[please login to make this ad block disappear]
Articles
My favorite gear:
Login first to add this to your Likes or Haves.
Login first to add this to your Likes or Haves.
Athlete
Write Review
Short Facts
Brand
Model Year
Intended Paddling Environment
Type
Stats
Please login to see full stats. |
Athlete River: The Athlete's basic principles are taken from the slalom sport.
Here it is essential to gain speed, rotate well and keep precisely to the track. Currents can be crossed fast and almost effortlessly. Suitable up to whitewater IV. Not suitable for steep drops. The Athlete is an excellent training kayak for slalom sports.
Athlete Trainer: Training boat for slalomSimple seating, back strap, thigh rest in one piece, sable tooth foot rest.
Here it is essential to gain speed, rotate well and keep precisely to the track. Currents can be crossed fast and almost effortlessly. Suitable up to whitewater IV. Not suitable for steep drops. The Athlete is an excellent training kayak for slalom sports.
Athlete Trainer: Training boat for slalomSimple seating, back strap, thigh rest in one piece, sable tooth foot rest.
User reviews
Overall rating
4.0
Design
3.0
Perfomance
4.0
Quality
5.0
Value / Money
4.0
Recommended with reservations. This boat is challenging to paddle. If you are willing to be challenged and have the skills, it will reward you. If not, you probably won't have much fun.
Review
Affiliated
No
About Me
Former national team slalom paddler, have been paddling 26 years.
Pros / The Good
Paddles similar to a slalom boat; very fast, carves the turns well. Very durable blow-molded plastic, and blunt enough to take over smaller drops. Really shines in big volume water, where some of the issues outlined below in cons seem to be less of an issue. This boat forces you to be very precise with your boat angle and lean, and to paddle with weight on the bow using speed. Screaming fast on waves. If you paddle this boat a lot your skills should improve.
Cons / The Bad
Stern is a little too thick, which makes it difficult to do stern pivots. The rails on the bottom of the hull really lock it into the line, its not a forgiving boat. As above under pros, you have to be very precise with boat angle and lean. The hull is a little too flat and wide just behind the cockpit, and at the end of the stern, making it quite a lot of effort to lean or edge the boat; you really have to pull up with your knee hard to get the boat to lean. It seems like the stern really doesn't match with the relatively narrow bow; its almost like two different boats were put together. Although I like the blow-molded plastic, it seems like there is way too much thickness around the cockpit area; overall it is really heavy. This makes it difficult to accelerate.
Recommend
Yes
Was this review helpful to you?