Hey Guys,

First post on Playak and I'm looking for some advice on boats.

To give you an idea I've been paddling since I was ten and am now thirty, have done most types of paddling to a fairly high level but have only really been doing a bit of surfing in the last couple years. I'm currently paddling a Fluid Element which was pretty good in the surf (bit big for me though) but me and the missus have moved to Fort William (West Coast, Scotland) so I need a boat for the whitewater.

Previously I've done creeking, but preffered playboating so it's gonna be that style of boat I go for. History of boats reads: Mountainbats, Kendo, Glide, Disco, Techno, Drago Rossi Squashy and now the Element. As you can see I'm not scared of a demanding boat to paddle and really liked Corran Addisons designs (not for the comfort of which there was none) for the looseness and ease of doing tricks in them.

To give some stats I'm about 5'9" 78kg with size 11 feet.

Looking at the playboats available is great but in reality none of the Scottish shops seem to do much trade in playboats these days and so don't stock and or have any demo's. The best I could do was Brookbank in Perth who have a Project 52 and Dagger Agent 6.2 in stock but not to demo.

So to cut a very long story short, out of the raft of new designs which would you guys recommend for me and given that I probably won't be able to actually try many boats which would I be safest to go for without having sat in first. (Molan/Project/Agent/Biscuit/Star(s))

Can't believe the total shift away from playboats!

Dave

Hi

You should go for Fluid Nemesis M. Brookbank should have or can order one for you.

Jan (Fluid Kayaks)

Hi Jan,

Thanks for the suggestion, I've tried a Nemesis M in Canada a few years back and although it was ok for length it was a bit big with regards to the overall cockpit size. I don't think I could have gone down to the small size due to the fact my feet were already tucked into the nose with no need for footrest.

Cheers
Dave

i can guarantee that on this site someone think the project is best some the molan someone the star and so on. i personaly think the project is great realy comfy and looks realy good unlike the molans and stars wich look ugly as sin also look out for big dog boats there supposed to be good. never paddled a biscuit but its suposed to be naf and the backbands liquid logic use at the momoent realy hurt after a while ???? fluid nemesis is great too maybe a bliss stick ??? but at the end of the day u have to try before ull know what suits you just go to hpp and ask people to have a go in theres or something u might be lucky

I think it depends what sort of playboat you want, or what sort of tricks you want to do. Corran's boats usually had good edges and carved really well, and were loose for spins and things.

Compare that to the better boats of today, say the new star series, since they won the last worlds. They won't carve as well as the riot/dragarossi boats. But they'll be better for the new loops style fancy tricks.

If you prefer to just surf holes, or carve around, or do cartwheels, the latest and greatest boats might not be the best. If you want to do the latest and greatest tricks, you should go for a boat that was made with the newer moves in mind. Something like the new stars or molan's. The new project x looks like it's added new volume but kept its rails...

Personally if I was you, since you already have an element which is made for carving, I would go for something on the other end of the scale.

If you narrow the choice of playboats down to 2-3 you seem to like, then you might get some help on which would suit you size wise the best.