Boat advice please?

[Jesse D]

So it's finally time for me to buy my own boat instead of mooching. I've used the smaller ZG pretty steadily this last year and love it, but I want something with a little more stability on its ends like the old Ace or XXX, and that I feel more secure in on some small volume IV creeks. Weighing in at a whopping 130, I demo'd the smaller EZG and liked it, but it seemed to small and squirrley.

I'm thinking, the middle sized EZG, Pyranha i:3,... 7-O,.... s6....any advice or alternatives???

[rasdoggy]

DEMO more boats till you find the right one,

[Jesse D]

Yeah I know I need to demo, but I'd still appreciate some feedback from people in my weight range who have paddled some of these boats.

Amalamalanka!

[carimackey98@hotmail.com]

Ok, here is my opinion;
I am a 130 pounder as well. For doing big water or class IV creeking, I have used the riot sniper and love it. It's short enough that it's really easy to manuver but punches holes really well. It even surfs pretty well. It has the semi-dry hatch on it that was very handy when i took it down the Grand and long day trips to stow gear (though you need to still use a dry bag). It is fast, catches eddies really well and incredibly comfortable (i'm 5'10").
I would also recommend the Dagger Mamba 7.5. It's fast, steady, comfortable, and can surf pretty well. You could do a self-support in it because is has a lot of volume for stowing a small amount of gear in the stern. If you do self-support trips, check out the brand Go-Lite. They are from boulder and concentrate on ultra lightweight, durable, gear.
I feel like the LL Jefe is a bit too big for me. But you really should demo a bunch of boats before you buy. Support you're locally run kayak shop!!

[cecil]

I paddled an EZG50 all last season. At first it was a bit shaky for me too, but with some time in the boat it was great. It is a very responsive river runner that has great play ability. I've taken it into small class IV water with no problems. If you are looking for a river-runner/playboat it is a great choice.

[BrianK]

if you want a xxx ill sell you one for $150. I take it youve tried it since you mentioned it. It has some oil canning but at that price who can beat it. It is a great playboat for a smaller person. I am bigger than you and just could not bear more than 20-30 minutes in it. You might only be looking for a new boat though in which case best of luck making your decision.