About myself

I have been kayaking for 12 years and am a level 4 kayak coach.

About the test environment

I have owned and used the boat for 15 months mainly on low volume Gr3 to 4 Scottish rivers.

Review

The outfitting is much less complicated than other boats , a solid padded full plate foot rest, molded thigh grips with good quality bolted on and adjustable padding, a seat which is incredibly east to adjust, and a basic but comfortable back rest, although I would prefer a more supportive back rest.

I used to own the old style Diablo and the design of this model is better. Increased rocker at the front makes the boat easier to boof, while the 'soft ' rails added to the hull make carving and edging more precises, I found the boat is quicker to turn than before. Some extra volume has been added above the cockpit which raises the knee position and seems to help with rolling.

At 2.8 meters the boat is long by modern standards, however the advantage is extra speed, I have found it better than other creek boats I have owned for getting through stoppers. I have used the Diablo on several very narrow and technical low volume rivers where it handled as well, and sometimes better than shorter creek boats.

Conclusion

Overall a versatile creek/river runner and good value for money.