Open Boat Review: Esquif Detonator

Photo courtesy Esquif — Boat Review: Esquif Detonator

We had paddled Esquif’s first whitewater solo canoe, the Nitro, two years ago in a comparison test between the aging Dagger Ocoee and the newer Phantom. We found the Nitro had some fantastic performance characteristics such as solid secondary stability and a dry ride, but it was longer and consequentially more in line with the Rival and Genesis. The Detonator, at first glance looks like a shorter, 10-foot Nitro, but there is more to this new boat than first meets the eye.

Esquif has answered the call for a shorter open boat and has kept many of the charms of the Nitro. The most obvious are the completely flat bottom and four-inch double chine. This combination gives the Detonator a different feel. It doesn’t have primary stability as we are used to, rather it wants to fall to its early and bomber secondary stability.

The Detonator isn’t tippy, rather it is just more stable tilted slightly to one side or the other. The style of paddling is different from the smooth transition of rounded hulls; you are always tilted, which is okay because in whitewater that is most often the case. This is especially strange for timid paddlers reluctant to commit to a full tilt.

Esquif Detonator Specs

Length: 10’

Beam: 28”

Gunwale: 24”

Bow/stern depth: 23”

Centre depth: 17”

Bow rocker: 5”

Stern rocker: 6.5”

Weight: 46 lbs

Material: Royalex

Hull design: asymmetric

MSRP CAD: $1200 for shell

esquif.com

Front and side surfing is still a huge part of solo open boating and an area the Detonator shines. At only 10 feet, the detonator is nimble and tons of fun on short steeper waves.

The rounded, blunt bow is easy to keep free of the upstream current. The secondary stability is ideal for offside tilting for quick changes in direction on a wave. The double chine provides incredible forgiveness across eddylines and has the same soft effect that helps when side surfing in a hole.

Another interesting characteristic of the Detonator is that Esquif has shortened the thwarts in the bow to produce an asymmetrical shape. Boat builders determined long ago that boat speed is based on a number of factors; one is waterline length and another is the shape of the footprint. Esquif has changed to a faster asymmetrical shape to compensate in speed for the Detonator’s shorter length.

The narrower bow also makes the execution of strokes easier, and it makes us wonder why solo canoes have always been so wide. Further improving the ease of paddling, the sheer or gunwale line is almost level, making crossing the deck much cleaner and allowing the Detonator to fully turtle instead of getting caught on your offside when rolling. Like the Nitro, the Detonator rolls up with a minimum amount of water on board.

[ Paddling Buyer’s Guide: View all Esquif canoes ]

The bottom line

Esquif is marketing the Detonator as an advanced paddler’s or expert’s boat for Class III rivers and up. We think more advanced paddlers will have to try the Detonator first because its appeal depends on individual paddling style. We are sure they will enjoy the quick pivot turns of a short boat, the narrow asymmetrical design for efficiency, and the stability that will allow them access to more challenging runs without the worry of catching a hard chine.

On the other hand, many advanced paddlers look for a hard chine as a desirable carving characteristic on solo boats. The largest market and the best fit for the new Esquif Detonator may be aggressive intermediates and smaller paddlers who are sick of pushing around larger solo canoes.

This article originally appeared in Rapid‘s Spring 2002 issue. Subscribe to Paddling Magazine’s print and digital editions here, or browse the archives here.

Boat Review: Perception Full-Tilt

Photo courtesy Perception — Boat Review: Perception Full-Tilt

The Total Package

One of the first things paddlers of long freestyle boats notice when they hop into a corky design is the usual lack of vertical stability. The Full-Tilt measures in at 6’5”, but you might forget that when you are paddling it. It initiates easily, slices in and holds a vertical position stalling like a longer boat, especially on the tail. The increased balance allows you to slow down your rotation from end to end allowing you to think more about your paddle placement, and less about falling on your face.

In a nice foam pile the slicey, longer boat feeling continues allowing for less-than-perfect technique as you try to figure out how to get your rhythm going. We found the Full-Tilt needs to be paddled farther down the foam pile so get used to sitting on the seam of your favourite play hole. You also need to stay active in a hole, otherwise the ends load up very quickly, leading to many inadvertent loop attempts. After two days of playing with the Full-Tilt in Hass Hole on the Lower Madawaska and Earls on the Gull, we couldn’t wait to get it on a wave. But first we had to get it down the river.

River running in the Full-Tilt presents many opportunities to say “OOPS!” If you have paddled a Dagger Ego or Super Ego you know what we mean. The low shear line, combined with an abrupt transition from slicey ends to a full volume cockpit, creates a front edge that loves to bury itself in a seam line and hang on tight like a gila monster (that’s a lizard that hangs on really tight). Super-aggressive tilts, and well placed eddy crossing strokes are necessary to prevent this tendency. We had to pay very close attention to this boat to hit all the eddies that make a technical run like the Gull River so much fun.

On a short, steep wave, the Full-Tilt was disappointing. This boat surfs as if it has no edges. We could lay the boat almost to its side and still not generate a carve across the face of the wave. As a result of not being able to carve, blunts were mushy and mostly muscle powered. Competition boaters will appreciate the ride; big carving blunts may be impressive, but they are relatively low scoring and risky. The Full-Tilt allows you to hit a quicker, less risky bounce blunt and get on to getting vertical and racking up the points. Spinning was easy on the other hand. The Full-Tilt is as loose as any other boat out there and the front edges that make eddy crossing difficult didn’t seem to effect the spinnability. On a big, fast wave the lack of edges is a plus when trying to land aerial moves, and the rocker profile makes the Full-Tilt easy to get off the water and into the air.

The first to introduce a wrap around thigh brace system, kudos to Perception for further improving with the Full Tilts outfitting. Perception has removed the front and rear foam bulkheads and instead the deck is molded to fit with a pillar from the seat rail. The new and improved Thigh Master thigh braces are the best thighbraces we have ever used; they are rigid and adjust in multiple directions. Today, in the days of just stuffing foam at your toes and quick release moveable bulkheads, the adjustable rail bulkhead system introduced in the Amp/Shock is outdated but works.

The Bottom Line

The outfitting in the Full-Tilt isn’t an instant fit, but once time is spent to tweak it out, few boats offer a more custom fit. Often the short kayaks that are ideal for shallow pour-overs are too corky for pleasingly balanced cartwheels. The Full-Tilt is ideal for someone wanting to try out a spud boat, but still wanting the vertical stability of a longer, slicier boat. This is great combination, one that we think will put Perception back on the Canadian map and the full-Tilt and Spin on the river.

Specs

Length: 6’9”
Width: 24”
Volume: 47gal
Weight: 36 lbs
Cockpit: 33.5”x19”
Paddler level: int-adv
Suggested weight: 130-190 lbs
MSRP CAD: $1695.00

This article first appeared in the Early Summer 2005 issue of Rapid Magazine. For more great boat reviews, subscribe to Rapid’s print and digital editions here.

Boat Review: Massive’s Mojo

Photo courtesy Massive — Boat Review: Massive's Mojo

The hull story

One of the nice things about launching into the whitewater market is that you don’t have an old way of doing things so you can dream up new ones. Massive had a fresh start and has taken a completely new approach to hip pad adjustment, mounting the hip pad to a slider with a fastening nut. This allows the hip pads to be moved in and out as well as turned forward to contour to the angle of your thigh as it enters the aggressive thigh braces. The seat is simple and comfortable but finicky to adjust because the nuts are hidden behind the thigh braces. Massive has chosen o use an older style plastic foot brace system.

The Mojo paddles much like it looks—a cross between a playboat and a creek boat. In fact, just for a size reference, the Mojo is only two gallons less than the Perception Java. Anyway, this isn’t a bad combo. For anyone new to paddling—if you’re not, think back—the most difficult thing for new paddlers to think about is everything. That’s right, everything that is happening all at once. Massive has taken many of those bad things out of the mix improving new paddlers’ chances for success. The rockered and blunt bow seldom pearls, instead it rides up and over waves. The high volume stern won’t trip you up if you waffle across eddy lines. And if you forget about tilt because you’re thinking about angle and paddling forward, no problem, the rounded soft edges are plenty of flare cover for you.

Many paddlers, once they learn to roll, wonder why it took them a whole weekend or every Friday night in the pool for an entire winter. Modern freestyle boats are like trying to roll a day-old pastrami on rye sandwich and the funny thing is, most of us have learned to like it. The Mojo, on the other hand, rolls right up, snappy like! Now that the roll is mastered where do new paddlers go? Straight to the first front surfing wave they can find and this is where the Mojo really shines.

With lots of rocker, the bow almost never pearls on a wave and despite the soft edges the Mojo is a good carving boat. This is a paradox really, soft forgiving edges and carving ability? Thompson attributes this to, and we cant argue, the dove-tail stern design borrowed from watersports like surfing. Simply front surfing or carving on the face of a wave the dove-tail is engaged for stability. At the end of your carve it releases allowing you to change direction and carve back. Once they’ve learned to surf, it isn’t long before intermediate and even beginner paddlers want to learn to spin or more likely are spinning in the Mojo looking to shore, smiling, asking you what just happened.

The final word

It seems for their first boat Massive has looked at the paddling market and identified paddlers who love to front surf, spin and run rivers. These paddlers may never get vertical unless it is an ender. It may be their style or the stage of the learning curve they are currently at. The Mojo is a combination of creek boat volume and friendliness with the play of a planing hull. This was a target market decision and it includes a price tag that is also appealing to new paddlers. If you think the designer who changed the Worlds is going soft, wait for the soon to be released Massive Mad Dog.

Specs

Length: 7’3”
Width: 25”
Volume: 56 gal
Weight: 31 lbs
Paddler weight: 130-220 lbs
MSRP: $1,299

This article first appeared in the Spring 2002 issue of Rapid Magazine. For more great boat reviews, subscribe to Rapid’s print and digital editions here.

Pushing Rubber: Raft Guide Life

Stories

“Left back, right forward …STOP… forward paddle… FORWARD PADDLE!” Initially slow, the crew responded as I cranked on the oars, and after a heart-stopping second the raft picked up momentum in the direction I wanted. Whew. I’ve seen other guides tossed right into the forward section of the raft after a lapse of attention near a big hole while the kayakers carving waves nearby smirked and nodded to one another. As a first-year guide, I wasn’t going to make the same mistake. Nope. Summers as a raft guide were going to be about spending time on the water, meeting lots of cool people, making some cash and paddling every night. Well, maybe.

ON THE RIVER

Every day, eight to twelve new people put their lives in your hands. It’s a big responsibility, and although guests often say they want to go big, their enthusiasm diminishes when they find themselves underneath an upside-down raft. A guide is paid to read not only the river but also the guests, to pick the line that best suits all members of the crew. The introductory safety talk is your time to size up your people, and as with everything, first impressions count for a lot.

“It’s the first two minutes and the first rapid. In the first two minutes they like you as a person, and in the first rapid they respect you as a guide,” said Stacey Pepplar, 23, an Ottawa River guide with Esprit Rafting for the last four years. “If you can get a good relationship with them then, it’s going to be more like going with friends.”

The human factor is important for more than just attitude because the crew is the motor, and it can be tough to get the big hits guests are looking for without a prompt and effective response to commands. On a technical level a raft filled with people might weigh as much as a ton, and they just don’t stop or turn on a dime.

“I had trouble the first two weeks, I was just blowing it, “ said six-year guide Clyde Bersky, 32, a whitewater paddler and racer since 18. “The raft’s so big and heavy—there’s so much momentum. But then a senior guy took me aside and said, ‘All you need to do is exaggerate your ferry angles and set up a couple of seconds earlier.’”

Essentially, raft guiding boils down to reading the river and a six-second rule—two seconds to decide what you need to do; one second to call the command; another for the crew to react; and finally, two tense seconds for the raft to respond.

You need to take into account the slide of the raft during a manoeuvre and which parts of the raft are on different tongues of water. This means a strong emphasis on being able to read the water—and rafting is probably the best learning vehicle of any of the whitewater sports. Nyssa Golda, 27, a two-year guide and paddler, pointed out, “It’s safe, it’s big, it’s higher up and you can see the hydraulics much better. When you’re just starting on rivers it boosts your confi- dence level much faster.”

And sooner or later, you’ll need confidence. Mishaps happen on the river all the time, and this is where guides earn their money. Guests fall out and rafts flip. Guides have to be on top of their game and clean up rapidly and safely. West Coast rivers are often high-risk, with steep gradients, wooded banks and cold water. But even warm pool-drop rivers like the Ottawa or the Rouge have the potential for serious harm. “The insurance and the liability claims are on the upswing. The thrills and spills and flips and stuff—that’s going on the back-burner,” said Bruce Reiger, river operations manager for Wilderness Tours on the Ottawa River.

With ten people suddenly in the water, two or three of them are going to be pulled away by the current, and the other guides have to get them. At the company I worked for, Hyak River Rafting of Vancouver, if you flipped you bought beer for all the other guides working that day.

OFF THE RIVER

Guiding is 20-percent river fun and 80-per- cent work. A guide’s day starts long before the first guest arrives. Boats need to be loaded, driven to the put-in and rigged. Anywhere up to 300 guests are checking in, signing waiver

forms, getting their lifejackets, paddles and pos- sibly helmets. Kitchen staff need help prepping lunch. All these tasks are repeated in reverse at the end of the day, and all the work is done by— you guessed it—the guides.

Actual job descriptions vary, depending on whether you’re working for a small or large com- pany. At a small company you’ll do everything from food prep to parking to cleaning buses in addition to your day on the river, and this can mean pretty long hours. A typical day is likely to be a five- to six-hour run down the river, plus two to three hours on land. At a large company running a big “compound” you’re more likely to have a designated second job depending on whatever skills you brought to the company. Off- river work is inevitable and although it may not be what you signed up to do, if you want to guide, you’re gonna do it.

WHY RAFT?

Guiding courses fill with people looking for some kind of change or just looking for cool work outdoors. I’d just finished nine years of service with the Canadian Forces and rafting seemed like a low-stress way to spend the sum- mer, meet some people and learn about the river. Although I’d never gone rafting, I did have my roll and had done just enough paddling to know I needed to learn more.

Jocelyn Dunstan, a.k.a. Jawz, an 18-year-old N’klapkap’muxw native, came from Lytton, B.C., where the Thompson River flows into the Fraser. “My parents, my family and everybody I know lives or works on the Thompson. The river’s part of our lifestyle, with the fishing and everything you just have to be there.” Then there was Sophie, a 22-year-old Quebecois who quickly earned the nickname, “Sophee not Sophie!”

“I did two outdoor trade shows for my old employer in Montreal and right in front of us was a kiosk for a rafting company,” Sophie said, “At a second kiosk another company was looking for guides. I wanted to do something else, and I didn’t want to stay in Quebec so I started looking on the Internet.”

A third student, Brad Braun, 34, a marine electronics technologist, said, “I liked rafting and also I was looking at options. I was tired of my job and wanted to explore something in the outdoors. It was something I had never really done before.”

Interestingly few western guides were there to find a way to be on the river and paddle during their off-time. In fact, among the guides I met, dedicated paddlers were actually a small albeit obvious minority. “Pathetic, isn’t it?” was the only comment of one of the Hyak paddlers who declined to be named. “So many people get into rafting and then don’t go paddling.”

This is not necessarily the case with out East, where most companies are full of paddlers. But if you’re deciding between your regular job and paddling on the weekends versus becoming a guide and living on the river, chances are you won’t paddle any more by becoming a guide. “In July and August I had maybe seven days off,” said Steve Plummer, 31, a senior guide at Esprit Rafting.

Some paddling work is available as safety/video kayakers, or as instructors with some of the larger companies that run paddling schools on the Ottawa. The downside is the small amount of work. Only one safety/video kayaker is needed per trip, and paddlers are usually forced to combine kayaking with guiding to be employed full-time. Only high-end kayakers get the teaching positions.

In six months I met one guide who had signed up in order to paddle. Mark “Freik” Trueman, 30, said, “Rafting’s a great way to make some cash and be on the river. Its not paddling so I don’t get burned out, and it enabled me to take seven months of the year off to go paddling—but then I lived in a van.”

LIFESTYLE: THE PERKS OF BEING A GUIDE

It’s the People—Guiding tends to attract diverse personalities. One guide had dogs he sent to dog psychoanalysts. Another was a former Wall Street executive who took an early retirement (a very early retirement) for a new low-stress life. A third was perhaps the closest thing I’ve seen to a natural born leader—and didn’t seem to know it. These are the people you’re going to live with, share a single shower with, play Ultimate with, eat and party with. You’re going to get close.

“The core that I work with are just phenomenal,” said Steve Plummer. “I know my back’s covered and there’s great camaraderie between the guides. If someone’s hurting, you pick up the slack, and if you’re in bad shape, they’ll cover you.”

The team aspect is also true in the boat as well as in the company. Ginger Korba, 22, said, “Getting your crew together into a team … very few people come with a bad attitude, they all want to be there.” Giving guests a great day on the river often becomes the draw for the more experienced guides. After guiding for over 20 years, Dirk Van Wijk of OWL Rafting said, “Just seeing the level of enjoyment from our customers—that’s the best part for me.”

And you never know who you’re going to meet. One of the most unusual crews I ever had was a youth group from a Vancouver chapter of the Church of Zoroaster, a nearly extinct Middle Eastern church. Rafting was the activity the church elders had chosen for that weekend. Then there was the British tourist who turned out to be a forensic policeman who’d participated in the proceedings against Bosnian Serb war crimi- nals. But none topped the story of 63-year-old Ron Steers of Alberta, who had guided Pierre Trudeau. “He was excellent. A very fine paddler and a very nice guy. It was an honour to be with him for a day.”

Take a break from life—I worked in emergency management in the military, and after Sept 11 there were quite a few times when I could hardly unwind enough to sleep at night. Once I got to guide school and out on the water, I slept like a baby. As 31-year-old Robb Evis said, “After I come off the water, a bomb could go off behind me but I’d hardly care.”

For people reluctant to leave a career, you don’t have to live on the company property and guide every day. The weekend means more customers, and the need for weekend guides. Bruce Reiger said, “We have weekenders who are policemen, lawyers, teachers, doctors—one guide is in charge of ER at a Montreal hospital.” Guiding is a great way to step outside your hectic life, whether for the weekend or the whole summer.

Lookin’ for love—Guests arrive expecting to have a good time with their guide—both on and off the river. As a guide you represent a lifestyle most people would love to have. Add a little fire- light and your chances have never been better. Romance may be the least recognized but most important perk of all, and as one company owner put it, “It’s what keeps them coming back.” As a guide put it, “The job elicits hero- worship…which often leads to romantic implications.”

But romances between guides and clients tend to be short-lived, while more lasting relationships often develop among the guides them- selves where the scales are more balanced.

“I met my boyfriend at guide school,” said Stacey Pepplar, 23. “We’ve been together five years now and have been all over: England, Africa, Austria, India, and now back to Canada…It’s been good.”

THE DOWNSIDE

For first-year guides, the off-river work com- bined with the low financial rewards can be too much, as it was for fellow guide school student Brad Braun: “I didn’t expect to be a peon, and guides seemed replaceable to me. The money was a big issue and I didn’t see myself guiding past the summer anyway.”

Pay rates vary across the country more by region and less by company. For first-year guides, the range is from a low of $55/day (Que.) to a high of $105 (B.C.), with almost all Ontario companies paying in the $60–80 range when the on- and off-river wages are combined. Companies that require you to pay for training also pay more, so overall pay usually works out pretty evenly.

For me, my first paid day was July 7—pretty average among first-year B.C.guides—and my total taxable income for summer came to $3334. Out of that came $1200 for guide school, about $300 in licensing costs, plus my new river-gear. Essentially, I broke even. This is a realistic goal for any first-year guide in Canada. Senior guides can work as many days as they can handle and at higher pay rates, but consider your first sum- mer an investment.

Health issues can also arise for some. Although I gained muscle, guiding can produce repetitive strain injuries. Typical complaints are of shoulder problems from lifting heavy boats and gear, or muscular imbalance from always paddle-guiding on a favourite side. Accidents also happen. I fell off a stack of seven rafts onto a metal boat trailer and spent the next few days limping around at base camp.

NOW HIRING

Across Canada, the major employment opportunities are found on the Ottawa River, on rivers close to Montreal and Quebec, in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta and on the Thompson River of B.C. If you have whitewater experience, whether kayak or canoe, you’re already ahead of the game.

Except for in B.C., most companies train their guides for free, and they’re looking for at least one or even two years of whitewater experience. You’ll also need to be a minimum of 18 years old and have Standard First Aid. Courses like Swiftwater Rescue will help you get selected but aren’t essential as you typically get these certifications during training. Submit your resume early; selection begins February–March to start training sometime in May, and although larger companies might be picking 20 or even 30 peo- ple, they receive hundreds of applications.

In B.C., you’ll have to pay for training, and there are a few companies in the East who also offer a guide school. Paying for training does have some advantages. There probably won’t be more than a dozen people in your school, and companies tend to do the bulk of new hiring from the school’s graduates. As well, schools will be competing for your business. Consequently, I was able to choose the course that I felt would make me an all-round water professional rather than simply being trained to run a section of one river. Courses are typically from 10 to 14 days and cost $500–2000, depending on variables like food, accommodation, and certifications offered. If the guide school doesn’t include swiftwater rescue, count on another $500–600.

Currently, only B.C. is government-regulated, and failure to pass the written or practical exams means the only work you’ll get will be off-river. The other provinces are industry-regulated, which means that once you’ve passed the guide training program and additional requirements like whitewater rescue training or first aid, licensing is mostly a formality. Once you have your license you’re free to move around the industry, but remember that if you change companies, you’re usually starting at the bottom of the seniority list.

Transport Canada is developing a regulatory framework to standardize commercial rafting across Canada. Be sure to check with the companies you’re looking at to find out the latest on the bureaucratic hoop-jumping.

THE FINAL WORD

For me, raft guiding was hearing opera sung live in the company van, meeting a logger who pulled a 500-ton locomotive out of a lake, watching the bright white dot of the International Space Station pass over our island campsite on a two-day trip, and moulding a new crew into a team every day.

It wasn’t about the money. Raft guiding is a lifestyle.

Former naval officer Tris Winfield worked on the Chilliwack and Thompson Rivers and can’t get enough of blow-up boats—he is currently travelling by inflatable kayak in the Venezuelan jungle and will return to raft guiding this summer.

This article first appeared in the Spring 2003 issue of Rapid Magazine.

Boat Review: The Chilco by Seaward Kayaks

Photo: Seaward Kayaks — Boat Review: The Chilco by Seaward Kayaks

Seaward Kayaks has been building touring kayaks for twelve years and keeping with the times in 2002 they are introducing their first multi-chine design, the Chilco. Popularity of multi-chine designs is based on the fact this style of hull allows a compromise between the speed of a rounded bottom kayak and the increased stability, superior tracking and greater manoeuvrability of a single hard-chine design. Add a low profile deck and some clever outfitting and the new Chilco by Seaward is a great addition to their existing line of round bottomed expedition boats.

The Chilco is based on the Seaward Ascente and from a distance it is difficult to tell them apart. The Chilco is 18.5 feet long, 22.5 inches wide and available in depths of 12 inches or the higher volume 13 inches. The Chilco’s multi-chine design with a shallow V and long waterline makes this a boat that accelerates well and carries decent speed. The shallow V and low rocker also make for good tracking. The hard chines and a quick tilt are excellent for small changes in direction. The Chilco doesn’t carve an arc, it holds its edge and continues on course requiring further strokes to complete a full turn.

Because of the superb tracking, many of those who paddled the Chilco did not find it necessary to engage with the proven Seaward rudder system. Those who did found Seaward Kayak’s smartRUDDER foot pedals are braced solidly, with the rudder being controlled by tilting the pedals forward similar to the accelerator in a car instead of the more typical sliding action. We think this is a step above the traditional sliding system because it provides solid pedals for correction strokes and rolling while maintaining foot operated rudder control. The tilting pedals do, however, take some getting used to especially for paddlers with smaller feet who had to lift their heels to title the pedals forward.

The attention to detail on the outfitting on the Chilco is excellent. The composite hatch covers and neoprene gaskets are tethered by bungle cords to prevent loss. The fastening system of the cover is quick and simple – set it in place and criss-cross the cover with bungy cords.Seaward’s Self-Rescue System adds more rigidity than simply sliding your paddle under the stern bungy deck rigging when performing a paddle float self rescue; and new quick release straps make it easier to disengage the paddle once back in the boat. Instead of molding a seat from fibreglass and bolting it in place, Seaward contours a piece of foam and places it in a nylon shell. In a pinch, the seat can be removed from the boat and used as an emergency paddle float. Add to this setup the low wrap around backrest and the Chilco becomes one of the most nicely outfitted kayaks we’ve paddled.

Specs

Length: 18.5 ft
Width: 22.5 in
Weight: 56 lbs
Cockpit: 16×31 in
Bow: 72 litres
Stern: 122 litres
Total: 374 litres
SRP: $3460 fibreglass, $4050 kevlar

This article first appeared in the Spring 2002 issue of Adventure Kayak magazine. For more boat reviews, subscribe to Adventure Kayak’s print and digital editions here.

Boat Review: The Cortez by Dagger

Photo: Dagger — Boat Review: The Cortez by Dagger

The Cortez is Dagger’s highest performance polyethylene touring boat. The Cortez is sixteen and a half feet long with a narrow softly multi-chined hull. The deep hull is topped with a slightly rounded deck with little rise in the bow or stern giving the boat an overall pleasing but sausage-like like.

A rudder is standard, along with full deck rigging of thick stout lines. The carrying toggles are burly, comfortable pieces with a clever bungy system to keep the bow toggle tightly retracted against the deck when not in use. This prevents that annoying rattle during transport or in crashing waves.

The compartments store considerably large amounts of gear. One-piece, Sure-Seal rubber hath covers roll on easily and keep water out. The narrow hull allows for only a small hatch in the bow. Anything bulkier than a 5 litre drybag will have to go in the larger stern hatch. The bulkheads are welded plastic and proved to be solid and dry.

Boat performance

Climbing into the Cortez, we note the large comfortable seat. Our bigger paddlers loved the roomy fit but some of the smaller paddlers would build up the hip area and add foam to the thighbraces. The adjustable backband is attached to the boat independently from the seat but doesn’t tighten forward enough to provide maximum lumbar support in an upright seating position. The cockpit is very long allowing for easy entry and exit but also contributes to an awkward forward placement of the thighbraces that take a little getting used too. The rudder cables run close to the leg area, noticeably coming in contact with the legs when working the rudder.

When putting the boat on the water it feels tippy or unstable initially. Paddlers used to wider kayaks may find getting into the Cortez is a little tricky requiring careful balance at first. Fear not, the wobbly initial stability quickly blends with rock solid secondary stability. With a moderate tilt of thirty degrees or so the boat stabilizes comfortably. But don’t stop there…the deep multi-chine hull allows you to confidently tilt the Cortez almost completely on its side making it feel extremely playful. The multi-chined hull reacts incredibly quickly to its tilts. When tilted it spins quickly—responding effortlessly to sweeps. This is by far one of the fastest turning boats of its class. Under power the Cortez carves through turns on both inside and outside tilts making for outstanding performance. Remarkably, the turning performance does not compromise the speed of the boat making it easily the fastest in Dagger’s plastic fleet.

The quick, playful performance comes at a cost to tracking ability. The Cortez weather-cocks almost instantly in the slightest quartering breeze. The weather cocking or turning into the wind is caused by a lack of lateral resistance at the trialing end of the hull—the same lack of resistance that lets the boat turn so quickly. Dagger went out on a limb with this design creating a boat that would always be equipped with a rudder. This way designers could concentrate on an alternate hull formation that performs as a non-tracking sporty day tripper with the rudder up and as a load bearing cargo hauler with the rudder down. The rudder deploys easily with a firm tug and instantly prevents weather-cocking. The rudder stows easily, retracting into a molded groove on the deck. The pedals operate smoothly and run freely on the standard adjustable sliders.

Dagger stepped out of the mold with the hull design of the Cortez. They’ve produced a sporty plastic boat that holds its own as a day tripper, wave surfer, and multi-day touring boat. Dagger markets the Cortez to intermediate and advanced paddlers but it should not be overlooked by the ambitious novice who sometimes prefers to play with tilts and strokes rather than rudders.

Specs

Length: 16 ft 6 in
Width: 21.625 in
Weight rotomold: 54 lbs
Cockpit: 19 x 34 in
Rear hatch: 17 x 12 in
Forward hatch: 10 in round
MSRP: $1,995

This article first appeared in the Summer 2001 issue of Adventure Kayak magazine. For more boat reviews, subscribe to Adventure Kayak’s print and digital editions here.

Boat Review: Riot Groove C1

Photo courtesy Riot — Boat Review: Riot Groove C1

In 1994 while most of us were paddling displacement hull kayaks Ian Thomson and Paul Danks set out on a long drive to Florida fantasizing about and scribbling designs of a boat that could do more than ever before. They wanted it to be a C1 for the advantage of leverage and the total lack of C1 designs on the market. Four glass prototypes later the C1 Groove revolutionized paddling forever. Thomson and Danks pioneered the distinct planing disk, the clean release principal, hull concavity and the foil or airplane shaped deck coined new moves such as the green grind and the counter clock wheel (cartwheeling towards the pile). Now, seven years later, Corran Addison at Riot has tweaked the original shape slightly and the plastic C1 Groove sits among Riot’s concept prototypes.

What did we think of the Riot prototype? The most incredible plastic C1 ever built! The Groove measures in at 7’9”, is incredibly stable and has a familiar asymmetrical C1 feel. The cockpit is a true C1 racing shape, supporting your lower legs with the top of the deck, ah the good old days. Going from converted kayaks back to a real C1 is a revelation in stability – it’s like it’s supposed to be when you’re sitting seven inches off the water. The hull is twenty-nine inches wide at your hips, producing a planing surface that is almost three feet long and two feet wide. Remember riding those Flying Saucer toboggans? That’s the Groove on a wave, get it going down hill and hold on until you’re dizzy. The Groove has very little rocker and a long water line make it the fastest boat I’ve paddled in years. I enjoyed the simple pleasure of smoking past kayakers on the flats between sets. On a short, steep wave you need to keep this long, fast boat carving or spinning to avoid burying the bow and wide stern. At 165 pounds, I found ends in a hole and on flatwater to be no problem, incredible fast but less stable and smooth than newer kayak designs with more cockpit volume and more symmetrical hull shapes.

Coming from paddling converted kayaks it was pleasing to experience the characteristics that different a yak from a true C1. The Groove is a fast, stable, traditional feeling C1 that spins like a top. The market potential for C1’s is small and whether or not Riot will produce a plastic Groove is unknown. The Groove was so far ahead of its time that even seven years later, if released, it would be the hottest production C1 on any river. If they build it, people will come.

This article first appeared in the Early Summer 2005 issue of Rapid Magazine. For more great boat reviews, subscribe to Rapid’s print and digital editions here.

Single Post BG Template – Background Position Top – How To Rescue A Kayak In Whitewater

Everybody swims—it’s part of the sport, and whitewater kayaking is more of a team activity than we may credit it for. You want to strive to be a strong teammate on the river and know others have your back too. Among essential rescue techniques is the ability to wrangle a friend’s boat, and here to help is Simon Coward, owner of AQ Outdoors (AQ Outdoors is a paddling shop and school with locations in Calgary and Edmonton). The following is a transcript of Coward’s kayak rescue method of choice.

paddling out of the eddy to reach the kayak in the rapid — Timing your rescue to meet the kayak at the bottom of a rapid. | Image: AQ Outdoors

How to perform an effective kayak rescue in whitewater

Side-by-side-by-side creekboat comparison from AQ Outdoors.

3 Top Creekboats Go Head-To-Head

Simon here from AQ Outdoors, just checking in with a little tutorial on some best practices and the easiest ways to rescue kayaks. Over the last 20-odd years of teaching and such I’ve made lots of mistakes, I’ve learned from others, and I’ve seen others make mistakes, and some do really great rescues.

Basics of rescuing a kayak

This is very much about how to keep it as simple as possible. We’re going to start in flatwater how we might address this. My personal preference is to not clip the boat and to get the boat upright as soon as possible. If I get the boat upright and it has float bags in it, it’s much easier to manipulate—whether you’re clipping it, pushing it or bumping it. Ideally we want the boat upright and empty. It’s very easy to rescue at that point but you don’t always get that good of a bounce, well we usually don’t because people are usually upside down.

[ Paddling Trip Guide: View classes at AQ Outdoors ]

After someone swims, the boat is going to be upside down and have a bit of water in it, right, so with this, the most common way I see people try and right the boat is essentially to lean across, grab the gunnel on the other side, push down with this hand and right the kayak. And that works, however, once you get into moving water and it’s a bit more dynamic, that becomes a lot harder. Especially with larger boats and smaller people, it becomes very difficult.

man demonstrates how to perform a kayak rescue in whitewater — Simon Coward’s chosen method of righting a kayak. | Feature image: AQ Outdoors

A straightforward rescue technique

My preferred way of righting the boat if it is upside down, is just essentially to get alongside it, grab the inside gunnel, and slowly start to right it. Then, I lean away and push away. This way I actually have contact with my paddle the whole time—I don’t have to let go of it. And, it’s very quick and very easy to get the boat back upright again. Now we have a kayak, presuming there are float bags in the back, that’s very easy to push and manipulate and move around. It’s not always going to cooperate, sometimes it’s going to flip back over again.

So, super simple: get alongside it, grab, lean away, push the gunnel away, the boat’s right again and you’re off to the races.

directing the kayak while performing a rescue — A final push to right a fellow paddler’s kayak. | Image: AQ Outdoors

Rescuing a kayak in whitewater

Okay so I’m presuming I’m running safety at the bottom of this little drop. We’ve got our swimmer out, and this boat’s coming down. The first thing to think about is timing. When am I going to go out and get myself to the boat? I pop out [of the eddy] and I get alongside it. Now I’m going to grab the inside of the kayak and then push. I can spin it [the direction I want it to go] then I push the boat [toward shore]. It’s going to spin. It almost flipped there but there’s not that much water in it so it stayed upright.

Comparison of the Pyranha Ripper 2, Jackson Antix 2.0 and Dagger Rewind half-slice kayaks.

Comparing Three Of The Best Half Slice Kayaks On The Water Today (Video)

I haven’t had to clip the boat at all. So if there were any hazards I’m not at risk of flipping over and getting hung up. Basically I’ve got the boat to shore very quickly, very simply. Now I can get out, and I can empty the water out off the kayak and we can get the paddler back going again.

[ Paddling Buyer’s Guide: View kayaks at AQ Outdoors ]

That’s it, a quick and simple way to rescue a whitewater kayak that doesn’t have a rider anymore. Obviously, it’s ideal that there are float bags in the back, but this method doesn’t require you to let go of your paddle. It doesn’t require you to clip onto the boat. It’s a quick flip push get it into the eddy and you’re off to the races.

AQ Outdoors offers retail and kayak instruction in Calgary and Edmonton. Learn more about their school and stores at AQOutdoors.com.

Simon Coward’s chosen method of righting a kayak. | Feature image: AQ Outdoors

Single Post BG Template – Background Position Bottom – How To Rescue A Kayak In Whitewater

Everybody swims—it’s part of the sport, and whitewater kayaking is more of a team activity than we may credit it for. You want to strive to be a strong teammate on the river and know others have your back too. Among essential rescue techniques is the ability to wrangle a friend’s boat, and here to help is Simon Coward, owner of AQ Outdoors (AQ Outdoors is a paddling shop and school with locations in Calgary and Edmonton). The following is a transcript of Coward’s kayak rescue method of choice.

How to perform an effective kayak rescue in whitewater

3 Top Creekboats Go Head-To-Head

Simon here from AQ Outdoors, just checking in with a little tutorial on some best practices and the easiest ways to rescue kayaks. Over the last 20-odd years of teaching and such I’ve made lots of mistakes, I’ve learned from others, and I’ve seen others make mistakes, and some do really great rescues.

Basics of rescuing a kayak

This is very much about how to keep it as simple as possible. We’re going to start in flatwater how we might address this. My personal preference is to not clip the boat and to get the boat upright as soon as possible. If I get the boat upright and it has float bags in it, it’s much easier to manipulate—whether you’re clipping it, pushing it or bumping it. Ideally we want the boat upright and empty. It’s very easy to rescue at that point but you don’t always get that good of a bounce, well we usually don’t because people are usually upside down.

[ Paddling Trip Guide: View classes at AQ Outdoors ]

After someone swims, the boat is going to be upside down and have a bit of water in it, right, so with this, the most common way I see people try and right the boat is essentially to lean across, grab the gunnel on the other side, push down with this hand and right the kayak. And that works, however, once you get into moving water and it’s a bit more dynamic, that becomes a lot harder. Especially with larger boats and smaller people, it becomes very difficult.

A straightforward rescue technique

My preferred way of righting the boat if it is upside down, is just essentially to get alongside it, grab the inside gunnel, and slowly start to right it. Then, I lean away and push away. This way I actually have contact with my paddle the whole time—I don’t have to let go of it. And, it’s very quick and very easy to get the boat back upright again. Now we have a kayak, presuming there are float bags in the back, that’s very easy to push and manipulate and move around. It’s not always going to cooperate, sometimes it’s going to flip back over again.

So, super simple: get alongside it, grab, lean away, push the gunnel away, the boat’s right again and you’re off to the races.

Rescuing a kayak in whitewater

Okay so I’m presuming I’m running safety at the bottom of this little drop. We’ve got our swimmer out, and this boat’s coming down. The first thing to think about is timing. When am I going to go out and get myself to the boat? I pop out [of the eddy] and I get alongside it. Now I’m going to grab the inside of the kayak and then push. I can spin it [the direction I want it to go] then I push the boat [toward shore]. It’s going to spin. It almost flipped there but there’s not that much water in it so it stayed upright.

Comparing Three Of The Best Half Slice Kayaks On The Water Today (Video)

I haven’t had to clip the boat at all. So if there were any hazards I’m not at risk of flipping over and getting hung up. Basically I’ve got the boat to shore very quickly, very simply. Now I can get out, and I can empty the water out off the kayak and we can get the paddler back going again.

[ Paddling Buyer’s Guide: View kayaks at AQ Outdoors ]

That’s it, a quick and simple way to rescue a whitewater kayak that doesn’t have a rider anymore. Obviously, it’s ideal that there are float bags in the back, but this method doesn’t require you to let go of your paddle. It doesn’t require you to clip onto the boat. It’s a quick flip push get it into the eddy and you’re off to the races.

AQ Outdoors offers retail and kayak instruction in Calgary and Edmonton. Learn more about their school and stores at AQOutdoors.com.

Simon Coward’s chosen method of righting a kayak. | Feature image: AQ Outdoors

Style 5 – How To Rescue A Kayak In Whitewater

Everybody swims—it’s part of the sport, and whitewater kayaking is more of a team activity than we may credit it for. You want to strive to be a strong teammate on the river and know others have your back too. Among essential rescue techniques is the ability to wrangle a friend’s boat, and here to help is Simon Coward, owner of AQ Outdoors (AQ Outdoors is a paddling shop and school with locations in Calgary and Edmonton). The following is a transcript of Coward’s kayak rescue method of choice.

How to perform an effective kayak rescue in whitewater

3 Top Creekboats Go Head-To-Head

Simon here from AQ Outdoors, just checking in with a little tutorial on some best practices and the easiest ways to rescue kayaks. Over the last 20-odd years of teaching and such I’ve made lots of mistakes, I’ve learned from others, and I’ve seen others make mistakes, and some do really great rescues.

Basics of rescuing a kayak

This is very much about how to keep it as simple as possible. We’re going to start in flatwater how we might address this. My personal preference is to not clip the boat and to get the boat upright as soon as possible. If I get the boat upright and it has float bags in it, it’s much easier to manipulate—whether you’re clipping it, pushing it or bumping it. Ideally we want the boat upright and empty. It’s very easy to rescue at that point but you don’t always get that good of a bounce, well we usually don’t because people are usually upside down.

[ Paddling Trip Guide: View classes at AQ Outdoors ]

After someone swims, the boat is going to be upside down and have a bit of water in it, right, so with this, the most common way I see people try and right the boat is essentially to lean across, grab the gunnel on the other side, push down with this hand and right the kayak. And that works, however, once you get into moving water and it’s a bit more dynamic, that becomes a lot harder. Especially with larger boats and smaller people, it becomes very difficult.

A straightforward rescue technique

My preferred way of righting the boat if it is upside down, is just essentially to get alongside it, grab the inside gunnel, and slowly start to right it. Then, I lean away and push away. This way I actually have contact with my paddle the whole time—I don’t have to let go of it. And, it’s very quick and very easy to get the boat back upright again. Now we have a kayak, presuming there are float bags in the back, that’s very easy to push and manipulate and move around. It’s not always going to cooperate, sometimes it’s going to flip back over again.

So, super simple: get alongside it, grab, lean away, push the gunnel away, the boat’s right again and you’re off to the races.

Rescuing a kayak in whitewater

Okay so I’m presuming I’m running safety at the bottom of this little drop. We’ve got our swimmer out, and this boat’s coming down. The first thing to think about is timing. When am I going to go out and get myself to the boat? I pop out [of the eddy] and I get alongside it. Now I’m going to grab the inside of the kayak and then push. I can spin it [the direction I want it to go] then I push the boat [toward shore]. It’s going to spin. It almost flipped there but there’s not that much water in it so it stayed upright.

Comparing Three Of The Best Half Slice Kayaks On The Water Today (Video)

I haven’t had to clip the boat at all. So if there were any hazards I’m not at risk of flipping over and getting hung up. Basically I’ve got the boat to shore very quickly, very simply. Now I can get out, and I can empty the water out off the kayak and we can get the paddler back going again.

[ Paddling Buyer’s Guide: View kayaks at AQ Outdoors ]

That’s it, a quick and simple way to rescue a whitewater kayak that doesn’t have a rider anymore. Obviously, it’s ideal that there are float bags in the back, but this method doesn’t require you to let go of your paddle. It doesn’t require you to clip onto the boat. It’s a quick flip push get it into the eddy and you’re off to the races.

AQ Outdoors offers retail and kayak instruction in Calgary and Edmonton. Learn more about their school and stores at AQOutdoors.com.

Simon Coward’s chosen method of righting a kayak. | Feature image: AQ Outdoors

Esquif Detonator Specs

Length: 10’

Beam: 28”

Gunwale: 24”

Bow/stern depth: 23”

Centre depth: 17”

Bow rocker: 5”

Stern rocker: 6.5”

Weight: 46 lbs

Material: Royalex

Hull design: asymmetric

MSRP CAD: $1200 for shell

The bottom line

The hull story

The final word

Specs

ON THE RIVER

OFF THE RIVER

WHY RAFT?

LIFESTYLE: THE PERKS OF BEING A GUIDE

THE DOWNSIDE

NOW HIRING

THE FINAL WORD

Boat performance

Specs

How to perform an effective kayak rescue in whitewater

Basics of rescuing a kayak

A straightforward rescue technique

Rescuing a kayak in whitewater

How to perform an effective kayak rescue in whitewater

Basics of rescuing a kayak

A straightforward rescue technique

Rescuing a kayak in whitewater

How to perform an effective kayak rescue in whitewater

Basics of rescuing a kayak

A straightforward rescue technique

Rescuing a kayak in whitewater