Nomad vs. Jefe

[jjones03]

...looking to get a new creek boat for going out east this summer. ive narrowed it down between the nomad and the jefe. ive sat in a jefe and looked it over good, but never a nomad. obviously, the new jefe has the better outfitting, which might win me over all on its own, but, i hate to make the purchase without giving the nomad a chance. i know alot of people run some big sh*t in nomads, they gotta be legit. just wondering if anybody had any pro's and con's on either of these boats... probably gonna go pick one up at OOO in a couple weeks.

and if i go with the nomad, it will be the 8.5. im only 160 but i want the extra volume and storage space for expeditions.

dont be afraid to bash one or the other, i like reviews that end with, "screw the ______, buy the ______!"

[FarPastGone]

I paddle a Jefe and I can't say much about the Nomad because I have only been in one once, and it was a while ago. The Jefe is nice because it is a boof machine, really stays on line, and you can pick up speed fast. Only complaint I have heard from other Jefe paddlers is they don't have a lot of secondary stability, I have noticed it too, but it has not effected my paddling.

I know a lot of paddlers that rock Nomads, and they swear by their boats.

[jjones03]

yeah, that bad-a** outfitting has got me sold so far, just wondering if someone has got some vital information to change my mind. i have heard the jefe doesnt have good seconday stability, but ive heard the nomad doesnt have good primary.

[RomanLA]

I seem to recall reading about people having problems with the thigh braces breaking on the Jefe. The outfitting definitely looks comfortable though. I haven't heard anything good or bad about the Nomad. It's a hard decision. I'd just blow it off and get a Mystic.

[okieboater]

or a Jackson Rocker

[FarPastGone]

I've got a Jefe with the old outfitting, I have sat in one with the new outfitting and it was "luxurious". The Pyranha Burns are good boats to.

[jjones03]

negative on the jackson rocker. dont like jacksons one bit. ive already got a pyranha ammo so i dont want the burn, i want something with a displacement hull, thats why ive narrowed down to these two. if all else fails, ill special order a fluid solo. those look sweeeeet

[druse]

"My Opinion Only"

Two totally different boats and each paddle and handle unique in their own way.

Nomad ( 8.1) has very good primary and secondary stability, fast, goes straight, easy to boof, resurfaces upright, and rolls very easy. All around great boat for almost any paddler. The outfitting is not bad and the backband adjustsments can be set to where it is consistent every time you are in the boat.

Hefe (I've only paddled the Hefe Chico, same size as the 8.1) This boat rides on its secondary stability, the rocker causes it to be very agile and high performance. This boat demands to be paddled but is a blast when you get use to it. Speed seems equal or almost equal, turns on a dime, and boofs easily, rolls easy, but not as easy in comparison to the Nomad.
This boat seems to be for a more advanced type of paddling style. The outfitting is nice and comfy.

My opinion is that both boats are great boats, pick something that is more catered to your style and likes of paddling. Each of us have our own style and likes as to what feels good.

[jjones03]

its a tough call...wish i could demo a solo before i pick one of these out. aghh im confused!!

[Jeremy M]

On the Jefe...If you're thinking of getting the Nomad 8.5, and having a larger than "recommended" creek boat, I would recommend the Jefe Grande. Having only paddled the Grande, once for a short while I found it comfy and fast. But I've heard reviews that the Grande paddles completely different and in most cases "better" (not my opinion b/c I can't fit into the Jefe) than the Jefe. As a paddler, I love liquid logic and paddle an "old school" GUS for creekin and an Airhead for play. I've been in liquid logics for about 5 years.

On the Nomad...I know several paddlers that are paddling class V on a consistent basis that swear by the Nomad and Dagger's plastic versus competitors, not just liquid logic. Either way you go, you'll be choosing from the two top creek boats on the market.

I think Bryan P and Scott H might have something to weigh in about the Jackson Hero and the Pyranha Burn.

Good topic, not just on choosing between two boats, but what folks in general love about their creek boat.

You could just say to heck with both of em and buy and Dagger Green!

[Cathy]

Pretty much 75% of the class V boaters I know paddle the Nomad and swear by it. Not seeing too many Jefe's these days on class IV-V creeks but that might be a regional thing. I have a Fluid Solo and have paddled it a lot this past year. It's treated me well, lots of stability and very responsive when it needs to be. Plus it's a solid boat...thick plastic and a cage system in the bow and stern for extra stability (albeit it makes the boat quite heavy). That being said, I've noticed it's hole bait (short and kind of wide) and have heard the same comment from other Fluid owners. For that reason and others I'm currently looking into getting a small Nomad if it's not too big for me. One downside to the Nomad is that a lot of boaters break theirs. Jeff West has probably broken more than he can count on two hands paddling the Green and such. But it says something that even after breakage, most Nomad owners will go to great lengths to get theirs fixed or buy another one.

[jjones03]

yeah the only big factors in my decision were the jefe's new BA outfitting, and hearing the nomad had crappy plastic. i like the nomad design better, but i dont want crappy plastic!

and i dont want to get a jefe G, i'm 5' 11' and 160, basically a bean pole. i want the bigger boat for expedition use and extra volume for big drops. i creek arkansas in an ammo, i'm just getting this boat for the out of state "real s**t". a nomad 8.5 has 78 gallons, where as a jefe has 79. i want to stay somewhere in this range. i hate to drop below 70...and i want a boat with a displacement hull.

[bryanpin]

well, i've paddled nomads, jefe's and, I own a burn.

it's really a never ending argument on which is better. the ammo has much more of a planning hull compared to the burn. the burn is really a hybrid hull. I know your not interested in the burn, but i say that to say this. The burn reminds me of the jefe in some areas. The Jefe is a boat that you must paddle aggresively. The burn is similar in that it comes alive when your aggressive, but it goobs along better than the jefe to me. The Nomad is a really good boat. It's groundbreaking in the fact that it's really simple. The lines are clean, so it paddles clean. I chose the burn because I came from a playboat and really like that you can utilize that type of paddling when needed (holding lines with the rails, surfing, ferrying, etc. just seem to come naturally in that boat.

they're all good boats so pick what you like and boat the dawg out of it. but if i had to pick over a jefe and a nomad only. Nomad wins.

btw, mackey brings up a good point about the Grande, and i've heard folks do like it better than the jefe. however, at 160 your on the line of getting too much plastic to boss around. There'll be plently of room and speed, but you might notice the weight on tighter lines, boofs, turning quick, etc.

have fun in whatever you get, and may the rains come down!

[A Savage spanke]

I paddled the ocoee all summer in an Jefe, and I absolutly loved it.

I was paddling with a guy on the Upper who was in a Nomad, and he was afraid to go through Humungous in his boat because he had never made it. Honestly I don't think you'd have a problem with it, but I have never tried in the Nomad. Jefe gets through easily every time.

[Jeremy M]

Another point to be made here is that a lot of the preferences, ie likes and dislikes also stem from the paddlers style and not the boat itself. I've seen and know people that can paddle anything on any water and style it. Thats the boater, not the boat factor. In saying that I agree with Bryan, buy what you like and paddle the dawg out of it. A lot of times today, the subtle nuances in design from boat to boat are not discernable to mere mortals like myself.

I guess another way of saying this, to beat a dead horse would be...

What works for one paddler in one kind of boat, with respect to design...may not work for another boater in the same boat with a different style...and vice versa. Example...a hybrid hull works best for Bryan because he enjoys using "play boat" style paddle strokes and wants his creek boat to respond appropriately when he does this. A person with a more "classic", ie racing style repertoire of strokes will most probably enjoy a boat like the nomad or rocker, a boat which lends itself to this style design wise because of simple lines and true displacement hull.

Time for a beer....