Creating the NajaRaz

Where the idea began

Among paddlers who spend serious time practicing Greenland rolls, a simple truth appears sooner or later. Skin on frame kayaks allow a freedom of movement (with good support) that is very difficult to reproduce in composite boats.

When you are working on advanced rolls, the relationship between paddler and kayak becomes extremely sensitive. Cockpit width, deck height, hip contact and how your body can shift inside the boat determine which rolls are possible and how repeatable they become.

The Rebel Naja and it's bigger sister Ilaga have long been known as some of the most roll friendly composite Greenland style kayaks available. The Naja fits smaller paddlers in the 40 to 60 kg range exceptionally well. Move the front bulkhead slightly forward to fit longer legs and it becomes a really capable rolling kayak even for somewhat larger paddlers.

For rolling practice and playful sessions it works beautifully if you are under about 80 kg or 175 lbs. Touring is a different matter. If you're at max weight and bring more luggage than a credit card, the volume quickly reminds you who the kayak was designed for. The Naja shines brightest when rolling, for me, but staying within it's "paddling" weight range, you can also bring it on tours if you pack your gear cleverly.

I loved the kayak but also knew the limits for my own body size. I weigh roughly 25 kg more than the paddler weight the boat was originally optimized for. The question slowly formed in my mind. What would happen if some of the freedom found in skin on frame kayaks could be brought into the Naja without changing its hull?

Contact with the designer

I first connected with Rebel Kayaks designer Johan Wirsen through the Greenland rolling community. Conversations about rolling technique and kayak ergonomics continued around the time of the Swedish Greenland rolling championships.

Eventually I summoned up the courage and called Johan to discuss the thought that had been growing in my head. Practically, I just wanted a Naja with slightly more room around the hips and lower back and a lower rear deck to make advanced rolls easier and more forgiving.

Johan listened for a moment and then suggested something simple:

-"Come down to Öland and we will look at it."

For me the invitation was unexpected. Johan was essentially inviting a stranger to his home workshop to cut into a fresh kayak. At the same time Johan himself was not in the best physical condition. A serious neck injury had forced him to step away from many of the hands-on projects he loved. For several years he had not been able to do much physical work, like making kayaks, at all.

Even playing guitar had been difficult. Which was unfortunate, because Johan is also a very capable blues guitarist and has a small studio in his basement. Jamming with friends is one of his favorite pastimes.

Still, curiosity won. The project sounded interesting enough to try.

Meeting in Öland

So I drove to Johan's home on Öland bringing my own Naja. The original plan was simple: we would cut open my kayak and experiment with the cockpit area.

Instead Johan walked into the workshop, pulled out his own Naja from his collection and declared that this one would be sacrificed for the project!

That decision immediately set the tone. This was not going to be a theoretical discussion about design. We were going to build something and see what happened.

The first step was sitting in the kayak on dry land and discussing. Then measuring the cockpit area and studying where the restrictions actually occurred. Johan had an idea of where to cut and what to change in his head and drew some lines. The hull itself was never the problem. The Naja already had excellent balance and handling. The real limitation appeared around the cockpit rim and the space behind the paddler's back.

To help guide the changes I had brought another kayak along. It was an old skin on frame boat which I had bought from Norwegian Jon David Jenssen. The foredeck height felt surprisingly similar to the Naja, but the rear cockpit area allowed much more freedom of movement. That kayak became a reference point for how the new cockpit could behave.

Interview with Stefan

What was the main goal of the changes?

It was mostly about easier rolling and the feeling of a lower center of gravity. Every kayak needs a carefully chosen deck height and cockpit height. Depending on the difficulty of the roll and how flexible the paddler's back is, different measurements work better or worse.

But cockpit width is also critical. In the more demanding rolls you need space around the hips and lower back so your pelvis can move inside the boat.

What exactly felt limiting in the original Naja?

I am simply too big for it but I still love the kayak. The rear deck itself was not really the problem. The limitation was the cockpit being too tight at the masik (the front edge of the cockpit). When you try to come up onto the rear deck in the harder rolls your leg hits the cockpit rim and pushes you backward.

That means you cannot make the sideways pelvic shift you need. In something like a straight jacket roll you are shifting your sit bones maybe ten centimeters and twisting your pelvis inside the cockpit. You need that movement.

What did you change in the cockpit?

The new cockpit is about three centimeters wider. That does two things. It gives more space for the hips and lower back, but it also brings the cockpit edge closer to the waterline. When you roll you do not have to climb over a sharp edge at hip height. Instead you glide under it. You want to roll under the edge, not into it.

Did you move the cockpit forward?

No. The starting position stayed the same as the original Naja. Instead we opened more space behind the paddler's back. In the new cockpit you end up sitting slightly farther forward compared to something like an Ilaga where the paddler sits more toward the rear.

Personally I like rolling with my seat quite far forward. It gives me free space behind my back and better leverage from my legs lower in the boat.

From a paddling perspective you may get slightly more wind influence in crosswinds when seated forward, but this version will not have a fixed seat. You can pad and trim it depending on how you want to use the boat.

The rebuild

Once the design decisions were clear Johan rebuilt the cockpit area of the kayak. A larger cockpit insert was integrated which created additional room around the hips and lower back. The overall width increased by roughly three centimeters. The rear deck was lowered and reshaped to allow deeper layback during rolls.

At the same time great care was taken to preserve the original character of the Naja. The hull remained untouched. Volume distribution, stiffness, balance and handling all stayed exactly the same. Only the connection between paddler and kayak was refined.

For Johan the work itself also became something meaningful. After years limited by his neck injury, spending time designing and building again slowly brought back some of the energy he had missed. Working with tools, solving problems and shaping a kayak again seemed to rekindle the enthusiasm that had always driven his designs.

Testing

The modified kayak was tested heavily through the following season. There were long rolling sessions throughout the summer and autumn. The kayak was pushed through difficult rolls repeatedly in different conditions, by different people, to see where the limits actually were.

It was also used during the Swedish Championships in Greenland rolling. Competitions are an honest environment because theory quickly disappears when every roll has to work under pressure.

The feedback became clear very quickly: Roll initiation was faster. The kayak felt more forgiving. Complex rolls allowed a noticeably larger margin for error.

The result

The result is the Rebel NajaRaz.

It remains unmistakably a Naja. The hull behaviour, responsiveness and character are still top notch. But the slightly larger cockpit and the reshaped rear deck give the paddler more freedom inside the kayak.

Those small changes have a surprisingly large effect. The kayak now works comfortably for a wider range of paddlers, including some who previously felt slightly too large for the original design. Interestingly, many smaller paddlers who have tried the prototype at festivals and training sessions still prefer the original cockpit. It does not feel too tight for most lighter paddlers.

The NajaRaz does not replace the original Naja. That kayak still has its place and remains a favorite for many paddlers. My youngest daughter still happily rolls the standard version. But for paddlers above 60 kg who want maximum freedom for advanced Greenland rolling in a composite kayak, the NajaRaz pushes the concept further. My friend has already ordered one for his club because it fits women's usually "wider anatomy" at the rear.

It combines ideas from skin on frame kayaks with Johan Wirsen's deep experience in composite design. In many ways it represents exactly what Rebel Kayaks has always stood for. Purpose-driven design, uncompromising performance and a constant willingness to refine even a very good idea.

Now it's your turn: use the comment field for questions if you have any!

For context on the original Naja introduction years ago, check out Cheri & Turner's video.