Don't get us wrong, floating is a vitally important feature for a kayak or canoe, but our aspirations for your adventures in a Venture Canoe or Kayak go a little further than that. Venture Canoes & Kayaks was founded in 2004, but to find the source of our experience and passion for canoeing & kayaking, you need to travel a little further upstream:
In 1971, when Founder and Managing Director, Graham Mackereth turned his love of kayaking into a full time job and started building kayaks in his father’s garage, most kayak touring was done in fibreglass ‘general purpose’ kayaks, which varied little from boats designed for slalom, and confusingly were frequently referred to as ‘canoes’.
Over the following years, as our team of enthusiasts grew, we pioneered material innovations such as the introduction of polyethylene as a kayak construction material, and drove the transition to more specialised kayak designs better suited to the many adventures and disciplines the sport has to offer; the culmination of this was the emergence of what we know as ‘Touring Kayaks’ today, and the formation of the Venture brand to signify their contrasting but complementary purpose to whitewater kayaks and sea kayaks.
In the Venture Kayaks range, you'll find Touring Kayak designs which have evolved over our 5 decade long history, produced in the latest HDPE compounds, and designed specifically to make the most of exploring inland and coastal environments.
You only have to look at Founder and Managing Director, Graham Mackereth’s collection of historic canoes to know we’re serious about open boats.
It wasn't long after the foundation of Pyranha that the inevitable happened, and our first open canoe was produced in 1977; trialling new materials and processes later led to us being the first to produce a triple layer foam sandwich canoe construction in 1989, and whilst other materials have come and gone, we’ve continued to develop and consistently improve upon this construction to ensure Venture Canoes are a reliable choice for both individuals and centres.
By 2004 we had developed a comprehensive range of Open Canoes, and the creation of the Venture brand allowed us to display these in their own space with pride and the focus for future developments.
Each and every Venture Canoe & Kayak is designed and built in the UK by the same team behind Pyranha Whitewater Kayaks and P&H Sea Kayaks; our experience dates back to 1971, and our passion for canoeing and kayaking further still, with both flowing through everything we do today.
Over our 45+ year history, Pyranha Kayaks have been chosen for countless first descents including Everest’s river, the Dudh Kosi, and by numerous World Champions; it’s safe to say, we know what it takes to produce a great boat.
We're paddlers ourselves (you might even spot a few of us in the images on this website!), and all our boats are designed and manufactured by us; because that’s all we do, you can be sure that all of our attention, knowledge, and passion for the sport go in to each and every canoe & kayak we make, so you’ll get something that does more than just float!
Crucially, if we wouldn’t be happy paddling it ourselves, it doesn’t leave the factory.
The Venture Canoes & Kayaks range is designed to give you everything you need to get out on the water and start making the adventures of your dreams a reality; you won’t be paying for unnecessary accessories, carrying unrequired weight, or having to read extensive user manuals to work out how to operate the boat.
Venture Canoes & Kayaks are designed to perform for a lifetime; we use the best components and fittings available, for instance, our hatch covers are made by industry leaders, KajakSport.
We work closely with our suppliers to develop the most advanced polymers used in canoe & kayak production, with high UV, scratch, and impact resistance.