Kayak Help

[apurcell]

I'm def going to be sticking with kayaking. I'm going through guide training this spring to work for a rafting company but the guides all use kayaks on the river.

[mountainsurf123]

Give the WS Siren a try. It is a great design for most women boaters.

[apurcell]

Is that an older or discontinued model? I couldn't find it on the Wavesport website.

[mountainsurf123]

Its a discontinued model but they pop up for sale every once in a while. You might try posting and asking someone if you could demo their boat.

[apurcell]

Thanks

[lmaciag]

Here's a good tool to compare boats: http://eddyflower.com/BoatSearch.aspx

I'd be a little concerned b/c the Siren is only 40 gallons where your EZG is 50. The EZG 42 has a recommended paddler weight of 80-140 (the EZG 50 is 130-190). Might be a big jump in the way it performs going down river. I'd think the weight range for the Siren would be less than that of the EZG 42. Even though you can roll it better, you might be getting flipped over more.

I'm just a touch heavier than you and my smallest boat (Kingpin 6.2, playboat, not a river runner) was 47 gallons. Personally, I wouldn't go any smaller. A 2Fun at 46/47 (classic/new) gallons might be something good to try.

I over heard a friend talking about boat volume once when someone was dismissing a 5 gallon difference. He said, try to push a 5 gallon bucket under water... got me thinking. Volume, design all play key rolls. Do a little analysis with the page above. It will get you a little more familiar with the differences between models and sizes.

And, I don't think I recommended the Happy Seat with enough emphasis before... I think it would really help with the fit of any boat.

Laurie

[lmaciag]

After posting, though I'd give you a little personal perspective of my boat decisions over the past 6 seasons... Might help you figure things out.

I'm 5' 8" and around 150lbs. My first boat was a Piedra (not recommended, discontinued). Moved to an EZ and loved it. Bought a Kingpin 6.2 and sold the EZ b/c it did every think the EZ did and played better. Wanted something more stable for IV and added the small Mamba (7.5). Lost the KP on the drive back from Idaho and was hearbroken. Replaced it with a Wavesport ZG48 b/c I couldn't find a used KP. I'm not in love with the ZG and plan on selling it. Currently buying the older version of the Fun (51 gallons). So, I'll have two boats... Fun and Mamba. Might add a full on playboat to the mix and maybe a bigger river runner/creeker for multi-day self support, but I'm happy with the mix I'll have for the coming season.

L.

[l-dot]

I'm a little shorter, bit heavier (165) than you and I paddled a classic fun with no problem. It always felt a little big on me, but I needed the volume.

When the new funs came out I tried a 2 fun and the fit was perfect, but I felt I needed more volume so I went with the dagger agent 6.2. It fits me a little better than my classic fun and has plenty of volume at 50 gallons. At 140 though you should be good to go in a 2fun and I think you'll find the fit good and the boat super easy to roll.

As for raising the seat I found it actually made rolling easier because of the increased leverage but the boat becomes less stable.

[apurcell]

Thanks for your input. I haven't even thought of an Agent. I need to find a Dagger dealer near me so I can demo some of their boats.

[lmaciag]

Your first decision should be what you want to do with the boat. Your EZG and the Fun Series are river/play where as the Agent/Project/Star/etc are playboats. The design determines how they perform. If you are still struggling with your roll and have less river experience, a dedicated playboat might be a little agressive. A lot depends on your learning style. If you aren't getting your roll, you might want something that is less inclined to flip in the first place.