B O A T i N s i D e r
unlimited miles per gallon.
Photo Beth KenneDy
Fuel economy
WAVE SPORT’S NEW Diesels GET GREAT MILEAGE
LATELY IT SEEMS that whitewater kayak compa- lon series and coupling these with updated, fully shedding issues in meaty holes and wave trains.
nies have been taking marketing cues from the adjustable thigh braces, Peerson has enabled a This new deck profile allows the Diesel to resur-
domestic auto industry. When you consider the wider range of paddlers to dial in the perfect fit. face more predictably and smoothly as well as
parallels between the plummeting bottom line of The two original Diesels had huge weight shed water better when punching holes.
the Big Three and the trickling sales of whitewater ranges that seemed to work fine for smaller and When we reviewed the original Diesel in 2004,
kayaks over the last decade, it makes sense that larger paddlers but left those 160- to 175-pounds we raved about its wicked stability, ease of rolling,
boat makers are economizing and shifting their in something of a sizing no-man’s-land. These impressive cruising speed and uncanny ability
focus to multitalented models that can chew the paddlers were well within the weight ranges of to rip long waves. Tearing up swollen creeks this
miles on any type of water. both boats, but the 75 had better buoyancy, agil- spring, we found the new Diesel is still a pleasure
The copycat trend had already begun in 2004 ity and stability, while the 65 felt more proportion- to paddle and a blast to surf. Like a Porsche Cay-
when Wave Sport hailed its new Diesel river runner ate. The new Diesel 70 is—as Goldilocks would enne, the Diesel is a chimera with comfortable ac-
as the “SUV of kayaks.” Fortunately, Wave Sport say—just right. cessibility that hides a tune-it-out core and makes
left out the stumbling blocks of most SUVs—poor The design team didn’t stop at sizing, however. advancing boaters paddle a class better.
mileage and an unrefined ride—and incorporated “After paddling the Diesel and compiling feed- Wave Sport’s claim that the Diesel is the ideal
only desirable qualities like rugged versatility and back for four years we came up with a few tweaks go anywhere, do anything kayak is backed by this
voluminous cargo space. to improve the design,” Peerson explains. These river runner’s proven performance on large-volume
The Diesels were a huge success and contin- tweaks included adding a few inches of overall rivers, creeks and waves. Cash-strapped kayakers
ued to be a top-selling boat for Wave Sport into length and increasing the flare on the sidewalls. (is there any other kind?) will appreciate the Die-
last year. So when Wave Sport announced it was He also revamped the rocker profile, softening sel’s versatility and quiver-of-one economy. —V.M.
overhauling the design for 2009, many fans of the the transition between the hull and the ends to im-
original were apprehensive. Given the popular- prove speed and turning. Wave Sport team pad-
WaVe sPOrt Diesel 60/70/80
ity and superb handling, outfitting and versatility dler Bryan Kirk tested the Diesel on some West
LENGTH ...................................7’2/7’10”/8’4”
of the original, “What the hell are they thinking?” Virginia 20-footers and says the new gradual rock-
seemed a fair question. er break also makes for softer landings and easier
WIDTH .................................24.5”/ 25”/25.8”
What lead designer Robert Peerson was think- boofs than the old boat.
VOLUME ...........................60/70/80 US GAL
ing was that by offering more sizing options, he If you park the new Diesel next to its predeces-
WEIGHT .................................. 38/40/42 LBS
could make the Diesel series the river runners of sor, the 2009 model’s peaked bow and stern deck PADDLER .....60–130/120–190/170–260 LBS
choice for even more paddlers. By replacing the are among the most striking changes. The origi-
PRICE .................................... $995 US/CDN
old 65 and 75 gallon sizes with a 60, 70 and 80 gal- nal design struggled with resurfacing and water
wavesport.com
Rapid Rapid early summer 2009
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