I am also looking to buy a creeker & I was just back east paddling for a couple weeks & had the chance to demo 6 boats on the Yough. Bottom line is... you are just going to have to demo them yourself so you really find out what feels right for you.
I will give you my 2 cent's for what it's worth; I am 6'3.5" & 215lbs,12 shoe............The Habitat was one of the most comfortable for me just sitting in the boat. it rolled really easy,very stable, but I found it to be a bit sluggish with turning/moving it around, not sure about the tuffness of the boat it felt Ok that way, my Diesel has not had any issues.......The Jefe was not a real fair demo because it became immediately noticeable that I was to big for the boat so the stern was a problem & very slow/sluggy since I sat too low in the water....... The Burn had been recommended numerous times to me so I was excited to give it a shot..it was very comfortable though still needed some padding for the knees, it tracked & turned really well, preetty stable but a little edgey, plenty of volume for punching thru holes, surfed well with it's flat bottom, did not huck it off anything more than a few 3-5ft drops/pour overs but in theory could see how on bigger drops it would not be as soft a landing with it's flat bottom, It did not have the feel of a real tuff boat, it felt kinda flimsy, it was also the hardest boat to roll for me of the six........ Blisstick Mystic was also a little small for me and had the same Jefe issues, also the shape of the seat in the back produced a spot that hit my tailbone which was way uncomfotable. I do feel though if that boat fit me better that it would be a killer boat........ The Fluid Solo was one of my favs. It was built like a tank. It was very comfortable. super easy to roll, boofed the best of all, had such a solid stern that when punching holes it was hard to get the thing to stern squirt which was great for me with my tendency to lean back at the wrong times, that stable stern is also great for stashing gear without any ill effects, it manuevered well, it surfed Ok but did actually spin easily in holes, very stable, it is heavy but that just added to it's feel of being bombproof, it just seemed like it did everything well, not necessarily great but just had no neg. issues other than the back band adj. was on the floor of the boat rather than the sides which I did not really care for.........The Prijon Hercules was my 2nd fav though if you are looking at the rocker instead of the megarocker it might initially seem a bit big for you so a Prijon Cross might be something to look at instead. But I do have two friends who paddle the Hercules & they are much smaller than me & they don't find the size to be an issue. Though it is big & heavy it it manuevered really well, spun, surfed, did it all, rolled very easy, super stable, punched holes with ease, super comfortable, plenty of room for stashing gear, like the solo it felt tuff which Prijon is noted for. It would be a great big water boat.
I did not demo a Jackson though I paddle a SuperFun & luv it....though I did break one. I stayed away from the MegaRocker because I just did not want that much volume & I really don't want a full displacement hull since I will probably be using the boat for big water runs as much as full on creeking & the Mega will doubtfully hold much of a line in big water.
Right now I am leaning towards the Solo mainly because it is shorter though I paddled better initially & felt more mentally comfortable in the Hercules. It's funny to get hung up on the length of the boat when the old schoolers were paddling alot of these rivers with boats 2 feet longer but I am used to a shorter boat so that's why the Solo. I am sure I would easily get use to the extra 8" in the Herc.
gh, you wouldn't know a good creek boat if it was stuck up your ass.
Lotsa, I hope you meant it as a compliment but it makes me very uncomfortable to have my name in such close proximity to Mr. Berman's.
Seriously Skinny Fish, you just have to laugh at the end of day at the buzz posts, with paddling season on the outs here in CO, people have energy that needs to be directed somewhere....
I paddled the Jefe for a season and I loved it, the plastic is a bit soft and the secondary stability is lacking but some of the best paddlers I know kill it in that boat, its a fucking great design. That would be my second choice.
I havent paddled the rocker but I have heard good and bad things. I dont like the outfitting (after sitting in one) and the design is missing a few things in my opinion but I'm sure EJ knows more about designing a boat than I do. I do know some folks that love the rocker but it seems like certain things need to be refined which I think they are working on now.
I think the question to ask Skinny is 'what kind of creeking are you going to do'? Because all the boats have different strengths as I'm sure you have gleaned from this thread. And they all break... eventually.
Try a burn because its downright a really fun boat to paddle, its intuitive to paddle, kills a tight line, and boofs like a dream. Pyranha is also a great company with an independent spirit and an authentic core, so you can feel good about that, which is good.
hell dude i was the only one that agreed with you about the burn....maybe i didnt indicate it properly....i love my burn....is that better?
you are probably right in indicating i dont know what i am talking about though
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"I'm not here to make a record, ya stupid cracker" Governor Pappy O Daniel
the history on my lol was that i assumed i was going to be bitched at for using the word "burn" again. I have been repeating it on most boat threads for about a year. i really do like my burn, just chimed in while laughing expecting the bb(buzz beatdown). you had no way of knowing that so sorry for the wrong inflection.
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"I'm not here to make a record, ya stupid cracker" Governor Pappy O Daniel
I just bought a Jefe after deliberating for a while about Jefe vs. Rocker. I'm 5'8, 145.
So here are my two cents:
It's all about edges. The Punk Rocker (smaller Rocker) was awesome on Bear Creek, but on a wider river like Pine Creek/Numbers did not carve at all or ferry as well as the Jefe, which has a little more edge. The Rocker is a boofing machine and turns quickly into tight eddies. BUT the Jefe boofs just as well, and moves when you ask it to, but not when you don't!! The only think about the Jefe is that it has taken me some getting used to because it's a little trickier to paddle because of the edges. But if you're running bigger water, I'd say the Jefe over the rocker for sure (but the rocker is a great fun boat for steep narrow creeks!!) Also- the Jefe does not have as flat a hull as, say, the Burn. This helps avoid landing too flat.
Hmm, it's kind of hard to say the Jefe has an edge, but whatever.
I would go with whatever boat feels best to you. I've paddled a Jefe for a couple years now and still like it a lot. Now that I don't paddle the mank as much, it holds up better. But I wouldn't say the Rocker is bad in big water, just depends on your skill. One of the guys I was running the Upper Cheakamus (BC big water creek) this last weekend with had a Rocker and paddled like a stud so I wouldn't say they don't perform in that environment.
Hmm, it's kind of hard to say the Jefe has an edge, but whatever.
I would go with whatever boat feels best to you. I've paddled a Jefe for a couple years now and still like it a lot. Now that I don't paddle the mank as much, it holds up better. But I wouldn't say the Rocker is bad in big water, just depends on your skill. One of the guys I was running the Upper Cheakamus (BC big water creek) this last weekend with had a Rocker and paddled like a stud so I wouldn't say they don't perform in that environment.
Any good paddler will tear it up in either boat, aswell as tear up the boat, but i would most deffinantly recomend the Jefe, and the new outfitting is the shit! The mystic is a pretty sick boat also, especially now that they changed the plastic.
just get a tube, your probably not good enough to tell the difference betweeen that and a Jefe, or a Rocker.
I'm sorry but most of the comments here are stupid! You don't run big enough drops to know if it's going to hurt when you land.. I'm sure that either boat will perform well enough for your laps down Waterton.
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