Check out the new Aon at the Paddle Sports Show
@Jakub Sedivy
Palm and Dagger just unveiled a new whitewater kayak aimed at paddlers looking to push their skills beyond traditional river running: the Aon. Built in the UK and developed to sit between classic river runners and modern performance designs, the new Aon is designed to help paddlers catch more waves, link more moves, and discover new lines.
Its wide planing hull carries speed with control, while high bow rocker rides up and over features. A wide stern adds stability and holds speed, while the crisp rocker break and tapered tail make it easy to change direction, slice through waves and load the rails when you want to make a move.
For some years, the Team has been worried about the middle, or the beginning, if you like. At the top end of whitewater, paddlers are pushing boundaries almost daily and kayak design has moved with them: more volume, more precision and increasingly radical shapes. But what about everyone else?
They believe there’s a growing disconnect between what we see at the top of the sport and the experience of someone starting out or simply wanting to become a better paddler. Visit almost any club and you’ll find people learning in designs that are 15 or even 20 years old. That’s testament to good design and the longevity of a plastic kayak, but it also means those paddlers aren’t always getting the benefits of everything we’ve learnt since. The Dagger GT series was part of the catalyst. They still sell it more than 15 years on because it’s easy to paddle, fits people well and lets them progress. They didn’t want to lose those qualities. They wanted to ask what that same idea could look like today.
«A modern river runner that could be someone’s first whitewater kayak, but not one they’d quickly outgrow. »
So rather than starting with their elite whitewater team, they went to coaches, clubs, centres and the paddlers within them. What were they teaching? Where were people struggling? And, most importantly, what made them want to keep paddling?
The answer became the Aon: a modern river runner that could be someone’s first whitewater kayak, but not one they’d quickly outgrow. A boat that lets paddlers feel the water without being pushed around by it, learn to drive and maneuver around the river without nasty surprises, and experience the things that get us all hooked: a first boof, catching a great surf wave, making an eddy or spinning in a hole.
Getting that balance right was the challenge. Modern performance, without making the boat aggressive. Enough feedback to learn, without punishing mistakes. Short and maneuverable, but predictable. Easy to roll. Light enough to carry. And properly sized, because learning in a boat that actually fits makes a huge difference. They also wanted clubs and centers to be able to afford it, because that’s where so many paddlers get their first taste of whitewater.
@Jakub Sedivy
Aon (pronounced ‘ain’ like in ‘rain’) means “one” in Irish. It’s Palm and Dagger’s attempt to take what modern whitewater kayak design has taught them and put those benefits back into the hands of the people beginning their journey. In other words More river, more fun.
Technical specs
- Size: Medium (Small and Large next year)
- Length: 263 cm
- Width: 68 cm
- Cockpit: 90 x 49 cm
- Volume: 297 L
- Weight range: 63-91 kg
- Boat weight: 20.5 kg (Action+), 19.5 kg (Sport)
- Colorways: Action+: Red, Blue Smoke, Green Smoke | Sport: Orange, Lime, Blue
@Jakub Sedivy
