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Review Detail

 
G-Force 5.9
Boats & Boards
(Updated: June 19, 2009)
Overall rating 
 
3.8
Design 
 
4.0
Perfomance 
 
5.0
Quality 
 
3.0
Value / Money 
 
3.0

Wow!! Value For Money

About the reviewer

I just took up freestyle this year after 4 years river running and haven't done a whole lot yet but the g-force is the perfect beginners and through kayak.

Test environment

Grade two rapids, medium flow.

Review

All in all this kayak rocks!!! I don't know a whole lot about playboats but I know enough to say this boat really has earned its stripes!!
Getting in the first time I was nervous, never having been in a playboat before. It was so responsive i was caught out a few times due to is sharp edges, but i got down the river in one piece delighted at how it had performed.
The bow is incredibly easy to get down although that could be due to the fact I have the seat the whole way forward.
Its so easy to roll, it barely requires effort.
When getting the kayak i drove for 2 hours fretting it would be to small because its the smallest size in the range and i wouldn't think myself petite. When i arrived i was surprised to find i fitted with the seat in mid position and as i grew to know the kayak i have moved the seat forward more to allow me more control.

This kayak really is fab and i would recommend it to beginners or advanced paddlers alike, its just so easy to throw around and works well on river trips to.
its also very affordable and as a junior cash isn't something i had alot of to spend. I was looking at kayaks such as the star or project not wanting something cheap and underperforming, but the g-force its extremely budget friendly and performs great on most features.

So as you have read i am full of praise for the performance but the outfitting is a whole other story.
Maybe this is why the boat was so affordable. The outfitting is crap to be blunt. Im going to rip it out and replace most bits which means that a boat which cost me quite little is going to end up costing me alot.

The backrest is awful and doesn't move easily, it also doesn't come far forward enough to match the seat for shorter paddlers like me. I'll be replacing that i'd say as its not plausible to be spending so much time trying to adjust it.

The footstop isn't adjustable and even with the seat already so far forward i would benefit from having the footrest closer to me. I've tried to rectify this in a few ways but have decided to replace them with jackson happy feet at some stage if they can fit as the foot space is very limited, lucky for me i have small feet but i feel sorry for any men that have this kayak.

The hips pads are very tight and il probably end up removing them altogether because i have seen this done in a few other g-forces, understandibly seeing as the first time i used the kayak i was numb from my hips down.

The seat is fine although its just not on par with the hip pads which is also why i'm removing the hip pads.

But don't let the outfitting put you off, its still a great kayak and most things can be fixed. Its just a heads up to whats coming towards you. My g-force is also an older model and i've heard they've upgraded the outfitting so its worth checking out before you buy.
The old outfitting looks very basic so it should be easy to tell.

I also forgot to mention this kayak is very light and also has a bung which is useful!!!



Conclusion

Great Kayak, Crap Outfitting. I suggest you buy one!!! i ONLY GAVE IT FOUR STARS BECAUSE OF THE OUTFITTING!!

Review

Affiliated
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About Me
Location: Avonmore, Co.Wicklow, Ireland
Age: 15
Weight: 61.2 kgs
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