“It would take
a determined effort and some horrible luck to piton the Jefe.”
“Even a monkey could boof the Solo.” FLUID
SOLO small
FLUID SOLO Overall ............................7.9 Acceleration .....................6.7 Manoeuvrability ..............9.7 Stability .............................7.5 Resurfacing ...................... 7.1 Boof-ability ..........................9 Outfitting ..........................8.4 Tracking ............................ 7.1
South Africa’s Fluid Kayaks has dropped into the North American creeking market with the Solo, avail- able in two sizes (small and large) and a special expedition model. The Solo was the shortest boat we
tested by a whopping four inches. Four inches may not seem like much on paper, but it was enough to elicit unanimous praise for its manoeu- vrability and boofability, and it left reviewers begging for more speed. The stability of the soft rails and semi-displacement hull is reminis- cent of older style creek boats— leaving initial stability lacking a little, but offering very forgiving secondary stability. There were mixed reviews on its
Length ............................7’ 3” Width ...........................25.25” Weight .........................39 lbs Volume ........................65 gal Weight Range ...100–230 lbs Price ...................$1,300 Cdn ...................................$915 US
www.fluidkayaks.com
resurfacing characteristics but most reviewers agreed that it is hardly an issue since the Solo did such a good job of staying on top of features (and we had the low-volume size). The rocker and short length made it easy to lift the bow up on top of reaction- ary waves and holes. Inside, the adjustable hip pads
are a nice touch but ours were prone to self-adjusting when we didn’t want them to. Fluid agreed and said they have fixed the problem by reinforc- ing their fasteners for 2006. The forgiving round and smooth
hull of the Solo could take the edge off the learning curve for beginner creekers. The Solo is a true creek boat at home on narrow, steep, low volume runs with tight lines and plen- ty of must-make boofs.
CREEKERS’ FEEDBACK:
Seat and spine are roto-moulded into a light and stiff single unit. Adjustable hip pads and backrest move with the seat. Foam bulkhead absorbs impacts.
creekboats 40
LIQUIDLOGIC JEFE
LIQUIDLOGIC JEFE Overall ........................... 9.7 Acceleration .....................9.6 Manoeuvrability ..............8.9 Stability .............................9.7 Resurfacing .......................10 Boof-ability .......................8.8 Outfitting ...........................10 Tracking .............................10
The Liquidlogic Jefe is another creek boat that seems to have found a crowd-pleasing com- bination of length and rocker. At 8’ 2” the Jefe was the longest boat in the water, 11 inches longer than the Solo. As a result the “Boss” took more stokes to reach top speed but was likely the fastest of the group. With the Moose River in flood it was nice to have the speed to crash overtop of holes with help from the hefty 10 inches of rocker in the bow. The rockered bow and stern also makes it easier to throw around and change direction than a tape mea- sure alone would suggest. Typically, longer boats are more difficult to
lift the bow and boof, but even if you pencil a drop with the Jefe, the bow’s volume and profile redirect the boat back to the surface smoothly to maintain your forward momentum. This is a solid boat that thrives in big wa-
ter creeking and expedition paddling—there’s plenty of room for gear and even a compart- ment under the seat.
Length ............................8’ 2” Width .............................25.5” Weight .........................43 lbs Volume ........................73 gal Weight Range ............... n/a Price ...................$1,400 Cdn ................................$1,099 US
www.liquidlogickayaks.com
CREEKERS’ FEEDBACK: Five aluminum attach- ment points. Easy to access storage under seat and in stern. Simple, solid outfitting. Tough for smaller paddlers to muscle around.
RAPID
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