run of the river
A Guide to
Boats and Gear
By Rapid Staff/Virginia Marshall
FOR MANY PADDLERS, running rivers is whitewater at its purest. Paddling downriver—swept away by
the current from the ordinary into the extraordinary—holds an allure conspicuously lacking in the concrete
ditches and kayak-crammed eddies of flamboyant, drive-in playboating.
Whether you’re following down your first class III or bending the technical lines between river and creek,
our first-ever river running boat and gear guide points paddling purists of virtuous tastes in the right
direction for the best kayaks, canoes, paddles, PFDs and more.
In the left column you’ll find gear you’re likely to get pitched when you tell the sales Jed how stoked you
are that you didn’t swim. On the right side is stuff that the sales Jed himself is likely to paddle or wear.
Choosing the right river running boats and gear is not about price. It’s about matching performance to
skills. Being comfortable in your equipment and the river environment. And having what you need to get
down safely. Then, and only then, it’s about style.
Right Jed?
Intro Pro
SOLO OC
MaD riVer outrAGe esQuif PreLude
I learned to paddle whitewater in an Outrage. Having only sterned The inspiration for the Esquif Prelude came from modified Ocoee
a canoe on flatwater a few months earlier, I remember thinking that Franken-boats that began appearing at freestyle competitions in
this paddling business was far easier than I had anticipated. Of the early ‘90s. By chopping out the most stable middle 12 inches
course having a stable, comfortable learning vessel didn’t hurt. The and bonding the ends back together, a super-short, continuously
Mad River Outrage is a favourite of paddling schools. A long and rockered rodeo dynamo emerged. Given its pedigree, it’s not
graceful yet highly rockered shallow-arch hull also allow the Outrage surprising that the Prelude is a lively and unnerving ride that excels
to accelerate rapidly and turn easily, making it an equally popular on tight and technical creeks. The narrow hull initially feels very
choice for serious slalom racers. unstable, but it snaps from edge to edge and shines when boofing
available in two sizes
and surfing. With the polyethylene construction of a kayak, the
MsrP $1,200 us/Cdn iQ2 vinyl gunwales,
Prelude is ideal for open canoe river runners looking to beat the crap
$1,300 us/Cdn wood gunwales out of their boats.
madrivercanoe.com
MsrP $1,900 Cdn/$1,670 us
esquif.com
TANDEM OC
NOVa Craft ProSPeCtor
The Prospector design has endured for 85 years, undergoing many
Bell nexuS
variations along the way but maintaining the classic grace, stability In the vein of playful river runners like the Caption and Synergy, the
and versatility that have made it the most popular canoe shape of all Bell Nexus is a tandem boat that performs like a solo. Modeled on
time. Nova Craft’s Prospector 16 remains faithful to the original with Bell’s solo Prodigy but with a hull scaled for two paddlers the Nexus
a shallow arch hull, soft chines and generous rocker that rides dry in heels with gusto, falling onto its secondary stability in the shouldered
waves even when fully loaded. Constructed of durable Royalex, this flare just below the gunwales. Lots of rocker and full ends round out
Prospector is hardy enough for extended whitewater tripping and a boat that is ideal for expert partners who want to catch waves and
manoeuvrable enough for playful runs at the local set. stay dry while testing their skills and agility on the tightest rivers.
MsrP $1,649 Cdn/$1,499 us royalex or royalex lite MsrP $1,465/$1,760 us vinyl/wood gunwales
novacraft.com bellcanoe.com
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