20 Best Whitewater Kayak For Beginners (2023 Updated)

I’ve used this thing about 4 times now. I love it. Is it perfect? No. Does it have flaws? Yes. The seat is ok but after an hour it starts to irritate the sciatic nerve if you have sciatica. But luckily you can improve the seating.

The wood that it comes with actually has holes drilled in it so you can install an actual boat seat. Also I’d highly suggest purchasing an actual electric pump. The foot one that it comes with is annoying but it works.

It usually takes me about 5 minutes to inflate but deflating is a pain. I can never get all the air out. You’ll have to fully deflate it if you want it to fit in the carrying bag that it comes with. The material is actually really good.

I’ve had it on concrete and it doesn’t seem to harm the material. That’s really my only complaints about the boat. I give it 4 out of 5. I get a lot of compliments on it actually. Go get you a sea eagle pack fish.

I don’t think you’ll regret it.

I ordered this Boat because my wife loves to kayak and normally that is a one person activity. I wanted to share in her love of the sport, But I am a short (5’7″)and quite stout guy (300+ lbs). I got the 3 person boat because I read in other reviews that people felt cramped in the 2 person boat and I wanted to be able to carry more things on the boat if I wanted to without worrying about the weight.

My wife and I went to a local lake to try it out and spent 4 hours just having a great time! We are planning more trips and plan to take this with us during our vacations in case we find a place to kayak.

It folds up small enough to bring with us as we travel in an SUV. If traveling in a car you may have to give up some space for it, but for us, it won’t be a problem. It took me 10-15 minutes to set up by myself and we carried it to the water, climbed in and set off.

I had to adjust the seats for my bigger frame but it was quite comfortable. I had room to stretch out my legs, but I could see where the smaller craft would seem too small. I’m not sure I would put three people in this boat and it only comes with two seats anyway.

It would be possible to have three but you would have to sit with your feet crossed, which on a lake requires a lot of paddling. Perhaps on a river three could sit like that since it wouldn’t require as much paddling.

The boat tracks well because of the fins on the back. We tried a different and bigger boat and the back end kept wanting to slide so it was hard to steer. Either one of us could paddle alone and still keep us moving along, and when we both paddled we got up some good speed.

This boat is 1 1/2 feet longer than it’s 2 person version and weighs only a few pounds more so I chose this one. The Price was great too. My wife has a 1 person plastic kayak and we paid almost as much for that one, and it was on sale.

After the lake we let out the air and brought it home to wash it down and dry it out, before putting it back in the bag, but you could certainly let it dry with a couple of hours in the sun after the ride, but we wanted to be careful.

The boat feels sturdy and is made with a thick material. Some people said in their review that they felt like tipping was an issue. I could understand that because I felt that especially at first but as we continued to paddle around I felt more confident in not tipping.

This was a larger lake and people were using jet skis and ski boats so there was some waves and we never came close to tipping over. Also the seats are comfortable when you adjust them to the way you wantto sit inside the boat.

You can sit perfectly upright or leaned back, which was a more comfortable position for me. As per someone’s suggestion I inflated this boat in my living room first to check for any leaks, and there were none but it was good to do anyway.

I hope this review is helpful for those thinking about buying this or deciding between this and it’s smaller version.

Set up the kayak in our living room to see how it is done before taking it out on the water. Didn’t want to make a fool of myself in front of people where we will launch. The setup was fairly easy. The only problem I had was with the retaining rings on the valves.

I broke two of them trying to slip them on to the base of the valve. I also had a leak iin one of the valves in the seat. Think I corrected that problem. The kayak is easy to inflate. It took me 260 strokes on the pump to completely inflate all the chambers.

If you are looking for a kayak, I would recommend the 370. There is plenty of room for 2 people and gear.

I had placed an order with NRS for two Star Raven inflatable kayaks, paddles and a rowing frame and oars for my NRS raft. In October 2021, the shipped me the paddles and frame but now kayaks or oars.

Obviously this did no good since I couldn’t raft without the oars or kayak without the kayaks. In January, I called NRS and they told me the kayaks would not be in until October 2022. I live an hour and half from NRS so I thought that dealing with the factory would be best.

NRS suggested that I look online for this equipment. I found CKS and ordered the rafts and oars and to my surprise they were shipped the very next day and I received them in 2 days from order. I have nothing but good things to say about CKS and highly recommend them.

For the price, this boat is awesome! Dropstich floor means you can stand up and use it as a SUP in mellow water, which is really nice on multi day trips where you can be sitting in water for a long period of time.

They improved the floor and added some cut aways areas to help the boat drain faster, much better design then the previous modle. If you are looking for a boat that works well for 2 large adults to run class IIIs together, I would consider a different boat.

My wife and I fit well in this running class IIIs but I am 5’6″ and she is 5’2″. Two big adults can fit, but it will drain much slower and be easier to flip in big waves, which is fun to. This boat is really perfect for a single person on a multi day trip, you can load it with gear and still have plenty of control.

My wife and I both paddle a tandum on our own for multi day trips or when the water is high and we want to rip it. If you are going to paddle big water, I recomend getting thigh straps and making a foot brace, you can just stuff a dry bag full of pool noodles to save a few bucks.

All in all, a great boat. I recomend it over the Tributary counter part, unless you are two large and heavy adults. Its a lot more maneuverable then the Tributary boat in the same price range.

This is my first inflatable so I don’t have much to compare to. It is far more stable than any of my other hard shell kayaks or canoes. I’ve had it out on flat water to class 2 rapids and it does well on both although it is more suited for the rapids.

I’ve run it solo as well as tandem plus a 75lb dog and day gear for a total of about 425 to 450lbs. I wouldn’t want to take it on rapids with that much weight though. I’ve used it about half a dozen times so far and had plenty of scrapes against rocks with minimal wear.

It is a little cramped for two adults paddling but it works well if you can stay synchronized and don’t have to make a lot of corrections. An undersized paddle helps. I’m 5’10” and while I can’t straighten my legs in the back, it is roomy enough to adjust my legs to stay comfortable.

More D-rings would be nice for securing gear but I can always add those. One reason I chose this over other kayaks was the interior width is better suited for a large ice chest or drybox for camping.

The Wilderness Aspire 105 has been great. The package came with a basic paddle which I’ve upgraded to a carbon fiber but the Aspire itself handles quite well in the windy, somewhat rough conditions we experience here in Oklahoma.

With the adjustable skeg, it tracks straight and true although I’ve only used it a couple times as the Aspire really tracks well anyway. The Aspire seems to be quite stable on the water, not “tippy” at all.

The seat system is quite comfortable and the cockpit very, very roomy. I don’t intend to fish out of it but could see how you could very easily with the room. In fact, for my use, it’s almost too much and I’m a bigger guy, 6’3″, 200 lb.

The storage is adequate but it doesn’t seal water tight. I received the Aspire with a broken adjustable foot brace rail and am still waiting for the replacement from Wilderness Systems but have taken it out numerous times and enjoyed it anyway with minimal problem due to the rail.

I would recommend the Wilderness Systems Aspire 105 to anyone looking for a stable recreational/fishing kayak.

Great boats! The Aspires have a very large , comfortable cockpit area with plenty of room for a paddler and our four-legged 40# paddle buddy. We look forward to getting on the water. Cedar Creek was very easy to work with.

Good selection, fast delivery and the carrier provided excellent communication during shipment. Cedar Creek offers all this for a fair price. Thank you!.

They kept me informed of processing my kayak order and delivery. My kayak arrived in a reasonably short period of time, and was in perfect condition. The videos that ARC published of the process for receiving freight shipments was helpful.

If definitely buy from them again.

We bought two kayaks. We love how they can be easily adjusted to accommodate one person or two. We go down river often and out in the lakes. We set them so that my husband and I can each ride individually.

And when our daughter and her husband join us we can easily set them up as a two person. As a note, my husband is a tall man a bit under 300 pounds – he sits in the back with me up front. The kayak is easy for us to navigate as it is for our daughter and husband who are both tall and slender.

My husband and I have had our 5 year old grandson join us in one kayak. We all had a great time. The kayaks are easy to steer in whitewater and flat. They move easily along rocks, downed trees and other obstacles in the water.

We bought an electric pump that allows us to set the fill psi and they filled easily. The paddles work well and the seats are very comfortable – we are impressed with how easily they are to adjust. It comes with a removable tracking fin- not a skeg.

From the back of the SUV to complete set up and in the water was under 10 minutes. The boat is light to carry – one person can easily carry it inflated or not. When back on shore, the kayak is easy to deflate and return home.

To dry them we simply drape over the SUV and then turn over the next morning. To be extra careful before final storage my husband uses a paper towel to hand dry. The storage bag fits everything back in readily.

We highly recommend.

I’ve paddled this kayak on the ocean in Hawaii, on the Puget Sound, on a couple of lakes in the Oregon Cascades and on the Columbia River. It has handled great every time. Plus, I’ve managed to get the boat and all its gear back into the carry bag each time, too.

One great feature that Driftsun doesn’t point out is that the carry bag is within the typical airline dimensions and weight limit for a checked bag. This has made travel with my kayak super convenient.

As for paddling, no, it doesn’t glide like a rigid sit inside boat, but it does handle surprisingly well and is fun to paddle. Conversion for one-person paddling and back again is super quick and easy.

The boat moves right along when I paddle alone. As for construction, I am very pleased. The boat and fittings are solid. The drop-stitch floor really makes this kayak perform. The paddles are much better than I expected them to be.

They have loosened up a little bit over time, especially at the blade to shaft joint, but the paddles still feel solid overall. I initially expected that I would be looking to upgrade the paddles, but I’m not feeling the need to do so at this point.

The seats are the best I’ve ever used in an inflatable boat, and they are more comfortable than those in many rigid boats–a big thumbs up! The weakest thing in the whole package, in my opinion, is the carry bag itself.

While mine is holding up just fine thus far, I do baby it by wrapping the ends of the paddle shaft pieces with cardboard to prevent the aluminum from chafing against the bag’s fabric. It’s a very minor thing.

I am very pleased with my Driftsun Rover 220, and I expect it will easily deliver many more years of great service.

Nice kayak for the money. Super easy to set up. Takes maybe 10 minutes to unload, pump up, attach seat and put it in the water. EVERYTHING, including the pump, seat, paddle and kayak easily fit in the tote.

The tote is HUGE! The pump has a gage so it’s easy to see when the sides and floor are full. The only reason that I gave this a 4 instead of a 5 is the skeg, or fin. It’s not easy to get in or take out.

It has a clip to hold it in place but you have to squeeze it together to remove it and its difficult to do one handed while your holding the kayak out of the water. Also the plate on the bottom that holds the skeg isn’t flat like my other inflatable, so even after removing the fin and taking it out of the water it got pretty scratched up.

This one also comes with self-bailing holes for white water but you can close them for flat water, which makes these the best of both worlds. And the caps for the self bailing holes are attached so you don’t have to worry about losing them! I also like how portable and easy these are to throw in the car and take off.

I can load, unload and set up all by myself, which I couldn’t do with a hard-shell. Another perk is this one is lightweight. It weighs under 25 pounds with the seat attached. This is not a glorified pool toy! If your limited on space, or you want something super easy to use.

get an inflatable! You won’t be disappointed.

After following Biote for years I finally pulled the trigger on an inflatable then sat back in anticipation for the wait. Shipping was quicker than anticipated, so last week we were able to do a test set up.

and that’s when realities set in. – Qwners manual is made up of cards, is very sturdy and seems weather resistant. It also appeared into be missing pages. – There were no instructions for the paddles.

They’re adjustable but provide no guidance on the adjustments. – The MAGNEPOD is a joke. For a tandem kayak there’s only one. and with both seats in not only does the front position not have a MAGNEPOD, the front seat obstructs the single MAGNEPOD.

– The carry bag arrived with a broken buckle on one of the compression straps. Contacted customer service about everything except the paddles and a new bag was shipped the next day. The apparently incomplete manual and the useless placement of the MAGNEPOD were no even acknowledged by customer service.

First Float : Yesterday we took it out for the first time, floating the Deschutes with the kids in tubes. The setup went well, really glad we did a dry run previously. On the water we definitely felt the wind moving us around like any sit on top kayak.

One surprise was when we grounded the bow on a rock. while the inflated kayak is plenty firm and sturdy, when it comes to rocking off an obstruction the little bit of flex present made it difficult. I wouldn’t call this a flaw so much as a characteristic of an inflatable that I didn’t anticipate.

We even managed to dump ourselves at one point. Other than the Kula and it’s rack, everything stayed in the boat and the self bailing worked like a charm. Overall I think we’re going to get a lot of fun use.

and the glaring design flaw with the useless MAGNEPOD (Seriously Bote?. always thought that design was one of your hallmarks!) will be there peeking out from under the front seat each time.

I made this purchase after deciding that a SUP on certain rivers wasn’t as safe as I would like, or safe enough for my doggo adventure companion. I’m 41 years old, have had more surgeries than I can count, have a full spinal fusion and all of this limits my kayaking possibilities.

I was very nervous about making the investment as I wasn’t sure my physical limitations would allow me to sit on this seat and kayak. There wasn’t a local dealer to view and sit before buying either.

After making the purchase I was sick for days wondering if I made a mistake. As soon as the package arrived I inflated the gear and sat down. I cannot stress enough the quality of this kayak! It’s made of hard core river raft material, and eased my mind.

I didn’t want puppy toe nails to damage it, or end up with poor quality for a higher price. The colors are vibrant and beautiful, and also very visible to any motor boats headed your way. The first day out I was awestruck by the stability, control, ease of use, and most importantly it was so comfy.

Normally my legs fall asleep due to my poor range of motion and it hurts to paddle a typical kayak. I took my dog out the next trip and she is a ball of energy! She was jumping at bugs, falling into the water to chase birds, and she fell in (due to her own shenanigans) 14 times.

I had no issues whatsoever. It was her first time out on the water and there were times I couldn’t take my intended route because she was all over the place. Despite going over rocks, downed trees, and some serious eddies, we were stable.

It was easy to pull Pepper back into the Bote after her falls without having to counter balance the weight. I chatted with a Bote rep before my order to ensure I was purchasing the correct equipment for my physical needs and riding conditions.

Their staff was extremely professional, and saw to my every need. They have an amazing chat feature on their website and the “choose your water craft” feature is much appreciated. If you are looking for a quality piece of equipment to adventure with look no further.

Bote is what is to come in future kayaking and SUPing, in my opinion. I not only ordered the Zepplin but also got a free paddle, a magnapod bottle, a hard kula cooler, the rack system and of course stickers and a tank top.

My rack system showed up with a damaged box in shipping. I called Bote and spoke with a rep while I opened the box to ensure nothing was damaged. The rack was in perfect condition but my tank and stickers were not in the box with my magnapod bottle.

The next day my lost goods were on my doorstep. I was originally very skeptical of making such a large online purchase without seeing the product first. This company has genuine people working for them, great customer service, and the quality of their products is exceptional! Way to go Bote, keep up the good work!!!! #fanforlife #everythingbutthewater.

I have dealt with a variety of kayaks, inflatables, etc and I have to say this so far has been the best experience so far. The shipping was very fast (ordered a kayak a week before this one from a competitor and still hasnt been shipped) and everything arrived in great condition.

I was VERY nervous when I saw they use FedEX over UPS, but fortunately everything arrived as expected. The box containing the paddle was beat up but the paddle was just fine inside. Anyway, the one we purchased had one seat (need to purchase a second separately) but honestly I dont think I would ever purchase another seat as they just arent needed.

I can stand (prefer it) while the wife sits in the chair and my two kids pretty much chill anywhere on this thing. It is incredibly stable and tracking is great, I can maneuver this with ease. It is lightweight but not too light that it becomes an issue in terms of performance.

I use in lakes big and small but soon planning a trip to the coast so I can drift in the salt. I could go on forever about this thing but I dont have the time got to get back out in the water.

Good product, seems sturdy enough. It is more sit on top than most inflatables, but I like the less flexible, more secure floor. I got a better quality hand pump in the pack rather than the foot pump displayed which is a bonus.

Althouh I find it easer to use the manometer on its own as a check, or to connect it for the last few pumps, as it is a fiddle. Very easy and intuitive to pump up. Not as over wide as some inflatables, but wider than most rigid kayaks.

Worth the extra compared to the Betta. Need to buy your paddle separately, the ones they give free are usually hopeless any way. I Could do with some thing dedicated to secure a camera, spare rod etc to, but will get around that using the metal seat attachment rings.

I dont write reviews but this kayak warrants one. The construction, fit and finish are all of good standard. The real selling point for me was the drop-stitched floor. It makes the whole craft almost completely rigid and sets it apart from the traditional inflatable which feel, to me, like a childrens blow up dingy.

Im impressed with how well it tracks straight and true even with just one skeg attached. I like how this one is not fabric covered – look at how some of the other brands have a material over the bladders.

Thats takes much longer to dry. This one does not. I come from a background of paddling normal sit in kayaks for over 10 years. Ive instructed kayaking and canoeing. Do not expect the same control and speed of a plastic boat – but for the conveniences the Aqua Marina 312 is a good buy.

Make sure you dont pay any more than 300.

I have a 9 footer and love it. Decided to buy an 8 footer for when someone that doesn’t have a kayak wants to go down the river. The way the seat snaps to stay up is with a two piece plastic that does not hold up.

It has broken numerous times and of course when this happens the piece falls into the river to never be seen again. I have replaced this piece numerous times and have tried finding a new seat design, but have had a terrible time getting a hold of someone with the company to help me.

I’d get rid of the kayak but can’t in good conscience pass the problem to others. Has been very frustrating. The other emotion kayaks do not seem to have this same type of plastic attachments.

For it’s size and price, it is an awesome kayak made by a great company. I had to replace seat and webbing which had oxidized in 4 years and broke. No problem, they stood behind their warranty and shipped me new parts.

It is light and easy to launch and retrieve from a medium sized boat. Great for shorter trips but I am 6’7 and 220lbs and the seat isn’t the most comfortable when I am out for 2 hours at a time on the ocean.

But for less than $300, I wasn’t expecting luxury seating. Tracking is not very good, but I just make up for it by paying more attention. My son at 5’10” and 145lbs has no problem whatsoever and has loved it over the 6 years we have owned it.

We bought two of these the other week and they are great except water comes into the kayak where the seat is. My son and I are both well under the weight limit for these kayaks but both of us came out with soaked bottoms.

IšverstiShow in original languageWe previously had a SeaEagle 120 double inflatable, which we loved until all the glue started failing at about 6 years and the boat became unsafe. We bought this as a replacement, and so far we like it even better than the SeaEagle.

At 27 lbs, it is SO remarkably light and packs up into its own backpack that its easy to transport in any vehicle and easy to carry to the water. The fact that the floor and comfy seats do not inflate is actually a really nice feature, as it means you sit lower in the water (than in the SeaEagle) and get more of a real kayaking experience, plus there is less to inflate/deflate and is faster to dry.

We took it out on a lake on a windy day and were amazed by how well it tracked. Overall, it takes us about 6 minutes to fully inflate and deploy. Sponging it down after use followed by a quick air dry takes care of the water.

When deflating, we simply reverse the direction of the pump, which vacuum seals the bladders, making it a snap to fold back up and put back in the backpack; there is ample room for boat, seats, the pump, and 2 PDFs in the backpack.

(We use the SeaEagle reversible foot pump which is small and works great. ) At 14. 5 feet long this has great leg room and storage space. You can turn the front seat around for picnics on the lake, and you can swim off this with easy re-entry from the water! Overall, we’re very happy with this so far.

It remains to be seen if the glue will last more than 6 years. all these inflatables are made in China or the like, and the warranties don’t extend out far enough to cover glue failure. But at least we know what we’re in for this time.

IšverstiShow in original languageBought a couple of Intex Challenger K2 kayaks last year to dip my toe in the water on kayaking in general. Am totally hooked, so this year I decided to upgrade. I bought the Advanced Elements DS-XLT from AirKayaks and am very happy with the craft and my purchase experience.

I wrote a very detailed review but for some reason AirKayaks hasn’t posted it. They said it was flagged by their auto-review process and they never followed up even though I have reached out a couple of times.

Which is too bad, bc I like to do detailed reviews! Short summary is that I love it and recommend it, and you can only get it from AirKayaks. I love all their reviews, guides, etc. The only con is weight.

fully loaded (boat, paddle, pump) the bag weighs a good amount, and when the boat comes in from the water the inner lining can be pretty wet and it adds a few pounds. I wanted a second kayak so I bought the Deschutes 110.

Knew it wouldn’t perform like the AE but it’s much, much lighter and much easier to dry, so I thought it would be a good second option, and I figured it would be an upgrade over the Intex. It’s better than the AE in terms of ease of setup and ease of drying and storing by a good margin, but the AE is much better on the water.

But compared to the Intex, believe it or not, I’d recommend the Intex. The Deschutes is absolutely not worth the price difference compared to the Intex. It’s 6X more expensive, but it’s not 6X better.

-It’s comparable tracking-wise and speed-wise. -It’s MUCH easier to dry. The Intex is surprisingly labor intensive to dry and pack up. -It’s stiffer and more comfortable. The seat is quite nice. -I like the foot bar.

I don’t think it’s designed to be a foot bar, but I’m just the right height for it to be a foot bar. -It doesn’t look like a toy. Sorry Intex, but your boat looks like a toy. Where I am EXTREMELY disappointed is it’s durability.

I took it out once on flat water, a location I have paddled a dozen times in my Intex and a half dozen times in my AE, and never had a problem. So after that first and only paddle on the CT River, I deflated the craft, brought it home, inflated it and left it to dry overnight, and when I returned in the morning one side had deflated.

So I inspected and I found a very small hole. call it the size of a pencil tip. Bigger than a needle, but small enough that I didn’t notice any deflation while I was paddling. I do not remember any impacts while I was paddling, and the leak was very, very slow, so I don’t know if it was there when I purchased or if I hit something while paddling bc it stayed inflated while I was on the water.

In either case, I’m now unhappy with the purchase. While I did patch it with the included patching kit, I am very worried that it’s easy to puncture. To be clear, I’m not worried the patch will leak.

I put a big piece of material on and a LOT of glue. I’m worried in general that it’s easy to puncture. It popped after one trip! One! Frankly, based on how much patching material came with the craft, I am worried that Aquaglide knows it’s durability challenges as well! There’s a ton of material in there.

I pinged AirKayaks to ask about a possible return and we went back and forth a little; they asked for a picture and asked a couple questions, but they stopped answering so I think I am stuck. I will say again that I don’t know if it happened while I was paddling.

It’s 100% possible. But because I didn’t feel any impact and I didn’t seem to run into anything, I’m worried that it doesn’t take a significant bump to pop it. Feels like if I run into or graze anything it’s a patch job.

So I am very concerned about any future excursions. Where can I even paddle where there isn’t some danger of something under the surface? I actually bought the craft for my family to use while I use my AE; I don’t think I am comfortable putting them in the craft.

I don’t want it to puncture while they are on the water. Too scary. So basically a tough $600+ lesson.

IšverstiShow in original languageBought Aquaglide 110 from Dicks. Also own Chinook 90 and Sea Eagle 330. The features mentioned in published info are all good. There is a foot support on the bottom mat which is essential for kayaking comfort.

It needs to have a thicker seat for sitting higher for comfort and paddling reach – seems like Aquaglide would know this and not save themselves $10 with cheap seat. Now I need to pack in inflatable or other seat cushion/riser.

I am 5-11 and 185 and I can easily stand in this flat bottom boat. The material is great for strength, very light weight, and quick drying when travelling. I wish people would give good paddling details: this flat bottom kayak goes 2 MPH with an easy paddle speed.

With some faster paddling it glides along at 3 MPH. I tried to go 4 MPH but no luck (cell phone GPS works great for this). The tip does not track exactly straight when paddling but comparable to other kayaks.

The Sea Eagle has a better seat, but nothing to keep it in place and no other features and is very heavy. If they added features other boats have a and reduced the buoyancy for a single it would be good.

It goes 3 MPH with less effort than the 110. When they say good for lakes and mellow rivers, they never say why; I suspect it is the flat bottom with little cushioning, the lack of bow up angle, and the skeg that puts this boat in that category.

Some day a kayak company will make the perfect inflatable kayak and give accurate analysis; have not seen this yet.

This kayak is amazing! The quality of the material is so nice and sturdy. The excursion is a thicker more durable material than the K2 and a little longer and narrower, very comfortable with plenty of leg room.

It inflates and deflates quickly. maybe 7 minutes. Plenty of room for a small cooler. I like that if you’re sitting still for a while fishing or just enjoying the view you can use the bar to attach a small beach chair umbrella for shade.

I see where others have mentioned their kayak deflating in the sun, we didn’t have a problem with that at all. We did make sure that we compensated for that ahead of time with extra air in case it became an issue (as the instructions warned about).

We also bought the K2 for our son and he loves his too. No leaks or holes in either. No issues at all. I would be careful in very shallow water near oysters or rocks because of the material. If I had one con on both of the kayaks it would be that I’d like for the oars to be a little longer but that isn’t enough for me to give a lower rating.

I rented a Sea Eagle explorer 380x, and although I really liked the 380x, my shoulder width caused me to continually hit the bigger tubes with my paddles. I decided to go with the 385FT for my purchase and I’m very glad I did.

You sit up a bit higher and the tubes are smaller making it more comfortable. The kayak paddles well and tracks well. I haven’t tried it as a tandem, just using it as a solo. I’m a bigger person and wanted the stability and weight capacity to myself.

So far, no issues with this kayak, it’s great. I love being able to fold it up and throw it in the car quickly and easily. Very convenient.

This is it! The high performance Dagger boat that maintains the predictable forgiveness of the Nomad with the performance of the Mamba and the new high stern and bow rocker to boot. To start off I will say if your a dagger fan you will love this boat.

The outfitting and comfort/paddler position are what you would expect of any Dagger boat. I have paddled a large Newmad and a Mamba 8. 6 for years, so these are the boats I will be comparing to. The boat edges similar to a Mamba giving you lots of control and stays on line.

the rececced edges, as with the Mamba, are forgiving in nature while allowing you to get on edge when needed. The high bow rocker keeps you on top of features giving the boat a totaly different feel.

it boofs really well and does not get buried in holes. The stern shape and rocker acceleates you out of boils and holes. This in itself is much different than the Mamba and the Nomad. The boat is easy to roll.

I did not not notice it being either harder nor easier than the Mamba or Nomad. With the Mamba I have confidence in staying on line and knowing that I can get the boat exactly where I want it to be. The downside is that it doesn’t boof as well as the Nomad.

Also with the low volume of the Mamba I worry about running bigger holes as the boat subs out and you are more likely to get beatered. The Nomad is a 4X4 that I can run bigger rapids in and have confidence that the boat will boof well and get me through bigger holes without getting subbed out.

The Nomad also has a very fogiving nature as it has a ton of primary stability. This is helful when you land a little off camber on a boof or get thrown off by an unexpected side current. The down side to the Nomad is that it doesnt have distinct edges so it tends to wander and get pushed around by boils and cross currents.

You really have to drive the Nomad to hit micro features and to get into eddies. The Code gives you the best of both worlds. The boat has a ton of primary stability so it tends to be very forgiving coming off of drops or gettting pushed by a side currents.

It also stays on line as well if not better than the mamba. I say this because the boat stays up on top of the water. Its a different feeling as both the Nomad and Mamba sit down in the water or at least thats how it feels when you are paddling them.

I Boat Chery Creek (Upper Tuolumne) in California often and I haven’t had a chance to get on it with the Code. I have been padddling my local run (Goodwin Canyon on the Stanislaus) with it and the boat has been great.

There is a 100 yard long rapid (Mr Toads) that is full on with several different laterals and cross currents. With the Code I was able to stay up on top of the features and use the laterals, with lots of control, to get right where I wanted to be.

There are other rapids with basalt bedrock that have crazy hydraulics and boils. I was able to ride up, drive over, and through all of these features with out getting blown around. I also got to feel how the boat really accelerates through them and out of holes instead of getting bogged down.

I would say for someone wanting to get out of a Mamba or even a beginner boater that this boat will be fine. Still easy to roll and still forgiving. It just wont be as much fun if you want to do bow enders.

It will also perform way better and give you more confidence in boofing and running bigger holes. For someone comming from a Newmad or Nomad. This thing has way more performance without sacraficing stability.

It tracks better, cuts into eddies better, and the rocker gets you up and over features better. I can’t wait to get this bad boy up on some bigger class V.

Pretty interesting boat! It’s both turny and fast. A bit on the wider side. Doesn’t feel like a race boat at all given the width. Gives it a fair amount of primary stability. Nothing remarkable stood out to me regarding secondary stability.

Predictable handling. Boofs well. Having only paddled it a few days I’m still getting used to it. All my runs have been more big water style. Haven’t had it in a Creek yet. As with all the Dagger plastic recently this stuff is SOFT! Gouges deeply very easily.

This is a great boat. This is the second Dagger Code I’ve bought. This particular one is for my GF. The Code is way beyond other kayaks in performance and handling. I hit class III whitewater with my Code and it was no big deal because of the huge rocker.

I have six kayaks and the Code is like a Ferrari compared to the others. Cedar Creek was good to deal with. I had this boat shipped to me and everything went well. Communication was great and had no issues.

I ordered the Aire Tributary Tater to have a versatile boat that I can roll and transport easily in my two-door Jeep. The Tater has exceeded my expectations—it’s swift and maneuverable yet handles big water.

(The drop-stitch floor is my favorite feature and I never plan on buying another inflatable boat without one. ) It’s also much easier to roll than my other PVC boat (RMR 9’). The folks at CKS processed my order promptly and the boat was delivered from Colorado to West Virginia in under four days.

The only thing left to be desired was more CKS stickers for me to slap on my gear and display on the river. I have been a patron of NRS for the past few years but plan on making CKS my go-to online shop for river gear.

My top favorite ducky! Took this on the selway and it was such a great sporty boat. Even my husband 6’5” enjoys it and played on it at Rainey Falls on the Rogue. Super stable and great responses. Love love this boat.

The material is surprisingly hardy. The only complaint is that it does get difficult to sit in all day with how large the tubes are and small the width, if you got big hips you’ll find it adding some pressure, but definitely not a deal breaker.

This boat is awesome; stable, playful, and the price is a steal compared to a packraft. Sure it weighs 3x as much but it is a similar size for creeks, rides higher, and is self bailing. Throw on some thigh straps and you can rock this anywhere from I-IV with elan.

I’m 6’, 170 lb and this doesn’t paddle like an under-sized youth model imho. Shout out to the family who let me try one out on the Green River Daily before I bought one from CKS!.

The Antix 2. 0 is my unicorn boat. It might not be yours, but if you’re looking for a reassuring half slice that runs rivers and surfs like a dream, this is absolutely worth a try. It’s confidence-inspiring and surfable and hits a perfect balance of stability and playfulness.

My fit notes first: I wouldn’t say it has the most comfortable outfitting ever, which is pretty much the only thing I don’t like about it. I definitely prefer a bulkhead with rails and a ratcheting backband, and I’d pay good money to get this boat with those things if I could.

That said, it’s definitely not the WORST outfitting I’ve ever used, so I give it a solid B for outfitting. 5’7 is probably the tallest person that can fit in this boat without trimming down the bulkhead foam, so if you’re on the taller side, make sure to check out the process on shaving down the foam and be prepared to tailor the fit.

I have to give Jackson endless props for making the seat and hip pads a little wider in this boat. I’m right in the weight range for the medium, which is what I paddle, but I managed to sit in the small with my wide hips, which I’ve never been able to do in most other whitewater boats.

So for women with larger hips, this boat is where it’s at for fit. I’m a class II/III paddler, so I’m not taking this down big creeky runs, and I’m not trying to stern squirt or anything crazy like that (but eventually, I can and I will work on all of those things in this boat).

What I needed from this boat is primarily to fun run the James, and to get me down new southeast rivers with some confidence. It does that. I have never been able to actually lock onto a wave and get any good surf time in before, and the first day that I surfed this at Balcony Falls I probably got 6 or 7 total minutes on a wave.

It is really effortless to surf, and it handles the release like a champ, even when I have no idea what I’m doing, which is fairly often. It’s super easy to shift the bow forward or the stern down to stay on a wave, and it really responds when you shift weight.

I also found myself catching all kinds of pocket eddies that I wouldn’t have been able to catch in my creek boat, and the Antix 2 is really smooth about it too. It ferries, rolls, and eddies and peels out with so much less input than I’m used to.

Downriver, I feel more confident in the Antix 2 than I do in my Diesel, for two reasons. The first is the width–it’s 3/4 in wider than the Diesel, which makes it super reassuring even with less overall volume.

The second is the responsiveness–I know that if I point this boat somewhere or tell it to do something, it will listen. I’ve managed mid-rapid line changes and impromptu eddy turns in this sooooo much better than I ever did in the Diesel.

Better boat control means I feel more confident and swim less, even with a lower volume half slice. It’s not super fast, but it’s not slow either, so it’s perfect for a beginner-intermediate paddler like me who still needs to slow things down sometimes, but doesn’t like struggling through the flats.

Even though it’s fairly wide, the cockpit coaming still sits pretty low, so tucking and wrapping for a roll is pretty easy, and I’ve made most of my rolls in this boat. For me, the Antix 2 is the perfect balance of volume and maneuverability to get me down my favorite runs confidently while still letting me surf and play as much as I want.

I expect this will be the boat I take down pretty much any new run, and I’m super excited to see what kind of growth I achieve in it. I’m even coming around to the outfitting–for the most part anyway.

I’d still really love that ratcheting backband.

I have never been a big Jackson kayak fan but I’m sold on this one. Surfs and plays like a dream but can still handle some pretty serious whitewater. I love the way it feels on the water. It’s very stable and forgiving yet still very playful.

I don’t know how they did it. Still not a big fan of the outfitting but it works. It is lightweight and easy to adjust though.

This is still a new boat for me and I haven’t attempted to paddle hard (IV+/V) whitewater in it, but so far it’s a great addition to my stable of boats. Among this ilk of boat, it’s more on the ‘play’ end of the play-river runner spectrum for me (~145 lbs, 5’10” in a small) than full-on river runner.

I had to remove the bulkhead foam to fit into the boat, and fit only when wearing play-boat ‘slippers’; regular boating shoes are too bulky. The boat performance is great: it’s surprisingly balanced when surfing holes, front/back surfing is great, easy to sink the stern, and very forgiving for such a boat.

Jackson really nailed the design with this one.

OK so the boat is so awesome even beyond words. What is the service I get every time I call these kids at CKS is exemplary! You guys know exactly what is best for what situations and how to outfit any size paddler.

I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your help your emails and the fact that you’re honest with those who you serve. I look forward to doing much more business in the future.

Stays upright. Easy to roll, hard to flip over. Builds confidence. I’ve only have it a couple of months but love it. Fits a large man. 6’3″×250lbs. Still responsive. Glad I bought it. I’d do it again.

I bought one of these used at an outfitter sale and it is the best IK I have ever paddled; big tubes, rigid shape, nice sporty design that spins well and is stable in big water and fast in technical rivers.

The large tubes provide ample flotation for overnights, a dog or a child. The seat is comfortable, ergonomic and dry with great storage pouch on back side. The self bailing floor empties fast. The floor design with the zippers and inner bladder can capture some sand inside the inner bladder and outer floor material and this has caused a tiny bladder leak I have not yet repaired, so it needs a few pumps every morning on overnights, but it also helps to protect from over-inflating, so no biggie.

I have paddled IK’s personally and professionally since the mid 80’s and this is my favorite design I have used so far.

I’ve been kayaking since the early 80s and my back is no longer what it was. I’ve sold my beloved hardshell kayak that I paddled on rivers for the past 25 years from the Rogue, McKenzie, North Santiam, White Salmon, Snake, Salmon, North Umpqua, North Fork of the Willamette, and more.

At the same time, I had an Aire Lynx that I’ve used as a boat for friends or family to paddle on trips with me. Last year I tried a friend’s Aire Force and felt like this was the solution to my problems at long last.

A great handling boat that gives me some of the performance of my hardshell in terms of carving in and out of eddies, making quick maneuvers, paddling upstream to catch a wave, and some light surfing.

It handles great in big holes since it doesn’t fill up like a Lynx, and is shorter and more of a playboat. It also doesn’t require the Fish and Wildlife tags in Oregon since under 10′ which is a bonus.

Definite learning curve on this boat. Draw strokes are essential for navigating technical Class IV/V. You’re first drop you might skip over or come blasting through a hole onto shore/rocks like I did.

Insanely stable with a stern that you can use to slice or propel yourself out of holes. Also surfs/squirts well out of sticky holes if you are capable. Not very forgiving in strong diagonal currents as edges can get grabbed if you don’t pick them up on a ferry.

Definitely performs better when you push it. Honestly not the best beginner boat if you are progressing into technical IV/V unless you are confident with a grabby edgy boat.

I’ve always been partial to the designs of Pyranha Kayaks. They just always seem to paddle the way I think a boat should paddle. The 12R is no different. It’s very fast, quite maneuverable for a 12 foot boat, with edges that can carve and plenty of bow rocker to ride up over features.

This boat weighs in at 57lbs but does not feel heavy in the water and with a narrow hull, it’s very easy to roll.

Edge on edge on edge. The Scorch X is everything I wanted in a longboat and nothing I didn’t. I’m normally a displacement guy but this a wicked nice design. Agile, quick and goes exactly where you put it.

Body English is everything and reminds me of a regular Braaap in that regard actually, still getting a feel for it. Only negative so far is you have to change up how you boof, tail tap is definitely there….

and you forget how long it is until you try for that micro eddy and start slapping rock.