Purchased this from Jeremy and friends from OOO last January with high hopes to step my game up a little on class 4-4+ creeks around Arkansas.. Had paddled Jackson Hero for 2.5 years and had really enjoyed it but wanted something a little better for the steeper runs in Arkansas and abroad. Things I really enjoyed about the Hero was its forgiveness, manoeverability, and ease of paddling. Was a bit cautious changing to displacement hull, but I thought the shape would ultimately reward me with its forgiveness once I adjusted to it.
I have been lucky enough to take the Nomad on Falling Water, Richland, Galla, Cossatot falls, Beech, Ocoee and Cheoah.
VERY IMPRESSED with this kayak.. It is very stable which is very nice when you're trying to step it up that you can relax crossing over turbulent water and eddy lines. Rolling in this boat is telepathic.. well almost. Lots of volume and rocker in the boat keep you high in the water and dry(as dry as a Dagger Kayak can be..haha) It is fast and is a hole punching machine as I pleasantly found out on Yard Sale on lower Cheoah.
Love boofing this boat(ok..no jokes here!) It is very enjoyable to paddle and I like the thigh positioning even though knee blocks help alot. Even though this boat is essentially a displacement hull, it does have a mild rail that you can engage to help with ferrying and catching eddies.
Safety features for the Nomad are impressive also in that the front center pillar is SOLID and acts like a roll cage in pinning situations. You can put your foot on the pillar and have the leverage to step out in a nasty situation. Also, there are six attachment points for rescue including two on the side.
Negatives? Heavy boat and leaks like every other Dagger out there. Turning takes some getting used to coming from playboats or planing hulls. But I've not had any problem catching the same eddies with this boat as with others.
Some different views on plastics: Liquid Logic vs Jackson, Pyranha, etc.. Dagger's plastic seems softer but doesn't appear to wear as fast as you would expect given the abuse.. I'm sure it will crack like any other boat but scrapes seem to be more superficial so far and welding this boat is no problem.
Lots of great boats and alot of great new ones coming out.. but anyone interested in a serious creek boat should try this one out. Its been around and proven itself time and time again.
Chris K.
