Understanding Gear Reviews
Each boat or gear review is based on a standard format. This format will include a point system that grades each category from 1 to 5, 1 being the worst and 5 the best. After the point system format, there will be some text further describing the categories and that paddler's opinion of them. It will also be stated what that paddler did as far as outfitting (i.e. the seat position and other outfitting factors). When looking at the boat reviews you should also look at the paddlers information on the team page in order to know what size, weight, and style paddler is giving the review. This is of course very important information to take into account due to the fact that a boat will act differently for different weights and body shapes. For the reviews we will grade boats in two different categories, creek boats and play boats. Below is a description of the two different boat categories and the characteristics we will look at for each.
Creek Boats These are higher volume boats designed to be more forgiving. These boats are generally used to run large rapids and waterfalls. Some examples of creek boats are the Jefe, Nomad, Habitat, Rocker, and the M3 among others. We are also going to include some river runners in the creek boat category. There are generally two kinds of river runners, water-loading decks, which are those that lean towards play boating (i.e. EZG, Fun, 7-0, Rx, etc.) and water-shedding decks, which are those that lean towards creeking (i.e. Burn, Diesel, Hero, Hoss, Mamba, etc.); in the creek boat category we will include those that lean towards creeking.
- Speed this is how fast a boat will accelerate from a couple of strokes or off of drops; 1 is the slowest, 5 the fastest
- Resurfacing this is how fast a boat will come to the surface when submerged; 1 being the slowest, 5 the fastest
- Boofing this is a commonly used technique to clear a hole or land flat off of a drop; 1 is the hardest to boof, 5 the easiest
- Outfitting these are the guts of the boat; in this category we will be taking into account the adjustability, comfort, weight, safety features, innovativeness of the outfitting
- Stability how easy is it to keep upright
- Maneuverability this is how responsive and easy it is to control a boat
- Tracking how easy the boat holds a line
- Hole Punching is this boat able to make it through or over hydraulics easily
Play Boats These are lower volume kayaks designed to do certain play boating tricks that can be performed on a wave, in a hole, or on flat water.We will also include river runners that lean towards play boating (i.e. EZG, Fun, Recoil, CR, etc.).
- Looseness is the boat easy to spin or is it stuck in one direction
- Initiation this is the ability to initiate or engage an edge of the boat in order to carve, do a blunt, cartwheel, or any other trick
- Hull Speed here we are looking at how fast the boat is on a feature (a wave or hole)
- Bounce air time, does this boat bounce big off of a wave
- River Running this is the boat's ability to make it down river without making you do those hot new rodeo moves unintentionally while going through rapids
- Outfitting these are the guts of the boat; in this category we will be taking into account the adjustability, comfort, weight, innovativeness of the outfitting
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