You might try the "Creek Boats" thread on Gear Talk: there's some decent coverage on the JK Rocker and Riot Magnum (disclaimer: yes, I wrote one of those posts), as well as more discussion on the LL Jefe (not much real "review" material, though), going on there right now??
As for personal preferences, I'm currently paddling the small Fluid Solo, and LOVE it!!
I demoed (or borrowed) many more "popular" creekboats (LL Jefe, Pyranha M3, DR Mafia, WS Y, Riot Magnum, Dagger Nomad, etc etc etc) prior to purchasing, and while I liked certain aspects of most of them (I'm sorry Mafia affecionados, but that would've been the one exception-- also had a poor opinion of the Nomad?), none of them was the perfect fit? I did go back and forth on the Jefe (that's the safest I've ever felt in a boat, but in the end, it was just too BIG for me), and were there a smaller version, I'd have bought it instead (take half a foot or more off the length, drop a few lbs off the weight, and shave a gallon or two off the total volume, and I'd be a
very happy girl). But, since that isn't the case, I kept on looking-- which was ultimately okay, because then I found the Solo.
The (small) Solo was a match made in heaven from the first second I snapped my skirt onto it: it's a semi-displacement hull, with lots of volume in the bow, a bulbous stern, and an enviable amount of rocker to keep you well above the pile. It measures about a foot shorter than most other creekers (7'3"), to boot, which is what it *sounded like* you may be looking for?? (
http://www.fluidkayaks.com --> "Whitewater" --> "Solo") I've found having a little less length means it's an easier boat for me to paddle, too: it doesn't torque my shoulders the way some of those larger boats did, or require as much strength to drive. Instead, it locks into lines easily, has a "playboat" feel to it where maneuverability is concerned (not edgy at all, but the size means it responds to the paddler the same way, without him/her having to alter their style much), handles everything from waves and bigger volume to smaller, steeper more technical runs with ease, and is forgiving, highly stable, boofs easily, and resurfaces on the same level as the Jefe (fast and evenly). It also punches right thru holes, without ever risking that "hole bait" feeling I dreaded in some of the larger boats.
Granted, as much as I love to Solo, I will concede it's not as quick as one of the big drivers like the Magnum, but it's not a slow boat, either. And what it's lost in acceleration, it more than makes up for in agility: it'll turn on a dime, and tuck into the eddy like a dream. Great on drops, and outstanding plastic-- I pitoned the hell outta mine the
first run out (something we'd run problem-free two days earlier with 8" - 10" more water), left a grapefruit-sized indention in the nose, and parked it in a friend's front yard for the next 24 hours. By noon the next day, the grapefruit-sized pignose had shrunk to about the size of a baseball, by 5 o' clock, he and I were both looking for so much as a single scuff mark on the front of the boat. Gone. Completely. Perfectly. As good as new.
I can't say enough good things about this boat, and if you're looking for a shorter creeker, I'd highly suggest demoing one. Hopefully you'll love yours as much as I've loved having mine. Good luck!
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