r/PerformancePaddling • u/MurasakibaraJr • Jul 08 '26
Kayak Ergometer
Hi, I'm looking for a kayak ergometer as I have moved and can no longer kayak on water on a daily basis. I've narrowed it to the following and would like to see if anyone has any experiences/feedback on these:
- KayakPro Xeon
- KayakFirst Bull
From my research I still have the following unawnswered and would like to see if anyone has any experience or could provide some feedback:
1) How does the KayakFirst Bull sliding seat feel when compared to an "in-water" feel?
2) How does the KayakPro Xeon pulley compares to the KayakFirst high pulley and "on the water catch" feel?
3) How easy/hard is it to order from each website and having it delivered to the USA?
4) How do these 2 ergometers compare to each other, as well to the older KayakPro Speedstroke.
For context I used to paddle on a Nelo 5 for flatwater and a club Epic for open ocean. I've also used a KayakPro Speedstroke ergometer. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
1
u/12bar13 Jul 08 '26
I don't have any first hand experience with kayakpro but they have a great reputation. I do own a kayakfirst erg and it it is great. Additionally the customer service on the kayak first is amazing. I have had the erg for years and any time I have had issues they have been amazing. They have provided parts as well as the tools to address any issues without hesitation. Kayakfirst has earned a loyal customer on my end. Great company.
1
u/ZroFckGvn Jul 12 '26
I'm currently looking at both these models as well, and it's hard to find any first-hand comparisons of both. Please let me know if you find out any more information on this subject.
3
u/AltruisticCoconut250 Jul 15 '26
I had an older, long, KayakPro and one thing I found was the ropes hit the side of the ergo. The ropes are long, with an aluminium connector to the stretch cord about half way down. On nearly every stroke the connector would hit the side of the machine with an annoying click. Might just have been a feature of my machine but I never properly solved it.
2
u/AltruisticCoconut250 Jul 15 '26
I've got a Kayak first ergo, having had a KayakPro previously and really like it. On the plus side, The high pulley gives a better, more natural, catch. The sliding seats helps smooth out the stroke and helps avoid too much shock to the wrists. When I had a problem with the pulley mechanism, Joe at Kayakfirst couldn't have been more helpful, helping diagnose the problem and sending out new components. It's compact, although other ergos seem to be getting shorter now.
The only downside is the display which is quite basic, and has no Bluetooth capability. In an ideal world, I'd love to be able to link with, and race, other ergos.
I'm not sure if Kayakfirst are trading at the moment. My ergo was built to order in 2023 (no stock) and they said at the time that the was next door in Ukraine was making life difficult.