P&H Leo MV sea kayak review
We must say it like it is: we found that Leo was the underdog in the P&H range. Pictures or videos of Leo were almost non-existent on social media, let alone some decent reviews. I honestly have a soft spot for the underdog. It is the best position one can find himself in. Nobody cares nor expects something from you. So, it was time to get the Leo under our wings, or was it the reverse in the end?
We laid our hands on the Leo for the first time in March 2023, so we certainly took our time with this model. I have now paddled a CoreLite X early production model, a single-layer MZ3 boat, and the definitive CoreLite X Leo. I paddled for over a year and did more than 1200 kilometres with it. I went coaching, rock-hopping, tide-race paddling, touring, downwinding, and surfing. It was used extensively during rescue exercises. And all of this in a wide range of conditions! I tested the Leo in MV size.
Let us walk you through it!
Performance/behaviour
The Leo is a short sea kayak, measuring only 4.87 metres. This cuts away a bit of weight and improves handling when loading and unloading it from your car. Looking at the hull, we immediately notice a fair amount of rocker. The hull has soft chines and an overall elegant look. We cannot avoid comparing it with the Venture Jura (an older model).
People tend to speak of both models as if they were identical. Trust me, they are not. There are similarities, but the hull of the Leo has more rocker and is more manoeuvrable and the deck has also been upgraded strongly. We tested both models at the same time for about a week. So, back to the Leo. When paddling on calm water, the Leo feels nimble.
It manoeuvres effortlessly between obstacles and almost begs to be steered anywhere around. Whether you are in a group and need to manoeuvre yourself between other paddlers or you’re rock hopping, the boat responds immediately. It reacts instantly to any steering strokes, as well as it reacts to edging. It is remarkable for a polyethylene boat.
With that comes, of course, a slightly slower overall speed. It is, therefore, not the fastest nor the slowest sea kayak on the market. I have paddled a surf sea kayak (P&H Delphin) for a long time, and the Leo is faster. It is, however, slower than the P&H Scorpio.
So, it is safe to say that the Leo finds itself balancing somewhere in between. The Leo seems to go left or right on flat, calm water without using the skeg. This is not surprising considering the hull shape. A little skeg or a little edging anticipates this effect. Now, here comes the interesting part. When you put it in conditions with waves, the bow and stern will lock, and the Leo will track way better, even without using the skeg. In any conditions, it has formidable stability despite not being too wide. You can easily reach for your camera in chop or perform a solid self-rescue without fuss.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvyp0z-0NX
Edging can be done to the limit without feeling that it will tip you over unexpectedly. Did I mention chop and waves? Of course, it’s here where we tested a lot: how does the Leo perform in the surf or impact zone? I still remember the first clean, almost two-metre-high wave I grabbed in Brittany last year. What a thrill! If one wants to know the true performance of a boat, take it in the surf. The Leo’s manoeuvrability proved impeccable when surfing.
During the past year, I have participated in several surf sessions, from smaller waves up to two metres high to irregular waves. The Leo performs like it was built for this. Due to the amount of rocker up front, the bow rarely purls when riding a wave. A neat detail for the specialists among us is that the Leo also surfs controllably in reverse thanks to the rocker and similar shape at the stern.
There is, of course, a notable difference between the single-layer MZ3 and the CoreLite X lay-up. I prefer the CoreLite X as it feels considerably stiffer and, thus, faster and more responsive. We used the MZ3 during the Sea Kayak Training Camp in Croatia, where it stood its ground. It is a perfect solution for rentals that want to provide customers with a top-notch boat but with more room for errors and the extra scratch at a lower price. And don’t get me wrong, the CoreLite X can also take a beating as it isn’t made of sugar.
Rolling on the flat calm works smoothly, as in conditions or the surf zone. The thigh braces and cockpit outfitting provide enough control, and everything is adjustable. The back deck and cockpit rim are low, so they are not in the way when doing a back deck roll.
I want to add a brief extra on speed, which is important to many paddlers. Speed is difficult to measure in our sport, as conditions and weather are rarely the same. I could paddle the Leo sustainable for 50 kms without feeling like it is a slow boat. The top speed on flat water will be lower due to the hull shape, so it is certainly not a sprinting boat.
On downwinders, I needed to give that extra push to get on some of the lower waves. Where in the surf, I could wait until the last possible moment to get on a wave. So, regarding speed, I would use this boat more to explore while covering distance. This means there are faster boats to paddle offshore and in a straight line, but the Leo will come alive and be easier on you when following a rugged coastline.
Equipment/outfitting
As said before, this feels like an expedition boat in a small package. With all options, it has four hatches that can swallow your kit. A built-in compass and deck lines all around. The cockpit is what we can expect from a P&H boat by now. The Connect seat has hip pads that can be adjusted with some magic.
For the unaware paddlers, the hip pads have some sort of envelope where you can add or remove a piece of insert. It is neatly tucked away on the backside of each hip pad, but it proves particularly useful. I had to remove one insert myself to get a perfect connection without getting numbness in my legs. We had heard of previous footrest issues with the Leo but didn’t experience these on the water. We also understand P&H has updated their footrests and resolved this with any customers who had issues.
All P&H kayaks are now delivered with adhesive foam pads, but other kayakers still ask about this. To protect your kneecaps and make the kayak more comfortable, stick these pads in front of the thigh braces (inside the cockpit) where your knees touch the deck.
Just like the hull, the deck is also very elegant. The low back deck allows for easy self-rescue or back deck rolling. The skeg slider is positioned near the cockpit rim and not along the side. The slider is right where you need it and, in your sights, is better protected. The keyhole cockpit itself is long enough to allow bringing your legs in and out in a seating position. And that is important when doing self-rescues.
The deck lines are positioned throughout the entire length, and the cleats are extremely strong. During a rescue exercise with a big hopper dredger, they winched our kayaks out of the water with a crane (our equipment included), and even we thought they could snap under the tension. They didn’t!
It is all in the details! How many times do you open and close your day hatch behind the cockpit with when you are in the water? Right! With only your right hand. That is why all hatches are rubber KajakSport, and the day hatch is a click-on KajakSport (mix of rubber and plastic). Easy to operate and access your stuff (food, drinks, or whatever) quickly and without worrying about closing it. Check the hull! The P&H decal is embedded in the polyethylene!
We visited the P&H/Pyranha factory a few months ago, where we were enlightened about the whole production process of your favourite sea kayak. We never thought less of a polyethylene (plastic) kayak; we paddled them for years, being fully aware of their advantages. But now we are in awe! You can’t possibly imagine the amount of energy that goes into the development of these boats before they even make it to production. We’re not just talking about new models, but also the composition of the polyethylene and the tests they conduct to see if it will withstand constant abuse. Also, the deck details and inserts give this kayak a distinguished look.
Conclusion
The Leo is my favourite underdog! We need to invent a new sea kayak class next to the ‘fast sea kayak’, the ‘surf sea kayak’, and the ‘expedition sea kayak’. The Leo now sets the standard in the ‘compact sea kayak’ segment! Everyone looking for a manoeuvrable, high-end, polyethylene sea kayak with a blend of expedition/touring and playing/surfing characteristics needs to check at least the Leo out.
Also, the new colours (Scarlet Red and Lizard Green) are difficult to choose from. We paddled both and are still unsure which colour we like the most. While there were only a limited number of models to choose from back in the day, P&H almost made tailored models aimed at customers’ specific needs. This does not make things easier to choose from, but it will undoubtedly bring you as close as possible to the boat of your dreams.
By now, we have produced many videos in which the Leo is clearly displayed for those who don’t have immediate access to a dealer. Just check out our NORTHSEAKAYAK YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@Northseakayak
Price:
MZ3 Skeg (MKII Skeg Slider): £1,595
CoreLite X Skeg (MKII Skeg Slider): £1,885
CoreLite X Skudder (MKII Skeg Slider): £1,985
