Marketed as a “pureblooded sea-kayak from bow until stern” the review kayak certainly generated a lot of interest in the paddlers that saw her. Jet-black and glossy from tip to tail, this could be the perfect sea kayak for Freya Hoffmeister, that or an ideal purchase for the SBS for covert operations. The build quality and overall finish is certainly impressive.

However, I was more interested in what lies beneath the pretty exterior in terms of handling and outfitting.
At 18’2” the Reval is a touring/expedition boat. It features a typical three hatch set up for storage providing 140 litres of space. The rear hatch is oval shaped, the day and front hatch round. The deck is is well equipped with thick bungees and decklines and a compass recess is provided forward of the front hatch, although some additions would be needed to stow split paddles on the front or rear deck. There are, however, plenty of spare attachment points to allow for personalisation of the decklines.
On the left hand side a skeg slider sits in an easy to reach position and has a very smooth action. Either end of the kayak sports a moulded rubber hand grip for easy carrying. Finally, the sliding footrests have reasonably sized pegs and can be adjusted easily when seated in the kayak due to long ‘arms’ that click the pegs up and down the settings.

On the water, the reveal feels big and roomy. I would not class myself as a small paddler by any means yet, although the cockpit opening itself is not huge, I would certainly be adding hip pads to ensure a snug fit. The seat and backrest combination, are however very comfortable with good padding fixed to a GRP seat. The cockpit coaming itself is on the thinner, sharper side and did get chipped carrying the kayak on my shoulder after the first paddle. I would be happy to see a slightly ‘beefier’ coaming utilised.
Once on the move, you feel the speed provided by the length and associated waterline. The Reval is a fast boat and tracked very well. When the wind did pick up, it did tend to weathercock when paddled unladen, but applying a quarter/half skeg was sufficient to bring the Reval back on course and there she stuck, despite some very choppy swell and gusty wind conditions.

The initial stability is good, thanks to a wide, shallow v shaped hull. Put the Reval up on its edge and there is also a reassuring amount of secondary stability allowing for good edge control.
Despite its length and size, it can be turned easily when edging is applied. In fact, I was very pleasantly surprised at just how quickly it could be turned when hard edge and a braced handbrake or bow rudder turn is used. It was possible to carve nice tight turns around a figure of eight course between buoys.
Running with the wind and tide, the Reval surfed the waves nicely and for a long kayak was fun to paddle and play with. Paddling into the swell, it coped admirably. In a confused sea on a paddle across to the Isle of Wight, the Reval held a good course and was easy to keep under control.

The height of the deck and space within the cockpit allows for a range of leg positions to be utilised I could happily adopt more of a K1 paddling position on long straight runs, yet brace my legs well for more controlled handling. At times, I found the skeg control moulding to be a little ‘intrusive’ within the cockpit area however not to the point that it became a major issue. The lower back did allow easy rolling and recovery strokes.
I had two minor issues with the Reval. Firstly, the skeg control ‘handle’ extends out beyond the edge of the boat to provide an easy grip. Despite its relatively small size, I caught it with the paddle on a few occasions when manouvering on a medium to hard edge where the paddle shaft came close to the the kayak. This would suddenly deploy the skeg fully mid stroke. I would prefer to see a control that is flush with the side of the kayak.
I was also a little disappointed with the amount of water ingress through the hatches. Researching the Reval online, I read some very positive comments regarding the hatch covers so it may be an issue with this particular boat. Whether a 1mm hole drilled in the bulkheads would help reduce this as some manufacturers are beginning to do, I’m not sure.

Overall the Reval is an interesting and enjoyable boat to paddle.  Tahe Marine are a less well-known manufacturer here in the UK, however, they can certainly produce well-finished and equipped kayaks. Would I would choose the ‘stealth’ gloss black were I to purchase one. I don’t think so - one beach landing left me wishing for a white hull. Would I consider a Tahe Marine Kayak per se? It would definitely be on my short list and retailing at just £1299.99 it wouldn't be far from the very top of said list!

Specifications

Length: 555 cm
Width: 54 cm
Weight: 24.5 kg
Capacity: 155 kg
Cockpit: 72 x 40 cm
RRP: £1299.99

Standard Specifications Include

Full length deck lines
Front & rear deck elastics
Comfortable adjustable padded seat with padded backrest
Adjustable pedal footrest
3 storage hatches with sealed bulkheads
Front hatch 60 litres - 24cm (10") round hatch cover
Rear hatch 60 litres - 44cm x 26cm (17" x 10.25") oval Hatch cover
Day hatch 20 litres - 15cm (6") round hatch cover
Retractable skeg fitted as standard
Compass recess
Glass fibre construction

Tahe kayaks are available from Brookbank Canoes (www.canoesandkayaks.co.uk) and Shoreham Sea Kayaks (www.shorehamseakayaks.co.uk)

From the Brookbank web site:

The Tahe Marine Reval Sea Kayak

'The boat of choice for those wanting a true all-round sea kayak design with the performance to handle any conditions. The rockered hull and upswept bow provide a dry and smooth ride over waves with precise and confidence inspiring handling and stability, all in an elegant package. The low rear deck helps prevent weathercocking in windy conditions and allows easy rolling.
 
The Reval is ideal for the medium to large sized paddler looking for a versatile easy to use boat that is agile enough as a day boat but with plenty of carrying capacity for multi day trips. The smaller Reval Mini suits small to medium sized paddlers or those wanting a smaller, compact day boat.

The Reval series feature full deck lines and elastics, front and rear hatch, day hatch, adjustable footrest, comfortable seat and backrest, carry handles, compass mounting point and retractable skeg to aid directional control. Other options are available to order.

Tahe marine have been making high quality sea kayaks for 20 years and are one of the largest producers of composite kayaks in Europe. Known mainly throughout Scandinavia, their thoughtful designs and uncompromising attention to detail in their production and choice of materials are now available for sea kayakers in the UK to appreciate'

Manufacturer's Response:

We at Tahe Marine very much appreciate the review of the tester. It is very rewarding to us that the test paddler found the quality and overall finish of the kayak impressive. Of course we are tremendously happy that the Reval’s good initial and secondary stability and the positive response on tracking and speed showed that the hull design receives excellent feedback. We appreciate also that some details like rubber handgrips and sliding footrests were positively noted, which were among the improvements already for season 2009. We have noted the minor issues to improve and we can guarantee that we will continue to listen to paddlers so we can develop the best value for money kayaks. Thank You!

                                Marek Pohla
                                R&D Manager, Tahe Marine Team