[cbrobin]

I did the Royal Gorge Downriver race yesterday with a borrowed Crossfire hoping it would be fast. Unfortunately my "tight" sprayskirt leaked and it slowed me down. Is there a consensus on pure speed on any of the creekers? I was in the long boat division with the three "Green Boats", guess my place. Is there a consensus on the speeder long boats? I guess I'm looking for a boat that will give me a shot. I could have trained of course but I thought I was going to be elsewhere. I did go down a few pages but didn't see anything.

Thanks in advance.

 

[mark_vanis]

Stinger?

 

[roberts81]

"Fastest Long boat" is probably a different question than "fastest creeker", since long boats are not general purpose creekers. They are simply boats built to compete in modern down river races -- with a focus on down-river speed while still able to handle up to class V whitewater in the right hands. A secondary purpose is for multi-day self support trips.

Various race results have boats listed for the winners:
Results | The Green Race
Russell Fork Lord of the Fork Race History

For modern long boats, between the three major players--Dagger Green Boat, Liquid Logic Stinger, and Jackson "Karma Unlimited"--it looks like its mostly about who's driving rather than one being a clearly "faster" boat.

 

[mark_vanis]

Ageed. Another reason the stingers and green boats were at the top might not be faster boats but people that train More. if you you get a stinger chances are you train... Alot.

 

[Dave Frank]

I just got JK's Karma RG. It is the same hull
As the karma unlimited, but has an added stern hatch and a retractable skeg. This boat is fast and a lot of
Fun. I've not run it through class V yet but it handles IV really well.

Definitely more about the paddler than the boat as far as racing, unless you're the only guy in a race boat sandbagging on easy water.


-Dave
(Seven two 0) 298-2242

 

[cbrobin]

Thanks, Yeah I realize I asked two questions. i saw a Green Boat on the swap this winter for $500. A lot for something I would use once a year.

Maybe I should have used my Fluid Detox?

 

[tango]

Just bought a green boat. Its the shit. I won't be paddling it once a year. I'll be using it on my after work class 4 and 5 to take the place of my normal creeker. Its harder to paddle, thus more fun. Plus it looks awesome sticking way out of my pickup truck.


Sent from my iPhone using Mountain Buzz

 

[mark_vanis]

My old franky is pretty fast

 

[lmyers]

Fastest boat I have paddled is the LL Stinger XP w/skeg.

 

[SimonMW]

The Mamba, Nomad, Shiva, Burn, Stomper, and Recon are all good boats, but the Karma is truly better. It is the complete package. Don't let anyone talk you out of one.

Tried a Zet Raptor or Director? Simple, but light and very rigid outfitting. Very fast boats, and lock into a line like you wouldn't believe.

I hear very good things about the JK Karma. Haven't had a chance to try one myself, but if you can get a demo of a Zet, do so!

 

[tmward]

Heard the Fluid Bazooka is a fast creeker...actually pretty much the only things I've read about it in reviews comment on "how fast this boat was" and stuff along those lines

 

[Don]

Stinger

The LL Stinger should be the fastest on paper. Length, taper, hull and mostly width should make it the fastest, but the most twitchy out of the bunch. Green Boat would be the best on creekier runs and the Karma for best multi purpose. The Karma UL surfs good and paddles like a bigger faster version of the Karma. I've been looking into for a few years now. As far as fast creek boats go in the 8.5 world I would look at the JK Zen or the LL Remix.

 

[Dave Frank]

The Karma RG is fast becoming my favorite boat.

I've done a half dozen runs through boulder Canyon in it and am really starting to figure it out. It is so zippy. At first I was leary of catching smaller eddies, but after figuring it out, this thing eddies on a dime. In fact the speed alone allows me to attain the back edge of an eddy that i might have bled out of in a standard creek boat.

I have yet to paddle it loaded down, but rumor has it that it hardly cares how much you put in it.

When I read Steve Fischer say that if he could only have one boat, it would be this, I assumed it was corporate hype. After paddling it for a couple weeks, I believe he is right.

I don't know where I will draw my personal line for what runs push me out of this and into my Large Karma, but obviously the top notch boater can take this down anything.

Stookesberry and Korbulic paddled these loaded on the Fantasy Falls stretch.

I don't know what all the Jacksons paddle it on, but they designed it for races like the Narrows of the Green and the Russel Fork.

I think I said it earlier, but the Karma Unlimited is the full on race version, and the Karma RG is made from the same mold, other than it has a hatch, a bulkhead and a retractable skeg built into it, making it a better option for loading and touring, without compromising anything beyond a tiny bit of weight.

 

[SimonMW]

Just FYI, Zet Kayaks can be obtained in the USA now.
Zet Kayaks US

I am UK based and have just ordered a Veloc from a UK dealer. Light to carry, a reputation for being very strong and taking some real beatings, very simple outfitting, which is comfortable but also light.

A few people are put off the Zets because the outfitting is basic, but don't let that fool you. It is quite clever with the diamond shaped reinforcing structure under the seat, and the hull is superb.