The Alpaca Gnarwhal Whitewater Pack Raft with Whitewater Deck is the biggest, most stable and most forgiving whitewater packraft in Alpaca's line-up. With its next generation Rally Hull design, ergonomic seating, and 4-point thigh straps, the Gnarwhal is ideal for building skills and confidence, carrying heavy loads, and charging hard on high volume runs. Made locally in Mancos, CO, the Gnarwhal is built around the Rally Hull, high-performance whitewater rigging, Cargo Fly zipper internal storage system, and either a Whitewater Deck or Self Bailing configuration. The Rally Hull is our highest performance whitewater hull with a center panel stern for stability and forgiveness and a rockered bow for punching over holes and carving eddy turns. You’ll love the Gnarwhal if you want a forgiving and easy to paddle packraft that takes the intimidation out of paddling moderate whitewater, if you want to charge hard in bigger water and features, or if you need to carry a large cargo load on a long trip.
Novice and intermediate paddlers will get the most from the Gnarwhal’s unmatched stability and forgiveness, which makes rapids fun so that you can focus on honing your technique and building confidence without worrying about getting flipped every time you make a mistake. Advanced paddlers get the most from the Gnarwhal by setting up early and paddling hard, making it ideal for high volume rivers and messy features that require speed, power, and stability to clean.
The Gnarwhal is higher volume than the Wolverine to maximize stability, forgiveness, and weight capacity. The whitewater rigging includes an adjustable foam backband, ¾ length seat and foot brace and patented 4-point thigh straps. Both the Wolverine and Gnarwhal can be reliably rolled by skilled boaters with thigh straps, but the Wolverine roll is a bit easier for most people. The Gnarwhal and Wolverine are sized to fit most average sized adults, but larger and heavier (over 6’0” and 200lbs) paddlers will fit better in the Gnarwhal while smaller and lighter paddlers (under 5’7” and 150lbs) will fit better in the Wolverine.
Sizing Chart |
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Small | Medium | Large | X-Large | |
Paddler Sit Length | 36-41in | 91-104cm | 39-43in | 99-109cm | 42-46in | 107-117cm | 45-50in | 114-127cm |
Exterior Length | 92in | 234cm | 94in | 239cm | 97in | 246cm | 100in | 254cm |
Exterior Width | 38in | 97cm | 38in | 97cm | 38in | 97cm | 38in | 97cm |
Interior Length | 41in | 104cm | 43in | 109cm | 46in | 117cm | 49in | 124cm |
Width at Hips | 15in | 38cm | 15in | 38cm | 15in | 38cm | 15in | 38cm |
Max Capacity* | 450lb | 204kg | 450lb | 204kg | 450lb | 204kg | 450lb | 204kg |
*Max Capacity is the maximum total weight (paddlers and cargo) that the boat can reasonably carry in flatwater under ideal conditions. Actual capacity for any given trip will vary widely based on the paddler’s skill and water conditions. Please review our weight carrying capacity guide for further details.
Specifications |
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Self Bailer (SB) | Whitewater Deck (WW) | |||
Weight* | Packed Size** | Weight* | Packed Size** | |
Small | 7.7lb | 3.50kg | 20x7in | 51x18cm | 9.0lb | 4.08kg | 20x9.5in | 51x24m |
Medium | 7.9lb | 3.57kg | 20x7.5in | 51x19cm | 9.2lb | 4.17kg | 20x9.5in | 51x24m |
Large | 8.1lb | 3.69kg | 20x8in | 51x20cm | 9.4lb | 4.26kg | 20x10in | 51x25m |
X-Large | 8.4lb | 3.82kg | 20x8.5in | 51x22m | 9.6lb | 4.35kg | 20x10in | 51x25m |
*Weight includes all components except inflation bag, repair kit, and internal dry bags for Cargo Fly.
**Packed size is a reference measurement based on folding each lengthwise edge of the boat to the center and rolling from the bow. There are many other methods of rolling and folding the boats that will result in a different packed size that may be more or less efficient for packing depending on the situation.