The Yak Kurve is a great low profile minimalistic PFD. It’s a fantastic choice for any beginner in the market for a new BA. Not only does it do the job, but it comes with a great price tag making it a very appealing purchase.
Yak Kurve Features:
Mounting Point
The mounting point allows you to add accessories to the outside of your PFD. Some people choose to attach a knife here, though this is a personal preference. I would point out as a safety warning that it might be better to put the knife in your front pocket whilst around beginners.
Front pocket
The Yak Kurve has a great central placed front pocket, it’s on the small side, but considering that the buoyancy aid is not aimed at the more advanced kayaker it’s sufficient. You would easily be able to put your car keys in there plus a chocolate bar.
Inside the front pocket, there is a plastic clip, so if you really need to have a knife you could attach some string to this with a knife on the end, instead of using the mounting point on the front of the PFD.
On the front left side of the pocket, there’s a drainage hole. This is here as the pocket is not watertight, so bare this in mind when putting items in there.
Slim Fitting Cut
As I’m from a slalom background I’m used to low cut, slimline PFD’s and this was just that. It allows great movement and didn’t restrict you. The foam edges are cut on an angle to allow to PFD to fit the body shape better, which is a nice touch.
Adjustable straps
To make the PFD fit you well, as we are all different sizes and shapes, it has two sets of adjustable straps. The easy to use adjustable straps are located on the shoulders and side. There are two side adjuster straps to really make sure that the PFD fits and locks onto your body.
The shoulder straps have a nice excess loop to feed the strap under. This way it won’t be flaring around whilst paddling.
Size chart
I’m using the Medium/Large
Summary
I think this is an ideal purchase for someone that’s just getting into kayaking and is looking to buy their first PDF.
The fit is low profile and very compatible with a range of paddler sizes. It doesn’t have the features needed for the PFD of a river leader but then again it’s not targeted at them.
The added bonus is that it won’t break the bank. Escape Watersports have a great deal for you and are offering the Yak Kurve at £39.99 instead of the retail £72.00.
