Whitewater Kayak Review
CRAZY 88
Length: 6' 2"/6' 3"
Width: 25.35"/26.5"
Volume: 40.3/48.1 gallons
Weight: 28/29 lbs
Paddler’s Weight:
120-165/150-200 lbs
Price: $1,149.99
www.dagger.com
*Model Tested
Knight
Comfort: Like all Dagger boats, the Crazy 88 allows my knees to ride high, encouraging an aggressive posture. Dagger has created an instant outfitting system that won’t become useless with time and wear. The hip pads are not inflatable this time, but you can move the seat as easily as you can adjust foot pegs in a creekboat.
Stability: It’s edgier than the Kingpin, but it feels stable in pushy Class IV. The bow and stern are well balanced, making transition moves like cartwheeling predictable.
Speed on a Wave: Moderate. It tends to hang out on the back sides of waves, which is nice if you need time to set up for your move, but bad if you need a lot of speed to pull it off.
River Running: If you weigh between 165 and 190 pounds, Dagger’s sizes might frustrate you. The 6.2 seems a little small in big waves or holes. But the 6.3 feels too big on play-on-the-fly-style runs.
Performance on a Feature: Again, it depends on the size of the feature and the boat. In the 6.2, I thought the boat tended to purl on steep waves and sub out in big holes. But the 6.3 felt like a little too much boat for smaller waves and corner-pocket play spots.
McKibbin
Comfort: I got in there and I felt comfortable. That’s what I liked. My feet weren’t squished. This was the one I felt most at home in.
Stability: Of all the boats, I thought it was the least stable running the river, but it was good in a hole and a wave.
Speed on a Wave: Good
River Running: It had a tendency to purl through waves and when running a steeper drop.
Performance on a Feature: It was very good in holes. It cartwheeled probably better than the one [Kingpin] I’m in right now. I thought it was a better hole boat than a wave boat.
Schier
Comfort: The Crazy 88 was more comfortable than the Kingpin Icon and felt like it had better foot room. The back band adjusts with a strap, which locks it in place, and it stays in place—like a memory system. I like that.
Stability: I ran it downriver and it was great. I was way more comfortable than in my current playboat. Its river-running capabilities exceeded my expectations. It had better downriver hull speed than other playboats, and lateral stability. I ran Boulder Drop and I felt confident. And I don’t usually feel comfortable in Boulder Drop, even in a playboat.
Speed on a Wave:Excellent. I was down at the Split Rock Wave, and I got that thing on the wave every time. I think the additional two inches of length [more than the Kingpin Icon] give it extra speed. On the wave, the lateral moves were smoother, too. The edges didn’t catch because they are less pronounced—subtle, but noticeable.
River Running: A good solid B+. I was confident. I liked it.
Performance on a Feature: The increased length and width enabled me to enter a wave and hold my angle with fewer strokes. And when leaning on edge, I was able to stay on the wave and not get rejected to downstream. It wasn’t as finicky while leaning on the wave.
