Boat Review: Jackson 2 Fun Kayak 2015

The first whitewater kayak to sport the Jackson logo was a Fun. Fast forward more than a decade and you’ll find an impressive lineup of boats from creekers to Worlds-winning freestyle machines—but the Jackson 2 Fun, Fun, and 4 Fun still remain.

[ Paddling Buyer’s Guide: See all Jackson Kayaks ]

2 Fun, new Fun

Originally designed in 2004, the Fun was built to be a comfortable, easy-rolling river running playboat. Subsequent generations of the Fun integrated more play-friendly features, and when Jackson’s dedicated freestyle kayak was introduced in 2012, the Fun was left in awkward adolescence—not as playful as the new Rockstar but too twitchy to be a favored river runner.

The redesigned 2015 version throws back to the Fun series’ riverplay roots. A new hull brings back the comfort and tracking ability that made the original Fun great for all-day river running. It also holds onto just enough of what it learned from its foray into freestyle to make the new generation perfect for full days of playing your way downstream.

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Putting you in control

Slipping onto the water I immediately notice that the Fun feels very stable.

Keeping it flat or tilting it on edge it is predictable and easy to control. This makes it easy to stay upright when running rapids, and hold on edge to get in and out of eddies. The hard rails grab the water to make long, gliding ferries a breeze.

It shoots across waves in a smooth, controlled manner—a refreshing change from high performance playboats that are so responsive they feel like they’re in control of you. Compared to shorter, twitchy, full-on freestyle boats, the 2015 Fun is also much more forgiving on eddy lines and boils. The stern deck sheds water quickly keeping it from getting forced under and sending you upside down, and the amount of stern rocker allows a good mix of tracking and maneuverability. Find a good eddyline or hole and you can still get the Fun vertical to enjoy nice balanced ends.

[ Read more: 10 Things Only Whitewater Kayakers Understand ]

At 6’7” long, the 2 Fun has enough speed for smaller paddlers to zip around the river and catch waves and features on the fly.

The bow rocker keeps me bobbing up and over most waves and is great for when I want to skip over small, grabby holes.

Fun provides comfort

In order for me to enjoy a day on the river I need to be comfortable and the Fun takes care of that. The wide, high-riding backband stays in place with Jackson’s Sure-Lock cord and cleat system that’s easy to adjust while on the water. There’s enough foot room for me to wear actual paddling shoes and still have wiggle room for my feet. With the integrated GoPro mount on the bow, it’s easy to catch all the action.

[ See also: 5 Quick And Dirty Steps To Kayak Video Editing With Nick Troutman ]

Play all day in the Jackson 2 Fun

If you’re in the market for a big wave aerial machine or a hard-charging creeker, you’ll find the Fun to be somewhere between the two—it’s not a boat that specializes in either category. If you want to paddle all day without your legs going numb, catch more eddies than your friends and grab surfs along the way, then it sounds like you’re looking for Fun.