Speed. That is what the Marimba is all about. It is not a racing kayak, of course, but as far as recreational sit-on-tops go, this is probably the fastest on the market.
The hull is sleek and it glides well. It has been designed to cover long distances. It is easy to keep on track, yet takes minimal effort to turn. The bow cuts through choppy water, and the peaked, high-volume deck resurfaces quickly when punching through waves.
Apart from being fast, it is also very stable. The hull is designed to handle ocean swell, open water crossings and also moving water. Even when you get tired and your technique sloppy, you can be sure that your stability won’t be compromised.
The deck is typical of all Vagabond’s sit-on-tops. It has a really comfortable Seat and the feet are positioned lower than the bum, making it easy to sit in it for hours. It has the full range of features and fittings that you find on most of our sit-on-tops, like three 8” Hatches, loads of Multifits and Bungee Cords, a Paddle Rest, six Handles, Scupper Venturis and an adjustable, sturdy Footrest.
The Paddle Cutaways on the deck, combined with the narrower hull, results in a very natural paddling stroke. If you are a racing paddler used to a wing paddle, this is a rec kayak that absolutely allows proper wing paddling technique.
If you want a sit-on-top kayak that is fast, stable, easy to paddle, great for fitness training, and capable of paddling long distances and multi-day expeditions, the Marimba is as good as you can get.
The Marimba also comes as a Marimba Angler version with additional features.
Speed. That is what the Marimba is all about. It is not a racing kayak, of course, but as far as recreational sit-on-tops go, this is probably the fastest on the market.
Apart from my whitewater background, I also have a racing/river marathon background, so it was important to me to create a model for the Vagabond line-up that has real speed. I also enjoy multiday trips, anything from two days to two weeks at a time, so I wanted a sit-on-top that also doubles as a touring kayak. And thus, the Marimba was born.
The Marimba hull is designed along the same principles as the Kasai and Tarka, but I made it narrower and longer. It still boasts superior stability and it is certainly not an experts-only design. It has really good glide, and it tracks very well even without a rudder. It has no trouble turning using paddle strokes. Unless you intend to surf ocean swells, it is not really necessary to install a rudder.
I added a lot of volume in the bow and stern. I wanted the boat to handle big volume rapids with ease, as I will be using the boat for some river trips. The volume is also helpful when punching through ocean waves, and it certainly helps the boat to handle extra weight when loaded for a multi-day expedition.
The deck is typical of all Vagabond’s sit-on-tops. It has a really comfortable Seat and the feet are positioned lower than the bum, making it easy to sit in it for hours. The Paddle Cutaways on the deck, combined with the narrower hull, results in a very natural paddling stroke. If you are a racing paddler used to a wing paddle, this is a rec kayak that absolutely allows proper wing paddling technique.
I added a Day Hatch between the seat and footwell for things like snacks and a camera; smaller items that are handy when doing longer trips. There are also two more Hatches, one in the bow and one behind the seat, that allow access to huge in-hull compartments for serious multi-day trips. There is also a large Tankwell in the stern for quick-access storage of dry bags and gear.
I’ve put the Bottle Holder behind the seat, in the middle of a larger recess that can be used for hydration bladders of up to three litres in volume. I positioned the very handy Paddle Rest next to the cockpit. To top it off I’ve put some convenient Bungee Cords on the bow for extra storage of quick-access items.
As I did with most of our sit-on-tops, I added two handles on each side, which is really helpful when handling the boat off the water on your own, and also for safety on the water when taking a swim.
Of all the sit-on-tops in our line-up, this is certainly the boat that I will use the most. I’ll use it for flatwater training on our local section of river, and I will be using it for some extended trips on the Orange and other rivers around South Africa. If you, like me, enjoy speed and longer trips, this is the boat for you.
The choice of kayak model should be based on the activities that you are most going to do and not on the length, weight, materials and price of the kayak. For Vagabond Kayaks’ Managing Director Lisa de Speville, the Marimba is the model that most suits her regular paddling activities. In this video, she shows the features that make this model perfect for her. Apply these same considerations to what you want from a kayak when deciding on the kayak model that will be best for you.
Weeks of lockdown and restrictions on all activities deprived us of the last weeks of summer and autumn. Finally able to get on the water, Vagabond Kayaks’ Celliers Kruger and Lisa de Speville dusted the cobwebs off their Vagabond Marimba kayaks for a leisurely two-day trip down the Vaal River.
Where the Day 1 section has many channels and a number of sweet class 1 rapids, Day 2’s absolutely flat-as-a-pancake water offers up beautiful scenery. Typical of the area’s winter conditions, the days were warm (highs of 24°C) and the night dipped cold enough to freeze water on their kayaks. These two embrace their company’s slogan – Go Anywhere.
These video clips of a Vagabond Marimba kayak on the Orange River show the effectiveness of Vagabond’s Scupper Venturi fittings.
These orange fittings in the scupper holes of Vagabond’s sit-on-tops serve to quickly drain the deck of water. When waves (river or sea) wash over the deck, the footwell fills with water. The faster this water is drained, the faster the kayak’s full stability and performance is restored to get you through the next obstacle.
Thank you to George Evans for this series of video clips from his recent 150km multi-day kayak trip on the Orange River from Vioolsdrif to Sendelingsdrif.
Marimba. Zandvlei in Cape Town. Into 30km/hr wind. Great workout!
The Marimba is our longest (4.5m) and narrowest kayak. It is like a cross between a recreational kayak and a surfski. It is built for speed and performance but is loaded with features. This is a perfect kayak to paddle for sport and fitness where you want stability with speed and the versatility to also take it on a multi-day trip, on the sea or even down a river.
The paddler is Ray Chaplin and this was his first paddle with his Marimba.
Mpho Mapatsi, a complete novice who had never been on a kayak before, had the unique experience of sequentially paddling Vagabond’s Tsomo, Tarka, Kasai, Marimba and the double-seater Mazowe kayaks in a 90-minute session on the water. Follow Mpho’s first experience of kayaking in this video.
We had fun racing our four Vagabond Kayaks sit-on-tops against each other. This video gives an indication of the speed difference between them – of course, paddler experience and ability also makes a difference. Our participants here are all capable paddlers.
The Marimba (green) is on the far left. This is our longest and narrowest and, as a result, our fastest kayak. Perfect for fitness paddling, river tripping and expeditions.
The Kasai (green) is on the inside of the Marimba. It is 50cm shorter than the Marimba, it has a bit more width and, as a result, more stability and weight carrying. An awesome all-purpose kayak for dams, rivers and sea.
The Tarka (pink) is second from the right. Somewhat shorter than the Kasai, the Tarka is 60cm shorter and the same width, it is a bit slower. When you’re paddling normally and not at a flat-out sprint, there is little speed difference between the Kasai and Tarka. Like the Kasai, this is an awesome all-purpose kayak suited to smaller (less than 90kg) paddlers.
The Tsomo (khaki) on the right is our shortest and widest kayak for adults. It has very good weight carrying capacity but not as much speed as its siblings. It is a playful and awesome kayak to paddle for recreation, fishing and bird watching but is not the one for long-distance paddling.
