LEKKER KAYAKS: Petrel – 2026 Product of the Year (Recreational)
The Petrel is a kayak that brings real performance to everyday paddlers—fast, stable, and built for adventure.
Among the highlights of last year’s Paddle Sports Show was the 2026 Product of the Year Awards, organized in partnership with KS Publishing and the Paddler’s Guide. Each year, the contest spotlights the best new paddlesports gear for the upcoming season. This year, Lekker Kayaks won the Recreational Product of the Year Award for the Petrel, their latest sit-on-top. We asked Celliers Kruger, the founder, a few questions about his award-winning kayak and how years of designing boats led him to create this adventure kayak.
Hi Celliers! Congrats on winning 2026 Product of the Year for the Petrel at the Paddle Sports Show. How would you describe this sit-on-top?
« The Petrel is the ultimate adventure kayak for paddlers who want speed without sacrificing stability. »
The Petrel is the ultimate adventure kayak for paddlers who want speed without sacrificing stability. It features a sleek, highly efficient hull combined with performance elements like an ergonomically designed cockpit and paddle cutaways. It offers generous packing space, with large oval hatches front and back for easy access, a day hatch in front of the seat, and additional storage on deck. The Petrel invites you to go exploring and take on multi-day trips, but it’s just as comfortable being used for fishing or fitness paddling. Optional accessories include a rudder and rod holders, making it even more versatile.
How much time and effort went into bringing this product to life?
« That constant back-and-forth stimulates creativity and ultimately results in better designs. »
It took about a year to develop the Petrel and its sibling, the Malachite, which is 14’ long, compared to the 16’ Petrel. The initial CAD designs took a few weeks, followed by months of refinement based on feedback from paddlers I trust and have worked with for a long time. I do a lot of CAD design work for other companies, so I never work on just one design at a time. There’s always an overlap. When I get stuck on one project, I shift to another while my subconscious works on solutions. That constant back-and-forth stimulates creativity and ultimately results in better designs.
That’s great! Does the Petrel build on ideas or designs from previous products you have created?
Absolutely—the concept has evolved over the past 10 years. I first explored high-performance sit-on-tops with the range I created at my previous brand, Vagabond Kayaks. I used those kayaks extensively for both fitness training and multi-day trips. During that time, I validated the concept but also identified areas for improvement. When I created the Lekker range, I built on those lessons. Starting a new brand is a big undertaking, but it also comes with freedom. I wasn’t bound to an existing design style or legacy features—I could focus purely on what works best. With Lekker’s sit-on-top range, I began with a double-seater (Albatross) and a kids’ model (Piper), developing a new style and introducing some novel concepts that carry through into the Petrel and Malachite. So while some elements are refined versions of previous work, there are also genuinely new ideas in these designs.
Was there a moment during development when you realized this product was special?
I believed from the start that I was creating something special, but there’s a difference between believing it and having it confirmed by others. That moment came when I completed the initial designs for the Petrel and Malachite and shared the CAD renderings with a few people whose opinions I trust. Their feedback was unanimous and overwhelmingly positive. Many refinements followed, but I knew then that I was on the right track. Winning this award for the Petrel is certainly a strong seal of approval as well.
What feature or innovation are you most proud of in this product?
« What really sets the Petrel apart is that it brings true paddling performance into a stable, accessible platform. »
I’m most proud of how all the elements come together into a cohesive paddling experience. It’s not just one feature—it’s the combination of a fast, efficient hull, an ergonomic cockpit that promotes proper technique, and details like paddle cutaways that make a noticeable difference on the water. What really sets the Petrel apart is that it brings true paddling performance into a stable, accessible platform. It allows more people to experience what it feels like to paddle a kayak that actually moves well through the water, without needing elite balance or expensive composite construction.
The Petrel is a Surf-ski-inspired design, can you tell us more? What sparked this crossover?
When I built my first kayak brand, Fluid Kayaks, my focus was primarily on whitewater, where I did some innovative work. I also created some recreational sit-on-tops that followed industry norms—they floated, but they weren’t particularly enjoyable to paddle. After leaving Fluid in 2014, I worked with Epic Kayaks for a while, helping develop the V5 and V7 plastic surfskis, which I also manufactured for two years. I spent a lot of time using these surfskis for fitness training, and during one of those sessions, something clicked. I realised that surfskis are essentially high-performance sit-on-tops. While they’re designed for racing, there’s no reason the same principles couldn’t be applied to more stable, recreational kayaks. That insight started a journey that led to multiple designs incorporating key features like ergonomic cockpits, paddle cutaways, and efficient hull shapes.
Do you see this type of design spreading more in the future?
« I do think there’s a growing segment of paddlers looking for a better on-water experience, and that’s where designs like the Petrel fit in. »
I believe it will spread, but the pace is uncertain. Larger brands, especially those backed by corporate structures, tend to move slowly. Most recreational brands are heavily invested in ultra-stable, feature-heavy, fishing-oriented kayaks. Shifting direction requires conviction. That said, I do think there’s a growing segment of paddlers looking for a better on-water experience, and that’s where designs like the Petrel fit in.
Who is this kayak addressed to?
The Petrel mainly appeals to three types of paddlers: beginners who want a kayak that will help them develop proper paddling technique and that will allow them to do fitness training and explore new waterways, intermediate paddlers looking to upgrade from a basic recreational kayak, and experienced paddlers who own a composite kayak but want a more durable, lower-maintenance second kayak without sacrificing performance.
Is this the future of recreational boats? Better glide, better tracking, more comfortable?
I believe this type of kayak has the potential to grow the sport of recreational paddling, which in turn feeds into other disciplines. However, the market is broadly split into two segments: those who paddle occasionally and want the cheapest option that floats, and those who paddle regularly and see it as a sport or lifestyle. Kayaks like the Petrel will never compete with entry-level pricing in big-box stores. But for the second group, I believe the Petrel—and its sibling, the Malachite—represent the future.
For more info about Lekker Kayaks, visit their website.
To learn more about the Petrel and the Malachite, check out the Paddler’s Guide website or 2026 catalogue.
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