So I pick up my shiny new red Green Boat (yes, it's a red Green Boat, it has a personality conflict) in Santa Fe on my way to ski Taos for a long weekend and an hour after I unwrapped the plastic I was making sure it floated on the Racecourse of the Rio Grande. For the next three days it was getting snowed on atop my car up at the Taos Ski Valley. I always wonder what all the other skiers think when they see a kayak way up at the mountain.... At any rate, since then I have gotten the outfitting dialed in and I've taken her down many runs of the Arkansas from Pine Creek and the Numbers to the Royal Gorge.
I know that this boat has been out there for some years now and there have been many excellent reviews written about it by paddlers with way more challenging river miles than I have been able to see it on yet. Here are my thoughts all the same. Maybe you will find something insightful.
First impressions... She is fast out of gate! So much so that, being used to a regular creek boat, I kept overshooting my mark when making a cut across current. One or two paddle strokes combined with the tracking provided by the extra length and you'll accelerate pretty much right where you are pointing. However, I noticed that a sustained cruising top speed across calm water, while way faster than a regular creeker, is not quite as fast as I had expected. One reason for this of course is that the design is more similar to a stretched creek boat as opposed to that of a sprinter. Also, there is no drop skeg which would help with tracking. Some people are into that for river-tripping.
Down river handling... A good way to describe the real handling difference between the Green Boat and a regular creeker is that a shorter boat will run a drop, say "That was fun! What next?" and then kind of be ready for whichever new direction you wanted to go. The GB will fly through the drop, then wants to keep accelerating straight into the bank on the other side. As the paddler, you must be ready for this. But that's what I love about it, because once you expect it, you can compensate and use it to your advantage. Similarly with boofing. The GB, while pretty flat in the middle, has big well rockered ends and does a surprisingly good job of getting on top of and sailing over rocks. It does this so well that the boof into eddy turn is really quite difficult as the boat seems inclined to land back out on the eddyline and continue down stream.
Speaking of eddy turns, I guess I shouldn't have been too surprised when I had to go back to the basics of the old school long-boat turn. First off, know that there are edges, they are just kind of soft and high so you have to really heal the boat over to go searching for them. Personally, I like soft edges on a creek boat as it makes for softer landings and a more stable ride when bumping over rocks. That being said, the GB will really sail into an eddy and carry it's speed back up stream. In tighter situations, being ready with a good backstroke to arrest that momentum and aid in the turn becomes a necessity.
Another tip to success with this long boat would be to really use pressure through your feet on the bulkhead for control. While that's a good thing to remember all the time, the GB seems to be particularly more responsive when this is remembered.
Thoughts on fit and outfitting... No, Dagger is not paying me to write this, but I love their system. The 2014 outfitting is highly adjustable very secure. It's a snap to move the seat forward or back and all the included foam shims for the bulkhead, hip pads, and under the seat make it so you can dial in the fit without ever shaving foam or breathing glue fumes. I even like the ratcheted front seat riser to help snug up the legs. Some people say that it's flimsy, but it's not made to be load-bearing, just as a support. Plus, I find it is nice to be able to adjust that feature though out the day to help with leg cramping. As for the fit, I'm 5''10, 140 lbs, 31" inseam and this boat fits like a glove; probably the most comfortable "out of the box" fit ever. To that end though, I did move the seat forward a little bit along with the thigh braces, which are actually the one piece of the outfitting that I wasn't super impressed with. While they are comfortable, the part of the brace that attaches to the kayak looks like it hasn't been updated in years. I bet they could shave some weight there and make it easier to line up the little screw holes.
Often the actual shape of the kayak itself gets over looked when people think of fit. The GB is narrow, but it's length gives it stability. This also allows it to roll incredibly fast and easily. And that narrowness plays into the fit as well; as with my Pyranha Shiva, the front deck is not as high and wide as many other modern creekers. I find that not being as big and tall as most other kayakers out there I quite appreciate the comfort of the lower and narrower front deck. If the cockpit is too large I know that I'll never get the fit just right.
In the end, the Green Boat is making me a better paddler and making me return to some of my river running basics. She demands to be driven or she'll take you for a ride.
