I was lucky enough to try the 9R prototype back in August and ever since have been in love with the boat. I have had the opportunity to try it in a number of different situations – steep creeks to big volume, river running to racing to expeditions, and it just keeps surprising me by how well it performs.
My previous boat was very forgiving and a bit overkill for the sort of kayaking I was doing 90% of the time in the UK (Tees, Kent, Leven etc). I often get frustrated with people buying big creek boats too early in their kayaking careers and then relying on the boat to get them down things rather than being proactive and learning the skills themselves, even if it means risking swimming a bit more. I figured I should practice what I preach and find a less forgiving boat which would help me learn more skills and push my boating further. The narrow shape and edginess of the 9R means that it definitely fits this category.
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