Whitewater

The Gnarwhal is our most stable and forgiving whitewater packraft, but it lacks the performance features of the Mage and Valkryie. The self bailing design allows you to self rescue if you flip and continue floating without having to go to shore and reset with your spray skirt. We recommend the Gnarwhal for beginners looking to develop more confidence and experienced paddlers that are tentative or intimidated and want a more forgiving boat in technical whitewater.

Lightwater

The Gnarwhal is ideal for lightwater focused adventures. It's the highest performance model in our lightwater collection and ideal for the beginner to experienced paddler that wants the most forgiving and easy handling boat. The Self-Bailing build with 3-point thigh straps provides maximum control with minimum fuss for warmer water trips.

Versatile

The Gnarwhal is a great versatile alternative to the Expedition for warm water. Its perfect for beginner to intermediate paddlers in lightwater and whitewater. If the Expedition is the most versatile Alaska packraft, the Gnarwhal is the most versatile New Zealand packraft.

Gnarwhal vs. Mage

The Gnarwhal is recommended for the beginner to intermediate whitewater packrafter, whereas the Mage is recommended for more advanced paddlers, or intermediate paddlers looking to improve their skills. The Gnarwhal is more stable and forgiving for beginner and tentative experienced paddlers than the Mage. The Mage is much faster, edges and holds an edge better, and rolls better than the Gnarwhal, but requires a higher skill level to engage these benefits. A beginner to intermediate paddler that wants to advance their skills and is not intimidated by a steeper learning curve in whitewater should consider the Mage.

Gnarwhal vs. Expedition

The Gnarwhal and Expedition are mostly distinguished by their builds, with the Gnarwhal being a self bailer and the Expedition being a decked boat. In fact, the small and medium versions are the exact same hull. The self bailing build is preferred for warm water and skill development in whitewater where you can self rescue and keep paddling rather than going to shore to reset your spray skirt. The decked builds are warmer, drier, and more versatile for arctic climates like Alaska, winter paddling, and icy spring runoff.

Self Bailer

The Gnarwhal Self Bailer is perfect for warmer conditions, quick entry and exit, and anyone that prefers a self bailing setup. The Self Bailing Gnarwhal tends to stabilize in when punching through holes which helps boaters navigate through tricky spots. If you swim, no dumping is required and you can just self rescue right back in.

Cargo Fly Zipper

Our innovative Cargo Fly internal storage system comes standard on the Gnarwhal. The Cargo Fly features an airtight zipper installed in the stern of the boat to allow you to store your gear inside the tubes. The system provides drier and more secure gear storage and improved paddling performance due to a lower center of gravity.

Internal Dry Bags may be purchased separately and are designed to work with the Cargo Fly system. The bags clip in place along each side of the tubes with a side release buckle and allow for better organization and weight balance than placing the contents of your pack loose inside the Cargo Fly. They also act as additional balanced air chambers to make it easier to get to shore in the event of a puncture.