Boat Insider
YOU OTTER TRY ONE OF THESE. PHOTO: KAYDI PYETTE
BELLYAK PLAY
“HIGH FIVE!” Our neoprene-mitted hands
IN-YOUR-FACE FUN
Bellyak Play 25/35/45 LENGTH 6’1”/7’7”/7’7” WIDTH 20”/24”/25” VOLUME 25/35/45 GAL WEIGHT 22/25/30 LBS PADDLER WEIGHT 60–110/ 70–150/150–250 LBS MSRP $550 USD
www.bellyak.com
slap in the air and we slither onto our boats, stoked to be seeing our home river from a whole new angle. Paddling head-first on the Bellyak Play gives a fresh perspective to a familiar run. With its boogie board-meets- look, this lay-on-top
playboat
design turns heads as it carves you headlong into the fun. All the usual principles of
whitewater apply: get some speed, hold your angle and if you don’t tilt into your turns, you’ll bite it. At first glance, the Play might
seem like a hard-to-control way to get downriver, but as I start goofing around in current, I find the boat’s stability and maneu- verability confidence inspiring. Even better, I’m happy to dis- cover that the full and rockered bow protects my head from on- coming rocks. Almost eye-level with the waterline, I feel less like a boater and more like a river creature.
42 | RAPID
Designer Adam Masters made
his first Bellyak prototype by chopping a playboat in half and filling it with foam—he wanted to add challenge to class III and IV runs by paddling prone. The idea has caught on. Masters says most people
picking up Bellyaks are hoping to spice up their home runs or they’re newbies, wanting to try whitewater without the fear of being trapped in a kayak. When I first flopped onto the
water I wondered why the neo- prene paddling mitts that come with the Bellyak don’t have stiff plastic for more water grip, but I soon learned why they’re floppy. Within nanoseconds of a swim, I could quickly scramble back on-board using the easy- to-grasp handles, conveniently located all around the boat. The instantaneous exit makes
it a great ride for beginners, building
strong links between
on-water mistakes and sudden swims. Not being attached limits the boat from running big, pushy
whitewater
but Bellyaks
are
great for park and play surfing, and low-volume beginner to in- termediate runs, says Masters. My home river is drop and
pool and between sets I try sit- ting up to paddle to the next rapid. It’s nice to get up for a stretch, but stability and direc- tional control are compromised when I’m kneeling—Bellyaks are definitely best used prone. All that hand paddling is a
workout, and the soft mitts, which help fine-tune the boat’s direction by allowing me to feather in current, don’t con- tribute much to flatwater speed. At just 30 pounds, portaging
the Play is a breeze; the boat is easy to hold under an arm or drag using a handle. Just like a playful otter, I
find myself running the same section of river over and over again, careening in and out of eddies, surfing head-first and jet-ferrying this way and that, using only my neoprene paws to get around. BETH KENNEDY
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