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Review Detail

 
Glide
Boats & Boards
Overall rating 
 
3.5
Design 
 
2.0
Perfomance 
 
3.0
Quality 
 
5.0
Value / Money 
 
4.0

The most important fact that needs to be said about this boat is that the bottom is textured. IT IS NOT SMOOTH. If you're surfing it, that's got to be amazing because each little bit of that texture is going to give just a little more grip for an overall amazing performance. If you're not surfing it, and instead using it to travel down a river, it's not the best tool for the job. It's not the worst thing to take down a river, mostly because it floats and there are some things out in the world that don't float.

I owned one of these for a little while when I was first getting into whitewater, a bad idea. It's not a good boat for beginners. Luckily I had a lot of skill and experience in other kayaking disciplines before getting this boat. I bought mine used from a little person. I was a little too heavy for it. I don't know if they manufactured different sizes or volume boats back in the late 90s. I was also a little bit tall, so the result was that it sat really low in the water, was hard to get in and out of, cut off the circulation to my feet, and I hadn't yet mastered my roll. It earned the nicknames "the submarine" or "the deathtrap" depending on what it had done to me more recently.

Despite all the issues I had with the boat, it was very well built and durable. Every complaint I can think of for this boat is more a complaint about me as a beginner in a mismatched boat than an actual criticism of the craft.

Bottom line:
This is a specialty boat for special purposes. Not for general use.


Review

Affiliated
No
About Me
Whitewater beginner. Well at least that's what I was when I owned this boat. That's relevant because if you're a seasoned playboater/rodeo clown this review probably won't be relevant. You likely have whatever skill is necessary to overcome the problems I've laid out below.
Pros / The Good
1. It's durable, possibly the most durable boat I've owned,
2. The grab handles on the front and back of the craft are such that it can be locked with a steel cable/bike chain, I really hate boats that don't have security features,
Cons / The Bad
1. The bottom is textured which makes it bad for going places in a hurry. (is that a con? I say it is, but if you're into kayak surfing, maybe not)
2. Occupant weight should be no more than 150; height no more than 5'6" unless you like submarines.
Recommend
Yes
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