generic boat for australian waters

[tnoymo2000]

Hi

I am a keen sea kayaker looking to move to the other side (but not give up my 5.4 m straight paddler).

I have all the strokes mastered, rolls etc, but none of the playboat stuff!

I have initially fairly generic requirements - a boat that will do everything but not to professional level and they tell me there's not that much in Aus (c/w a rafting trip down the zambezi for example)

I want to have something I can river run, don't know of any steep "creeks", but would like to do some fun stuff too - AND use it on a wave (that is - the sea type wave).

Boats that I've been told have the best of both worlds are:-
* Bliss stick scud - though it seems a bit stubby
* Pyranha seven 0
* dagger juice 7.1

I even have a possible second hand bliss stick blitz

I am a reasonably big guy - though lost a bit of weight recently after breaking my leg - usually around 6'1" and 100kg

Please help - I've reviewed all the other advice and there's plenty for tall stick men on this forum - just need some for me!

thanks

[COUNT]

Those are all good choices. They will be good intro river runners that you can also begin to learn to playboat in. I would also look into the Wavesport EZG and Dagger Rx. Both are good playboats that fit bigger people well and are still great river runners. Just watch out on the EZG's as the cockpit rims tend to crack (though supposedly they've fixed it for next season's models). You could take any of these boats surfing in the ocean, though none of them were designed as ocean surfing boats. Probably the most important thing is to find a shop where you can hop in all of these and see which feels the most comfortable for you and demo as much as you can. Hope this helps.

COUNT

[Andy H.]

Don't the whirlpools and eddies go counter-clockwise down there? It seems like this would need to be taken into account in boat design...

[tnoymo2000]

Now I have a list of five boats to try out.

That's great

I think this one was called the big EZ?

Dumb question number two - what is the "requirements" for a boat you can ride surf waves in? I point my sea kayak either straight at the wave on the way out, or ride it in with a stern rudder - very basic surfing - but I've seen what I thought were playboats doing flips and loops and such in the curl - what sort of boat is THAT?

Oh - and yeah - it's the coriolis force. My rolls go backward too.

[COUNT]

Basically, you're looking for a boat with edges so you can carve in the surf, low enough volume that you can throw it around when you get hauling and bouncing, and something short enough that you won't hit bottom when you ride it all the way in (this is what usually happens if you get too eager when surfing your sea kayak in).

The Wavesport EZ-Big EZ-Super EZ-series is great (only difference is size). They are a little older, larger, and not quite as playful as the newest boats on the market, but they are good playboats and great river-runners. The ZG is the model that followed those; another great boat and a little better for playboating than the EZ. The EZG is the next one they came out with. Again a great river-runner and playboat but they've had issues with the cockpit rim cracking.

Hope this doesn't make your list too long, but these and the ones you listed earlier are all great boats. I would recommend going to the shop and sitting in all of them. From there you will be able to tell what you fit well in/what is comfortable and that will help narrow the choices down. Then demo the ones you like. Best of luck.

COUNT