• Speed: 5
• Boofing: 5
• Hole Punching: 4.
• Resurfacing: 5
• Maneuverability: 5
• Outfitting: 4.5
• Stability: 4
• Tracking: 4
  
  

I am a big fan of the Burn; I feel super dialed in and safe in this boat. The Burn is very fast; it accelerates considerably with a couple strokes, which is great for any river running or big volume creeking. It does excellent on rivers like the Lower Meadow. It is a little bit too fast for low volume technical creeking (i.e. Manns Creek), but is still easily manageable if you are dialed into the boat. The boat accelerates off a drop very well making it easy to clear large holes, whether you land completely flat or with the bow down a little bit. The Burn boofs and resurfaces really well due to the good amount of bow rocker, the bow is always on or going towards the surface. The chines seem very aggressive for a river runner/creeker, yet they are elevated enough that they do not catch often and work great when you choose to initiate them. When the boat was new the chines were a little bit sharp and would catch occasionally, this was not a problem after I wore them down a bit. The speed and chines of the Burn make big water very controlled. I use it for video boating on the New and Gauley and it works great; the Burn definitely became the most common boat for video boaters this year. Carving and ferrying are very smooth with the chines. The Burn does not really punch holes so much as it slides over them. With its speed and bow rocker it glides over holes very well, which instills a lot of confidence in me for running bigger drops. This is one of the most responsive surface boats I have ever paddled, every stroke or edge initiation has an equal and timely response. The Burn is very maneuverable; it turns on a dime. It is definitely a bow controlled boat, which I really like because it encourages you to paddle with better technique by sitting forward and aggressive rather than having to lean on the stern to turn the boat. This boat is the easiest boat to hike with that I have shouldered. It is very light, the center wall is like a big handle to grab, and rather than a plastic edge digging into your shoulder like normal, the coaming is folded down flat so there is no sharp edge. The seat takes a little while to adjust, but the bulkhead and thigh hooks are standard. The only problem I have had with the outfitting is that the bolts to the thigh hooks that are on the coaming break the seal of your skirt and let water in, unless you have a Snap Dragon Lip Lock skirt. I have also heard people complain about the factory hip pads sliding on them; I have never really had a problem with this. Comfort is outstanding; it is the most comfortable boat I have paddled. The safety features are also solid; it has your standard two grab loops and three metal clip points and quick access to throw bags if you place it on the center wall. As far as my personal outfitting preferences, I liked my seat all of the way forward. The medium Burn floated me decent enough when I wasn’t carrying much gear. It did feel a little small when I put a breakdown paddle, extra throw ropes, first-aid and pin kits in the back. The Burn is good for all levels of paddling, from learning to roll to advanced paddling. The features I like most about this boat are its abilities to slide over holes, greatly accelerate with two or three strokes, and the bow’s ability to stay on top of the water, which gives me confidence when running bigger drops.

-Logan