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Tuesday 13 August 2013

Creek M test by Beppe Caramella



This year I took some time to test some of the latest creek boats on the market, in specific all the “M” versions which fit the most to my size. The test has been done for all boats in the stretch of the river Soca (Slovenija) that goes from Srpenica1 to Trnovo ob Soči including the Slalom course until the broken bridge with a flow of about 30cms (class III – IV boulder garden), Whereas the LL Stomper 80 and the Zet Raptor have been thoroughly tested in different rivers and creeks of the Italian alps over the last couple of years.
I want to clarify all that I wrote below (except the charts regarding the manufacturer’s claim and the specs) is absolutely my personal opinion and it has to be considered as such.

Always paddle safe!
Ciao
Beppe Caramella






















BOATS
JK Karma M
LL Stomper 80
WS Recon 83
DR 88
ZET Raptor
Dagger Mamba 8.1
Titan Exile
Outlook
3
5
3
2
3
4
4
Outfitting
3
4
5
2
3
5
2
Confort
4
5
4
3
4
4
2
Weight
4
4
1
3
4
1
1
Bow
4
5
4
3
3
3
3
Stern
4
2
3
4
4
3
4
1.stability
4
2
4
5
5
4
4
2.stability
5
3
4
5
5
4
3
Acceleration
4
4
4
4
3
4
2
Speed
4
3
4
3
5
4
3
Boof
4
5
4
4
3
3
3
Maneuvrab.
4
4
3
4
4
3
3
Gliding
4
3
3
3
5
3
3
Total
51
49
46
45
51
45
37

1=poor     2=moderate     3=satisfactory     4=good     5=excellent



  
BOATS
PROS
CONS
JK Karma M
easy, fast and light boat, centre-rear side walls quite high make it easy in turbulence, no holes in the deck, good overall
soft plastic, not solid seat, backband too high, good concept regarding the adjustable footrest but not stable
LL Stomper 80
ideal for steep creek, perfect bow, auto-boof machine, very confortable, soft landing on drops, not ultra fast, but enough for the job
not a good primary stability, not a carving machine, the stern has the tendency to be pinched in turbulence, not easy for beginners/intermediate
WS Recon 83
easy, stable and fast boat, good outfitting, forgiving stern make it neutral in turbulence, good boof
very heavy, thigh braces doesn't allow an intimate contact with the boat (personal), not good manouvrability in tight creeks
DR 88
super stable, good hull, very good on steep creek and hard white water
poor outfitting, soft plastic, boring on easy white water, bow a bit too high.
ZET Raptor
fast, stable, nice gliding and carving boat. It looks bigger than specified, but small once on board, very easy to turn
a bit poor finish, technical boat so not the easiest in hard white water, once out of the wished line not easy to pull it back.
Dagger Mamba 8.1
good carver, stable and good manouvrability, good outfitting, good creeker for weight lower than 65kgs
a bit small as medium creeker compared to its competitors, low rocker, very heavy
Titan Exile
stable, reliable stern, rigid and robust plastic, precise in big water
very heavy, very uncomfortable to carry, slow in acceleration, difficult to outfit and find the right position inside, the hip pads are linked to the ratchets used to adjust the backband, so when you pull them the hip pads get narrow towards your hips too hard making your position uncomfortable and painful.





BOATS
From the Manufacturer Web Site
JK Karma M
Jackson Kayak's 4th generation creek boat.The Karma takes a turn towards speed, stability, and carving. Fast, stable and forgiving, with predictable turning, boofing and a bow that rises over anything in its way.
LL Stomper 80
Semi-Planing Hull = effortless turning in any situation. Chamfered Edges = carving edges that snap into eddies but don't trip you up.   Smooth Transition Rocker Profile = gives the Stomper its speed. Rounded side wall = incredible stability. Crowned Deck = quick and easy surfacing from under water. Big Bow Rocker = get your bow up and over anything. New Seat System = easier access to boat stern for storage.  Bad Ass Outfitting = the most comfortable outfitting in the industry
WS Recon 83
The Recon will get paddlers down river safely while performing at the highest levels of creeking and class IV-V+ boating, enhancing a paddler's confidence and skill sets in the process to make boundary pushing safer than ever before. The continuous rocker profile combined with the unique distribution of volume makes this design very fast and easy to boof. The unique volume in the bow and its pronounced, upswept shape make the Recon resurface and unload water quickly when blasting through holes, while the domed stern deck minimizes back-ending in holes and drops.  The location of the full stern chine combined with the generous side wall flare provides superb secondary stability and substantial control when carving, ferrying, or tracking.  The Recon is also equipped with seven points of rescue and new, strategically placed handles for greater accessibility. The Recon was designed for intermediate and advanced paddlers who want best-in-class performance and maximum safety features while enjoying both multi-day river trips and tackling class IV & V+ rapids. 
DR 88
It's the new Dragorossi creek boat,  ideal also for river running. It's fast and precise in the manoeuvres; great habitability also for heavy paddlers. All the outfitting system is completely new, with new seat, footrest, backrest and kneebraces fully adjustable.It comes standard with hip pads, seat pads, drain plug, 4 carry handles, 1 metal bar, front and back foam wall+PE slot for Pelicase or Watershed dry bag. The 88 is the ultimate extreme creeker.
ZET Raptor
The RAPTOR is in its element on difficult whitewater, making it the perfect choice for multi-day expeditions, running steep creeks and competing in extreme races. Due to the stability of the hull, the boat is suited to beginner and intermediate paddlers who are seeking to develop and push their whitewater skills. The Raptor is also the ideal choice for advanced paddlers because it is both very fast and highly manoeuvrable.The exceptional design of the Raptor has been proven on all types of whitewater, from the largest volume rivers in the world to the steepest creeks and waterfalls. The outfitting has been redesigned making it more adjustable, robust, and comfortable than ever before.
Dagger Mamba 8.1
Newly beefed up for 2012, the Creeker edition of the Mamba offers a sturdy, reliable package designed to carry you safely through your next adventure.With increased volume and carefully designed rails, the Mamba is built to be fast and predictable on even the pushiest of big volume whitewater, whilst maintaining excellent performance on the steeper stuff. Whether it's a multi-day trip in the Himalayas or on a big waterfall run in Norway, the Mamba will take you through your next adventure in style and in control
Titan Exile
The Exile is Titan Kayaks long awaited creek boat. From extended expeditions to the steepest of creeks the Exile has been designed to do it all. It's continuous rocker leading to the rear, combined with a displacement hull nose that blends to soft chines running down the tail make the Exile not only wickedly fast but also very forgiving while still holding a rail and being extremely responsive.The Exile turns on a dime, and boofs with effortlessly ease. It's unique upturned nose has been designed to not only shed water downwards but to also push it back and around the boat helping to propel the boat through holes and to re-surface not only upward but also with forward speed. Large rear access to the tail allows you to easily pack and stow gear in the rear, while the front bulk head which features 3inchs of cushioning foam is also easily removed for packing gear into the front of the boat.







BOATS
Overall Impressions
JK Karma M
For sure a step beyond compared to the former creek boats by Mr. EJ. A fast, confortable, light and maneuvrable boat, with a well balanced volume. You can enjoy paddling it on either class 2 or 5. Interesting the fact that you can "play" with the footrest and the backband in a way that the paddler position can be moved back and forth a little bit. I found the good one when the knees are well against the inner hull. All in all the M version is one of the best creek/river runner boat in terms of volume for people of 70-75kgs.
LL Stomper 80
I've been paddling the Stomper 80 for 2 seasons and I simply love it! By simply looking at it. It's the best looking boat on the market, and usually when a boat it's good looking it's also a good boat. Not the fastest one, but with good acceleration, then it's really auto-boofing, but this is not a secret, it's the best boofing boat on the market. Perfect for steep creeking, I really like the soft landing on big drop and the way it quickly leaves the turbulence. Estremely confortable and reasonable light it provides an exceptional outfitting with good finishes. But now let's come to the downsides because there are some: First of all the 80 is quite small and narrow for 70-75ks paddlers and the 90 is too big, so a real medium version is missing. Then the side walls of the hull just behind the hips are too low, so it suffers a little in side turbulence, you need to work with your hips quite a lot. The bad-ass is confortable, but honestly the couch-like cover of the seat is a bit too much for me. I like a simpler approach for that.
WS Recon 83
Another step-beyond boat, compared to its predecessor, the habitat which personally I never liked. The Recon is another well-centred M version with the right volume. The boat likes it hard and steep. Definitely not a river runner. But if you find a pushy creek it gives its best and you feel yourself safe and stable. What they call progressive rocker, it provides quite a smooth ability of transitions even it tough environment. Good boof even if with such a big bow you almost don't need it. I like the CORE outfitting, similar to the latest Dagger one, with the possibility to adjust the front side of the seat in height bringing you in a more intimate contact with the boat. Personally I don't like the embracing thigh braces, typical of Wave Sport, but as I said it's just personal, some people love it. To summarize it's a very good creek boat, but what I really hate it's the weight, definitely unacceptable.
DR 88
Quite unusual this new long-awaited Dragorossi creek boat, with all those round edges, especially if we compare it with the former models. This time Mr. Zanga & his team wanted to make an easy-paddling boat more for the mainstream and at the same time maintaining their typical footprint. DR continued their idea of having one size, but the 88 covers a wider range of paddlers weight (65-85kgs, but its best is for 70-80kgs). So now they have the full range covered with the Mafia for small paddlers and the Critical Mass for big people. Coming to the boat's behaviour in the water, I've tried it a few times in different environments an I have to say that this is another pure creeker. Absolutely boring up to class 3/3+, extremely performing on class 4 and above, the harder the better. Enough fast, good boof and good maneuvrability. It holds the line well once addressed it. Stable and easy rolling. Downsides are: too deep sitting (I need 5cm of foam under my buttocks), once you try to lift onto one side with your legs, it immediately goes back down, it's difficult to hold it on one side. Then I've already mentioned about the poor outfitting, handles and soft plastic. Improving.
ZET Raptor
This is the boat with the whitewater competition in mind. Sure, the designer is a former slalom racer and an actual "sickliner"! So the result is: fast! It's a bigger-than-rated boat. In the spec they claim a 80 gallon, but it feels a lot bigger, definitely bigger than the Stomper 80, but once you sit in it's a perfect M version, mainly due to the high seat. I've paddled it for a season and I really liked it, super fast, nice boof, easy turning, light (only 19kgs) and simple but efficient outfitting. Although it's light, the boat is super robust (5 yrs warranty). I think most kayak manufacturer should learn from this small CZ rep. company!! What I didn't like is the boat is a bit too wide and force you in a too wide and compressed position of the leg. Then, it's river running vocation (flat hull) sometimes it doesn't make it the easiest boat in hard whitewater, especially when it takes the wrong line it's quite difficult to put it back to the right one.
Dagger Mamba 8.1
The new Mamba to my personal opinion is the worst M version of all the latest creeker on this test. It's not its fault, the reason is that it's just too small. It claims to be a 77gallons but it feels a lot smaller. There's a little difference between the 7.6 and the 8.1 (M), but there's a big difference between the 8.1 and the 8.6. Then it's way too heavy. Absolutely unbearable. In the water I had exactly the opposite feeling than the 88. Nice on easy WW, little control on class 4-5. But again, this is due to the fact it's too small. At the end the only thing I liked it was the outfitting, but not enough...
Titan Exile
Honestly I was very keen to try this boat and I thought it was definitely my next boat, perfect size and volume for me. And also when I saw it live, I really liked it, quite different from all the other boats and nice looking, maybe not with the best finish, but in its own way attractive. Then, I lifted it up and it was surprisingly heavy and with a cutting lip around the cockpit so that when you carry it onto your shoulder it's really painful. Ok, also other popular competitors are very heavy, so let's just try in the water! First impression while seating is that you're low and definitely need something to raise you up, then plenty of space around your knees, but when you pull the ratchets to adjust the backband, also the hip pads are moving towards you, which is clever, but it's also f... painful! To complete the outlook of the inside, the seat has two strange offshoots with a peaky shape on both sides which makes it scary when try to exit in a rush. Once in the water, I found it very stable, not extremely fast to accelerate, but acceptable when is moving. It doesn't turn on a dime, but not sure if I was in the right seat position. The stern seems very forgiving and allows you precise lines which it makes it reliable in big water. But consider this as a very first impression. It probably deserves a deeper test on different waters.




Specs:

BOATS
Length
Width
Volume
Weight
Hull
JK Karma M
259cm - 8'6"
66cm - 26"
325L - 86g
20kg - 45lbs
flat
LL Stomper 80
249cm - 8'2"
66cm - 26"
303L - 80g
21kg - 46lbs
semiplanning
WS Recon 83
251cm - 8'3"
67cm - 26,5"
314L - 83g
23kg - 50lbs
semiplanning
DR 88
259cm - 8'6"
65,5cm - 25,78"
315L - 83,2g
20kg - 45lbs
semiplanning
ZET Raptor
255cm - 8'4"
68cm - 26,7"
303L - 80g
19kg - 42lbs
flat
Dagger Mamba 8.1
246cm - 8'1"
68cm - 26,7"
292L - 77g
20kg - 45lbs
flat
Titan Exile
255cm - 8'4"
68cm - 26,7"
303L - 80g
21kg - 46lbs
semiplanning