How to Pick a Kayak Series - Part 1 - Whitewater vs Crossover
Vložit
- čas přidán 14. 07. 2024
- In this video the team from Aquabatics Calgary will help you decide if a whitewater or crossover kayak is right for you. Includes pros and cons of each option along with how to weigh up which option is best for you.
Like this video? Don't forget to like and subscribe! Feel free to leave any questions in the comment section below.
FOLLOW US!
Find us on Instagram: / aquabaticsalberta
Find us on Facebook: / aquabaticsalberta - Sport
I've ran whitewater most of my life. Now at 64 I've got a crossover and I'm never going back. Its like a 4 wheel drive boat. Get caught up in a boil, hit the skeg and you instantly pull out. Amazing control that I thoroughly enjoy. It's a Liquid Logic Remix xp9 and I absolutely love it. I also have a Dagger Stratos. Love em both but my whitewater roots lean me toward the xp unless I'm looking at a lot of flatwater.
Very good video. Thank you. Smiles
So stoked to hear you are still out there at 64. Thanks for the comments and for checking out the video.
I'll be out there a lot longer. Thank you. Kayakers are awesome people. Lovin life...
Thk u for the information. From me in Batang, central Java Indonesia 🙏
Great, descriptive video, without all the "slang & mumbo jumbo" that kills the video's intent!
Just clear concise questions with clear concise answers and justification of those answers!
Finally thank you, great job
Realist thanks so much for the kind words. So stoked you enjoyed the video.. we promise to keep them coming.
I want to see the 2 part, please when is ready Whitewater vs Crossover 2
Hi Abner. Sorry we were a little delayed on this. Didn't receive notification for some reason. Our next video on this topic will be Crossover vs Recreational paddling. Should be out sometime over the winter months
thanks... from Chile
I really need some help on getting a kayak. I have no idea how identify a crossover kayak. I keep hearing the word crossover thrown around alot but no one explaining. Do all crossover kayaks have smooth bottoms? Do all crossovers have drop down skegs? Where can I look at different crossover kayaks? What are a few different options I have? I want to kayak and camp from from my boat. But I also want to navigate rapids and take my boat on the ocean in waves. Someone please help!
Orel Hutchins thanks for the post. Stoked to hear you are looking for a kayak. Generally speaking crossovers are 9 to 10 feet long, have characteristics that lend them to paddling flatwater and moving water (in some cases up to class III/IV), typically 5hey have drop down skegs and the outfitting varies from quite recreational to quite whitewater driven depending on the model.
A few options are as follows
Dagget Axis (flatwater and some moving water): www.aquabaticscalgary.com/store/sit-inside/1336-dagger-axis-120-kayak.html
Dagger Katana (good flatwater performance but more river paddling inspired): www.aquabaticscalgary.com/store/search?controller=search&orderby=position&orderway=desc&search_query=Katana&submit_search=
Jackson Karma Traverse (similar to Katana): www.aquabaticscalgary.com/store/search?controller=search&orderby=position&orderway=desc&search_query=Traverse&submit_search=
They are just a few.. hope that helps. Let us know if you have any more questions.
If you want to be running class 2 and some 3, and that is mostly all you want to do, then a river runner is for you. If you want to do some flatwater paddling, surf ocean waves (3 feet or less), and limit your river rapids to class 1 and 2 minus, then a crossover boat is what you want. I can't see how a crossover boat would be great banging around rocks and tight turns in typical rivers - it would get stuck and hung up a lot. Better to take a crossover on rivers that have nice clean shoots to run through.
Is the foldable kayak like trak or oru kayak a best choice for all tarrant? If not then why ?
Thanks for the comment. I am not familiar with Ora but I know Trak make a great product. Not designed for whatewater or crossover style paddling, though very good for flatwater, easy storage and travelling. Inflatable kayaks such as Aquaglide and Star are also worth considering if portability and easy storage are a premium for you.
I'm looking for a kayak that will mainly be used for recreational lake stuff or slow rivers, but if it gets filled with some water it could still be paddled. I'm not expecting a full thing of water like a whitewater, but just don't want a kayak I'm going to have to swim with it to get to land to empty it.
But I don't want to spend a crazy amount. I'm expecting a cheap kayak, like $500 or less. If it doesn't paddle well in lakes or rivers, fine. I just want it to have the functions mentioned (and be a sit in of course)
Stoked you are looking at getting a boat. All kayaks will get a little water in them when you paddle. None of them paddle well if l they get filled up. Just have a sponge or some kind of baiking device handy and that will solve that problem.
Lots of sit in options from $500 to $700 price range. Depends where you are in the world as far as brands go.
@@AQOutdoors Yeah I know that all wont paddle well, but take the cheap end recreational ones, they literally sink on the one end because water fills the to the end of the back. I need to find one that will at least still float enough to not bring me and my stuff totally under.
It would be instructive to briefly explain from where are we crossing over. Perhaps "The crossover is between a recreational or touring kayak and a whitewater..."
Thanks Martin. A very good point. In a nutshell, crossover kayak were designed to help those wanting to paddle Class II/III (max) whitewater but not do it in a traditional whitewater kayak. The hull designs are similar to whitewater boats, so they perform well in the river. However, they are a bit longer and wider which improves flatwater speed and stability in the river over the narrower and shorter whitewater boats. Conversely they perform much better all around than traditional recreational kayaks.
With the addition of the rear bulkhead and drop down skegs, crossover boats can easily carry gear for a few days on the water (lake or river) and track well on flatwater sections.
The short answer is the crossover boats provide a higher performance option for rec paddlers looking to do more river paddling and some semi-technical whitewater, or for those that dont quite want to double down on whitewater paddling, the cross over provides a forgiving and versatile option for exploring whitewater in. They are also a fantastic option for multi day river trips.
Hope that helps!
So a creek boat is better for a beginner that wants to get into white water vs a river runner ??
Thanks for the comment. It really depends on a bunch of factors. In short.. a creek boat gives newer paddlers speed and stability, it does however sacrifice in some of the 'feel' components that a river runner can provide. A river runner is typically a little 'sportier' than a creek boat. Often with more defined edges. This is great for the feel though can prove a little unstable at times for newer paddlers. Those are some of the pros and cons.
I would say for some people creekboats are preferable for learning and river runners for others. Ultimately it depends on the paddler and location.
How that helps.
Simon
what are the best river runners you guys have come across?
+Peter Lyday my favorite for pure class II to III+ river running is the dagger axiom
How would you compare (if you can) axiom vs z.one? i am torn between these too..i had axiom for almost 3 years but never tried z.one.
What would the cons be of using a white water boat on a lake (calm waters) ? I’m dying to get into this sport, and me being the kind of guy that always wants the roughest most extreme, I don’t wanna end up buying the wrong boat.. but being realistic I’ll probably end up on a lot of "not-white-water" trips. Thanks in advance and thanks for an awesome video
Thanks for checking out the video. The main downside of a whitewater kayak on flatwater is they are super SLOW and they dont track in a straight line super well. You could consider a crossover style boat like a Dagger Katana. Although they dont work for extreme whitewater you can certainly paddle class III and they do well on flatwater.
AQ Outdoors - Aquabatics Calgary Wow man Thanks for your super fast and informative reply !! I’ll check the katana out! Oh and I’ll ofc subscribe.. your channel looks like something I could put to good use in my kayak journey :D
@@oliverrosenkrantz7603 thanks so much for the reply! Stoked it useful advice. Feel free to fire us questions here anytime!
AQ Outdoors - Aquabatics Calgary thanks a lot man!! Oh here comes another one right away then cheers haha.. given the fact that I have no kayaking experience other than once back in school, can I jump straight into wild water kayaking or should I start out with something more slow paced to get basic skills first?
@@oliverrosenkrantz7603 Where are you located in the world? If you are looking at getting into whitewater I would strongly recommend taking a weekend or week long course. that will build solid fundamentals, introduce basic safety and set you off on the right foot!
I have a touring kayak and as such it’s not really suitable for WW but only for slow-moving rivers at best. Also, being made of ABS it’s not a great option for rock gardening in the sea either. That’s why I was thinking about getting a Crossover WW kayak, like the Dagger Katana 10.4, that seems like the perfect choice to allow me to do both rock gardening in the sea as well as go down rivers and rapids up to Class III. The only thing I’m wondering is, how will it perform out in the sea in terms of tracking, speed and stability? I’m assuming a sea kayak will be better than a crossover in the sea in all three categories. It has almost no rocker which means bad tracking and rounded hull means slower overall speed. Don’t know about the secondary stability, but I don’t know how more challenging it would be to use a crossover in the sea instead of a touring kayak.
Thanks @vylkeer. You are right about the downsides of the crossover in the sea. It will be slow for sure.. tracking is improved with use of the skeg, the flipside of that is the Katana is super maneuverable in rock gardening situations.
I would say a more sea kayak "crossover" option would be the Dagger Stratos 12.5.
I love the Katana for class III whitewater, river based overnights though much prefer the Stratos 12.5 as a sea kayak style all round boat..
Hope that helps..
Simon Coward Right, I forgot about the skeg, that will improve the Katana’s tracking in flatwater. I thought of the Stratos 12.5 as well, but that, just like the Wilderness Tsunami 125, is more of a sea kayak with attitude. It can be defined as an “all-rounder” for sure as it will be great in the sea for touring, rock gardening and surfing. It will also handle rivers, as you said, thanks to its beefy polyethylene construction. The only problem is though that being longer and having more of a V-shaped hull I think it won’t be as agile and easy to maneuver in a river as a Katana which is, on the other hand, a proper WW kayak that can also be used in the sea. So it should be better than a Tsunami or Stratos in rivers. Since I already own a sea kayak, getting a Stratos would be like getting another one while I wanted more of a WW kayak to have a boat with a different hull design, specifically made for rivers but that could also be used in the sea for rock gardening. Thanks for your answer.
@@Vylkeer totally makes sense. The katana would for sure be a much different boat than the stratos or tsunami.. happy paddling
I have the Dagger Axis and although a little tough to drag around corners on tight small rivers it seems to be a good balance of lakes and moving water and storage for a day on the water with a young paddler. Our saying.." What do I take paddling with my 8 year old son?? Answer.. Always one more thing...
Will this boat be capable of bigger water up to class III?
So stoked to hear you are getting out on the water with your child. The Axis is capable up to about Class II/II+. In the right hands, they can certainly paddle Class III, but lack the maneuverability required for more technical whitewater.
If you are wanting to progress into harder whitewater you will likely want to look at getting either a more aggressive crossover or a whitewater boat.
Hope you continue to get out on the water as a family.
Possibly a river runner for the storage for a long day trip. Any suggestions for a more aggressive crossover boat than the Axis 10.5? Or... Better outfitting thigh braces perhaps to upgrade the Axis?
Son is HOOKED!!! and very proficient for his age.
Nice.... where in the world are you located? Kids certainly take to it super quickly.
I would say the Dagger Katana or Jackson Karma Traverse are both top notch options for more river running focused crossovers.
North Carolina..
American Southeast. Plenty of rivers 200 cfs to 2000cfs.
Lots of edgy and ledges as rivers drop off of the Fall Line on way to the Coastal Plains of the Eastern United States.Could send pics through other media. E Mail Messenger etc if you wish.
I want a crossover but seems like there aren't many in production these days.
That is true. Dagger are still making the Katana (my personal cross over favorite), Pyranha make the fusion, also a nice boat...not sure if Liquid Logic are still making the Remix XP series..
@@AQOutdoors the remix xp and stinger xp are still on there website so perhaps but who's to say for 2021. Where do you even look to find whats coming in the future is there any international kayak boat show? Like namm is for music?
@@Rockerrobin that is a good question.... just retailers and manufacturer sites..
@@AQOutdoors surprising I mountain bike as well and there are several channels dedicated to new products releasing new content every week. Haven't really come across anything like that in kayaking yet.
Prijon has the MUNGA - I have one - I like him very much - he is so stabil lying in the water through troubled waters (sorry for my bad English) - I can rely on him - nice boat
Don't go for a crossover, otherwise when you begin to like the sport you'll wish you had a proper boat...
SteepVisions definitely something to think about in the early stages of deciding on a boat
I disagree, the Liquidlogic Stinger xp is a great stout class V crossover boat. Literally designed to be the fastest down the legendary Green.