First Look: 2024 Tiderace Vortex ‘rotomolded’
The 2024 Vortex ‘Rotomolded’ is out with new color options, hatch options, and materials.
It’s been nearly 10 years since Tiderace made the introduction of this radical plastic surfing sea kayak and to see the 2.0 soon to be released is very exciting. Usually coming in at about half the cost of a composite construction, these and most plastic models help breakdown the barrier of entry for many people who wish to own a surfing sea kayak.
It’s no secret, the older blue Tiderace Vortex kayaks that we’re all familiar with can have some flexible hulls, specifically right under the cockpit. So while on one hand it would shred and surf like a rockstar, on the other hand you could feel the hull flopping beneath you.
This could mostly be solved with a well placed foam pillar or even spine attached to the seat that goes along the keel in the cockpit, mostly taking notes from whitewater cockpit setups. A Dagger Stratos would be an excellent example of these designs being used in a sea kayak today.
But while in the zone, I didn’t really care, it was noticeable but it didn’t keep the kayak from performing some really impressive moves out in the Tybee Triangle. That’s easy to say short term, but I could imagine that sort of repeated use might cause bulkhead leaks over time, which is easy to repair. Just not something you wanted to find out after a few sporty paddles.
Let’s keep in mind that all plastic sea kayaks will eventually need to reseal a foam bulkhead in a few spots. Only a few exceptions come to mind and those are older Valley plastic kayaks, which have plastic bulkheads welded into the hull. And still they might need some resealing eventually.
The fit inside the stock cockpit with no extra outfitting or foam felt great. My lower body felt engaged and in a powerful position, with a higher and more centered to the keel than typical leg placement on the thigh braces. The new 2024 looks to almost exact to the original, a minimal cockpit with molded thigh braces and bolted-in seating system. There’s the ability to remove the stock seat and back band, allowing for some easy customizing with aftermarket back bands, seats, and foam.
Couple photos of me paddling an original Vortex in 2015.
These days, I could see this being even sweeter of a kayak to paddle now on the rugged Lake Superior shore. This is a surfing thoroughbred, but from my memories, I wouldn’t describe this as a speed machine. Generally speaking these “surfy” sea kayak designs, just don’t have much for speed. However, for a keen paddler that just wants to surf, slide down rocks, do things you couldn’t imagine in a composite kayak, this could be the ticket. With no major crossings or expeditions in mind for this one, launching right in to the surf at the local spot or paddling a short exposed jaunt to a river mouth would be perfect. That all said based from my time spent paddling an original model in 2015.
What do we know so far about the 2024 Tiderace Vortex Rotomolded?
50% Recycled Polyethylene Rotomolded Construction
Two Color Options: Stealth Black or Bright Green - Images of the Bright Green color have not been released yet. Looking forward to seeing more photos of both colors!
Heavy Weight Nylon Hatch Covers - Rubber hatch cover upgrades are available, Tiderace made the decision to offer these nylon covers as a way to offer the most affordable option possible. - I think it’s a good idea, when you inevitably upgrade to proper rubber covers, these would be excellent emergency covers. Seeing these sort of remind me of the neoprene covers that you can find on much older sea kayak designs, it’s interesting to see it make another comeback in a more modern form. A real throw back to what seemed like a bygone era of sea kayak manufacturing.
New Production Mold - Same design. No design changes were made to the 2024 mold design. While I’m remaining hopeful that the new recycled plastic will be more ridged, I don’t feel confident in it solving the flex problem from the original hull design.
Nelo/Tiderace’s response to the new 2024 Vortex announcement and writing this article.
”We kept the same design. There’s no changes in the Vortex mould.
Plus, the polyethylene construction (now 50% from recycled sources) makes it extremely durable and wear resistant, turning it an ideal choice for rental or schools. It is also ideal for newcomers to sea kayaking or those looking to take their kayak into rock gardens or surf.
Generous width gives the Vortex a high initial and secondary stability – this inspires confidence in less experienced paddlers who wish to improve their skills. The Vortex has a high cruising speed for a “play the sea” kayak, easily keeping up with the group on day trips.
Being polyethylene means no maintenance or repairs needed, meaning lower costs and greater availability.”
Link to the complete official specs on the Tiderace kayaks website.
Why you should consider this 2024 Vortex ‘Rotomolded’? (besides needing it to be a tough plastic ‘play’ sea kayak)
If you like a high and slightly centered on the keel thigh brace positioning. It’s a unique fit compared to other plastic play sea kayaks like a Romany RM, Dagger Stratos 14, P&H Virgo, or Valley Skerray.
If you are okay with potentially sacrificing some hull rigidity for a hull that will be able to carve along a wave face aggressively from the hard chines and become very maneuverable with not much edge for it’s overall length at 16’6”
If you think this looks as awesome as I do! It’s really sharp and forward in many traditional west Greenland Inuit qajaq designs. For example, the flat section that runs on top of the deck resembles the shape of stretched seal skin over a skin on frame’s deck stringers. A cutting edge blend between the roots of kayaking and modern manufacturing capabilities. Something that I’ve always thought made Tiderace’s sea kayaks stand out from the rest.
About the author-
Ben Fontenot: Editor in Chief
About the author-
Ben Fontenot: Editor in Chief
A passionate sea paddler with over a decades worth of paddling experiences that range across the East and West Coast as well as The Great Lakes.