Paddling tips, tricks, news and gear reviews from an Unsponsored point of view
I tried the Booster 60 over the course of a day on the flat and at a local play spot. Initially I was quite surprised by its overall size. The room offered inside is excellent and with the new 2002 outfitting getting comfortable was not an issue. It comes fitted with a multitude of ratchet adjustable fittings including backrest, thigh-straps and footrest. And thankfully Riot have ditched those awful “strap” adjustable devices seats and opted for a “bolted” in option with comfy foam pad.
This review is from the perspective of an intermediate paddler and represents the best outline of performance that I can offer based on 2 weeks paddling grade 4 rivers in Austria and 2 weeks play boating and surfing. It also should be remembered that I personally, love this boat.
Hull:
This boat spins! It’s really loose but forgiving enough to make spinning easy even in bouncy holes. On a wave, it’s fast and carves well, though it doesn’t feel as positive as the Riot boats. However, it’s much easier to correct and quicker to respond to changes in edge. It’s real attribute though for those that know what they’re doing, has to be the bounce. I have no ability in terms of aerial moves, but know a few people who have been in my boat that know what they’re doing. Smiles all round seem to be the response. Apparently it’s got loads of spring for loops etc.
Continue readingAn intermediates perspective.
Having previous paddled the Booster 55 and a brief spell in the Air 55, I was looking for a boat with the best attributes of both: speed, looseness and great carving but with good tracking ability and positive handling. Over the last 6 weeks, I haven’t been disappointed in the Turbo 52.
I had a bit of time today so had a go at modifying my two throw lines. I much prefer the “clean” rope principle where the end of the throw line that you keep hold of is a clean piece of rope i.e. has no knots or tubing.
Before:
After:
The second modification I carried out was the removal of the tubing from the bag end of the line and the reduction in the size of the loop. The idea is that the loop is big enough to clip a karabiner into but is far too small to get a hand stuck.
I have had a set of Seven 2 Signatures now for 4 months, in that time I have used them for playing and river running. These blades appear to be radically different to anything else available on the market at present. They feature some innovative solutions to some classic problems inherent to kayak paddles. Not all necessarily work.
The blades I have are 197cm length, so for someone of my height (5’6”) are a bit long. I have found the grips to be the best part of these paddles, the plastic molded grips mean you’re hands are in the correct place on the shaft every time, they are warm and non slip meaning you don’t get blisters (about 10 years to late in my case). Although I have never suffered with wrist and elbow pain when paddling I am told that the angle of the grip reduces this, however this does mean they feel very strange initially. However if you are prepared to persevere it will pay off. Continue reading
To be honest I was surprised that at 6ft 2in I could actually fit in the boat. My feet were right to the end of the bow (no footrest needed) which was pretty good interms of the outfitting needed. The Liquidlogic Space Cadet has that now very familiar Liquidlogic look and looks very similar to its older brothers the Pop and Skip.
The outfitting will also be familiar to those with older LL boats. The seat etc remains the same but additional sticky back padding has been provided in the form of a butt pad, hip pads and knee pads. These seem very hardwearing and once stuck doesn’t want to shift.
The backrest is as you would expect a ratchet one and in this case is the IR flex capacitor. I would personally prefer a much wider back band as I found the back band was a little too short which resulted in the plastic straps digging into my side.
There are a number of different sizes and shapes of locking karabiners available. I have settled on a few of the Wild Country ION screw gates. They are both light and strong.
Features:
Hyperlight, Keylock nose, I Beam back, Hot forged, High gate open strength, High strength thimble. 3 Sigma Rated, UIAA, CE EN 12275, 7075 Alloy. All Wild Country screwgate thimbles are made from high strength 7075 alloy which resists internal pressure to prevent accidental gate opening. All Wild Country screwgate karabiners are ‘proof loaded’ to 10kN and 100% inspected by hand.
Weight (g): 50g
Design: Screwgate
Major Axis Strength (kN): 24
Minor Axis Strength (kN): 7
Open Gate Strength (kN): 9
Gate Opening (mm): 19
Locking Mechanism: Keylock
Here are a few images of my newest GoPro grip. Full carbon shaft and a little something secret to ensure that the GoPro mount is firmly attached!
Cost was £0 as I already had the mount, glue and the cut off carbon shaft. There are a couple of options if you do want to buy a retail version.
Seems to work really well.
OK first things first, I am right-handed but paddle left-handed and have done for decades. This makes the process of purchasing paddles a bit of a nightmare! My last two sets of paddles have been Werner Sidekicks and in the case of my full carbon versions had involved a long wait for them to arrive from the States.
I make no apologies for comparing the Vertical Element paddles against my Werner paddles in this review as Werner paddles are considered by many to be the best WW paddles on the market.
Vertical Element paddles are put together here in the UK, any length, any feather. So from ordering, paying and then receiving, in my case took all of four days including a weekend. This in itself makes them a very attractive option for me. My VE’s are full carbon, cranked shaft, set at 35 degrees and 197cm in length. So apart from the cranked shaft I have went for a set up that is identical to the Werner Sidekicks that I have been using for the last few years. I have been using the VE’s for a couple of months now so it’s about time to commit my initial thoughts to the site.
A little background on VE:
Vertical Element is a British company driven by elite paddlers with backgrounds in composite engineering and advanced design.
Using this experience and knowledge we have created a new standard in white water paddles.
After an extensive period of research and development by Britain’s finest creeking and freestyle paddlers, we are ready to share this innovation in paddle design with you.
VE offers a personalised service priding itself in the manufacture of lightweight paddles that optimize power and enhance performance
Sweet Protection have launched themselves into the world of MTB with some great looking lids. The Fixer looks like a slimmed down Rocker and seems like it could be a great paddling lid. Inside shot is of the Fixer full face version.
I have been using Five Ten products on on off for the last 12+ years. Doing a very quick count I have found that I have gathered a number of Five Ten products, including climbing shoes, mountain bike shoes, approach shoes and now the Five Ten (5.10) Water Tennies.
A number of years ago I used the Nemo shoes for both whitewater rafting and kayaking, I found the grip very good even on greened up concrete. But I could never of got into my current play boat whilst wearing them.
A great video from NSR.
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