard hits from poorly timed moves in rough conditions. The worst I’ve done to it so far is folding the bow over after getting caught in a narrow slot by a bigger set, but that was easily fixed with a bit of heat and pressure from inside the hull. The beauty of plastic boats! There is of course some hull flex since this is a plastic boat, but that is a small price to pay for its durability in rock gardens. If you like the performance of the Virgo and don’t thrash your boats too much on the rocks, then keep an eye out for the upcoming composite option on the market soon!
The Connect outfitting provides great comfort and contact with the seat pan, backband, and hip pads. My only complaint about the seat is the way that the backband attaches to the seat causes the strap to cut into the hip pads and pull them out of place a bit. It was fairly easy to fix this by adding a webbing loop to the bolts between the seat and the deck to raise the strap out of the way of the pads. I also added a ratchet backband to make it easier to get a tight, performance fit in the boat without having to squeeze in too badly. Overall, those were only minor adjustments to make a good system even better. The Connect system is well-designed and gives the contact and support necessary to control the boat in all conditions.
The Twistlock foot tracks are easy to adjust on shore or on the water. The large foot pedals allow some freedom of position compared to older styles with smaller foot pegs. Although there were some issues with recent batches of these footrests, P&H have confirmed these have now been resolved for 2024 production forward.
Performance Paddling |
Photos: Alex Szecesy
The majority of my time on the water is spent guiding on the exposed coast of Northern California with Kayak Trinidad. We often lead trips in 2-4 foot swell, gliding along steep cliffs and sea stacks looking for intertidal life, which is a perfect environment for the Virgo to play in. The Virgo responds beautifully to an edge and a bow rudder, allowing it to thread along the rock with blended draws and rudders. Its maneuverability lets me zig zag from guest to guest for conversation and check-ins or occasional rescues, and its speed is sufficient to keep the group moving without tiring myself out on daily paddling. When I put new students in a Virgo, the hull shape is stable enough for beginners to feel comfortable, but doesn’t hold them back while learning to edge, brace, and try out advanced maneuvers.
As conditions start to ramp up, the flat hull inspires confidence and stability in rough water. The Virgo can sit easily in the middle of a feature while you photograph your friends with one hand and skull with the other, or let you step up to the next level of rock gardening. At 14.5 feet long, it’s plenty short to let you find clean lines through the whitewater but still has plenty of glide to cover ground to get to the good stuff.
Clean surf is a rare quality on the Northern California coast, but the first time I dropped into a green wave in the Virgo, I felt the hull lift up as it started planing and the chine engaged as a carving rail. The hard rail makes it easy to carve turns down the line and the sharp keel helps keep it on the line when you want it to. The keel can lead to a tendency to get locked into a line, so to bring out the best of Virgo’s surfing ability you will need to be comfortable edging deeply into turns. When paddling out through the soup, the bow geometry cuts cleanly through foam piles and rides high to keep you dry, which was a relief after surfing whitewater boats on a crumbly beach break before switching to the Virgo.
All in all, I’ve found that the Virgo suits my kayaking interests and excels in coastal play. But like any boat, it does have its limitations and challenges. While the hard chine and sharp keel add performance in some situations, those features can make it harder to maneuver than others. In very chaotic water and big boils, it can be hard to get enough edge to release the bow and stern which can make it hard to turn. The hard chine can also catch when hit by a large volume of laterally moving water such as the backwash from a big wave or some shelves when rock gardening.
Trip Report |
I was able to test the Virgo’s versatility and performance in a solo overnight trip along a spectacular section of the Southern Oregon Coast. The Samuel Bordman Scenic Corridor delivered mile after mile of sea caves, arches, pocket beaches, and rock gardens, all set below the backdrop of sheer cliffs dropping over a hundred feet to the waterline, and the Virgo allowed me to take advantage of it all. I did not pack light - a three person backpacking tent, all the water needed for two days, lots of warm layers for late October weather in the PNW, and fresh meals - and was still able to pack everything I needed into the bow and stern hatch with only minor tetris challenges. On the first day, the extra weight definitely impacted the handling more than it would in a longer kayak, but I was still able to make the moves needed to thread my way safely through caves, arches, and the occasional pour-over without too much trouble. I was even able to catch one or two surf lines, but mostly found it to be too much work to get up to speed with a full load. Once I’d worked through most of my food and water on the second day though, the Virgo’s usual performance returned and with the added benefit of having scouted all the features the day before I was able to push the boat and my skills a bit further to pick cleaner lines, explore more deeply into the caves, and catch more waves. A longer boat would make it easier to cover the miles, but if your aim with a trip is to pack in the fun and coastal exploration, the mixture of performance, relative speed, and storage makes the Virgo ideal for 2-3 day adventures in open coastal environments.
Why this one? |
If you’re looking for a boat that plays hard, paddles easily, and holds up to tough use, the Virgo should be on your radar. The design wizards at P&H have hit on a great balance with a boat that can appeal to all levels of paddler, and offers versatility without sacrificing performance.
About the Author
Nick Butterfield is currently a guide and instructor at Kayak Trinidad in Humboldt County. He started his paddling career in the Salish Sea before moving south for easier access to rugged coastal water. His favorite part of kayaking is learning new ways to use the dynamic nature of ocean paddling for surf and rock gardening, and loves teaching paddlers how to safely “play the sea”.