Critical Mass is produced by the Italian
company Dragorossi and designed by Corran Adisson. It's a big volume kayak.
Their offical webpage lists it's volume as XXL. In recent times we could see a
lot of successful big volume creekers on the market but CM stands out as a
pioneer. The old fitting inside the boat was a drawback. With the new plastic
parts instead of styrofoam and new knee holders you sit fitted and you can feel
the boat very well. Kayaking is now much more comfortable and user friendly!
The shape is very smart! With the lenght of 269
cm you might think that this kayak does not turn fast but surprisingly, it can
turn very fast. Heavily rockered boats usually have slower speeds than those
with less rocker. CM is a great compromise! Gently rising rocker with an
absolute minimum thickness in the bow makes the boat easy to boof, punch holes
and surf the waves.
It is suitable for kayakers between 70-120 kg.
Lighter paddlers are going to feel very stable and confident while heavier and
tall ones will like the comfort and the extra space for legs.
Extra space between legs comes in very handy as
you can put your safety rope there. This way you can get it in your hands right
away to start the rescue.
For CM it is recommended to use a big deck
spraydeck. In several years of kayaking my hf spraydeck has never opened but it
depends on shape, materials,.. On step pining river section you will feel
comfortable to stay on the top, riding the pinning rocks straight and looking
at them from a good point of view. I'm getting simillar feeling of control and
confidence while riding high volume flows. It doesn't happen often that I touch
the boat with the paddle on the sides as the boat is very narrow. Sometimes I
hit the rear part of the boat with my elbows. There you have the priceless and
almost completely waterproof storage compartment that is easily accessible. You
close it with a small spraydeck and a plastic cover that goes above. It is very
handy for carrying first aid equipment, an extra paddle, a pelican case, a
sleeping bag, a fishing pole, dry clothes, etc. This makes the kayak perfect
for multiday adventures!
As we live in a time where every euro counts, we must point
out another advantage of a boat. It is available at a lower price that others (for prices check out
the link bellow).
Links:
Offical Drago Rossi
webpage: www.dragorossi.com/kayaks/creek/critical-mass.html
Alpin Action webshop: www.alpinaction.it/kayak/creeker/dragorossi-critical-mass.aspx
Idrija river (kayakers from left: master
Dimitrij Saksida, Filip Tomažič, foto: Boštjan Marcina)
Soča Katarakt (kayaker: Filip Tomažič, foto:
Bojan Rusjan)
Defereggenbach waterfall section (kayaker:
Filip Tomažič, photo: Fabian Alejandro Bonanno)
Text: Filip Tomažič
