Whitewater Kayak Review - 2007

Dagger Agent

Dagger has a new Agent and it’s no secret. This spud boat is up for any mission you’re willing to assign. Dagger let everyone know the Agent would be slower than its predecessor, the Crazy 88. And it is, but not by much.

This boat’s roomy interior blew our test crew out of the water. We tested the biggest of the three sizes, and we were duly impressed. While most of today’s big-boy playboats end up in the river-runner category because no one has the strength to get them off the water, the Agent gets Moonraker-level ups. The plastic is light and the boat is sculpted like Gabriela Reese: big, but sleek.

Our testers pulled endless blunts in the Agent and got bounce on the smallest of features. Since their parent companies merged in 2005, Dagger has borrowed the WaveSport outfitting design. Praise be to the boating gods, because some of Dagger’s earlier outfitting attempts were questionable at best. The Agent’s hip pads and seat are comfortable and simple to adjust. And the back band was adjustable from the cockpit with easy-to-reach grab loops.

This boat was a bit edgy and had a tendency to knock paddlers off balance—but what playboat isn’t? You’ll definitely notice a difference in speed but most players will be stoked to have the Agent on their side.

6.1—6 ft., W: 24.25 in., 42 gal.
6.2—6 ft., 2 in., W: 24.75 in., 50 gal.
6.4—6 ft., 4 in., W: 25.25 in., 59 gal.

Testers said:

Maneuverability: 4 “Strong carving edges. Think Bode on the World Cup.”

Hull Speed: 3 “Uh, they were right.”

Looseness: 4 “Spin it to win it.”

Edge Rating (1: round like dough, 5: edgy like knife): 4 “You might be trippin’.”

River running ability: 2 “Park and play is here to stay.”

Outfitting: 5 “A huge improvement over past designs.”

Liquidlogic Ronin

A ronin is a master-less Samurai warrior or, according to one dubious Wikipedia translation, a “wave man floating on the open ocean.” That means the Liquidlogic Ronin may be the most aptly named kayak this season. It loves waves (and isn’t too shabby in holes either), so expanding your freestyle repertoire is only limited by personal zen mastery.

Liquidlogic designer Shane Benedict bumped up the volume in the nose while managing to maintain some semblance of balance. The result is a playboat that let one six-foot tester actually wear creek booties. More volume boosted loop height but testers were split on the Ronin’s speed—we rode the 59, and, depending on individual weight, some felt the boat was faster than grandpa on Viagra, while others felt as if someone had pinched the old man’s walker.

Bigger foot bumps and higher knee placement make this one of the most comfortable boats on the market. And did we mention the hull? Benedict works closely with Liquidlogic-sponsored paddlers Marlow Long and Patrick Camblin, two boaters who are all about air. And combo moves. The resulting hull spins like a DJ and reduced stern rocker creates more balance when you just want to hang loose and surf. The Ronin is one dynamic play machine for every ability level.

49—L: 6 ft. 1 in., W: 24”, 49 gal.
59—L: 6 ft., 2 in., W: 25 in., 59 gal.

Testers said:

Maneuverability: 4 “Quick, could be quicker.”

Hull Speed: 3.5 “The bigger the wave, the faster she goes.”

Looseness: 4.5 “Spins like a top.”

Edge Rating (1: round like dough, 5: edgy like knife): 2 “You won’t be trippin.”
River running ability: 1 “Stay away from the gnar.”

Outfitting: 4.5 “LL is on to something.”

Wave Sport Habitat

With the Habitat, WaveSport has finally come up with a worthy successor to its legendary expedition boat, the Y. We’ll let them slide with the last two designs, the Mutant and Diesel, boats that were tough to categorize—too small for overnighters and too big to do any real playboating.

We tested the 80-gallon model on the bloated East Fork of the Lewis and it didn’t disappoint. We also learned why it’s called the Habitat. Slide into this creekin’ machine and you feel like you’ve found your natural ecosystem. “Great proportions,” was one comment that came up more than, “where’s the beer?” It boasts enough room for overnight expeditions and is still responsive enough to slice and dice the tightest of creeks. Plus the safety features put your mind at ease with a roto-molded bow pillar that beefs up the structural stability in case of a pin.

The outfitting is typical WaveSport: comfy as your mama’s bosom. But no need to be a baby—with its 8-foot, 4-inch length, the Habitat 80 is the perfect machine for stepping up your game. Kayakers under 170 pounds should check out the 74-gallon model.

74—L: 8 ft., W: 25 in., 74 gal.
80—L: 8 ft. 4 in., W: 25.5 in., 80 gal.

Testers say:

Maneuverability: 4 “This thing gets around.”

Responsiveness: 3.5 “Be sure and size yourself to the boat.”

Boofing: 4.5 “Boofomatic baby!”

Resurfacing: 5 “Good for going deep in the steeps.”

Outfitting: 5 “Ahhhhhhhh......Comfy.”

Riot Thunder

The style in boat design these days is to bestow capable creekboats with playability, and by those standards, no boat is more en vogue than the Riot Thunder. Our tester’s found it easy to control, quick on an edge and as surfable as Duke Kamehameha’s long board. The storage space behind the seat is good enough for multi-day trips, and the generous proportions allow bigger boaters to enjoy bigger water.

We did take issue with the tail. Punching larger holes, we sometimes found ourselves looking skyward in a stern-squirt instead of charging downriver, checking for the next move. Still, the boat was balanced well enough that we were able to get forward quickly and avoid getting flatbacked. We can’t guarantee this will always be the case. Sometimes beatdowns happen to good people.

Steve Fisher helped design the Thunder, and the Riot team came up with an admirable deck-edge system, making the boat easy to roll and carveable on big waves. We decided this boat has two definitive niches: it’s a fantastic all-around downriver boat for kayakers who are more into floating than jibbing, and it’s a worthy creeker for the more advanced boater who likes to play in Class V. If you’re comfortable in the gnar, pick up a Thunder and you’ll likely avoid the chunder.

L: 7 ft., 8 in., W: 25 ft., 6 in., 65 gal.

Testers said:

Maneuverability: 4 “Bank to bank has never been easier.”

Responsiveness: 4 “Gets up to speed quick. Like a Ferrari, not Bobby Brown.”

Stability: 4 “A love buggy for all ability levels.”

Boofing: 4 “Big boofs come standard.”

Resurfacing: 3.5 “Not a full-on creeker.”

Outfitting: 3 “Riot could still use some work here.”