I am helping my husband with research on a couple playboats: SuperStar and EZG60. He is 6', 180 lbs., size 11 foot. His current playboat is a LiquidLogic CR 250. This boat surfs well but he finds it hard to roll. Also, it is more of a river runner than playboat. He demoed a SuperStar the other day & liked it. Another option might be the EZG60 because I have an EZG42 and he says it is a good design. We are looking for advice about what he should get. Thanks!
EZG is really about the same thing as the CR - a free-runner (freestyle/downriver hybrid). The Super Star is all play and an excellent choice! At his size, he'll have adequate volume in the boat for river running. If he likes Wavesport, he should consider the Project, not the EZG for a pure playboat.
Maybe keep the CR in either case for those high water #'s (or similar) runs.
When I was looking for a river running playboat I demoed the CR 125 and EZG 50 (I'm 6'0" and 160 lbs size 9 feet, 34" inseam). I hated the CR and loved the EZG (I also tried the Fun bit didn't care for the outfitting). If he's more into river running than playboating I'd get the EZG but he should see if he can fit into an EZG50 (I don't know if 180 lbs is above the recommended weight). I had to modify the bulkhead so I could point my toes and fit in it. I rented a EZG60 in Ecuador for running up to class V- and loved it for river running, but it wasn't very playfull. EZG50 fits me great, is very playfull while still being an excellent river runner. I love it for things like yesterday's run through the gorge at 3800 cfs.
I am 6' 180 with a 34 inseam. I would not recommend the super star, it is far to large for any freestyle he would like to do (i would think). All he will be able to do is loops and spins. any vertical moves will be very very hard to accomplish in that boat. It will probably run rivers ok, but if what he wants is a river running playboat, that is what he should buy. not a full on playboat that gets him down the river. In my opinion.
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"Ain't a single rock in this river that can stop us!" Slug
I am 6' 180 with a 34 inseam. I would not recommend the super star, it is far to large for any freestyle he would like to do (i would think). All he will be able to do is loops and spins. any vertical moves will be very very hard to accomplish in that boat. It will probably run rivers ok, but if what he wants is a river running playboat, that is what he should buy. not a full on playboat that gets him down the river. In my opinion.
I actually agree with this - I am 5'11, 180, 11 feet and I have paddled the All Star, which plays great but is small for river running. The Super is big for me and I can't throw it around that well - he might have the same issue. Runs river well and loops huge at our weight - but hard to cartwheel/throw around like the smaller size. This is actually a problem with the JK and Wavesport playboats - they don't have an ideal playboat size for us, the average sized paddler (170 - 190 lbs). Really, average sized paddlers are kind of in between most companies' medium and large boats. He could check out the Biscut from Logic, which will roll about the same as the CR. It fits average size well though.
I'm his size and weight and I use a EZG50. Plenty of downriver stability and being at the higher end of the weight range, you can throw it around. Finally, it is short enough for most colorado creek/rivers.
That said, if he is running the Colorado river all the time, or working at 3000+ cfs, then he'll get tossed a bit in big rapids
I am helping my husband with research on a couple playboats: SuperStar and EZG60. He is 6', 180 lbs., size 11 foot. His current playboat is a LiquidLogic CR 250. This boat surfs well but he finds it hard to roll. Also, it is more of a river runner than playboat. He demoed a SuperStar the other day & liked it. Another option might be the EZG60 because I have an EZG42 and he says it is a good design. We are looking for advice about what he should get. Thanks!
He is getting a Jackson SuperStar; likes the 2009 model. Thanks to all who gave their opinion regarding playboats. Anyone out there wanting to sell their SuperStar?
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