Need some opinions on some yaks...

[rick james]

wow... its nuts how jackson owners push each and every product that passes between EJ's cheeks like its a golden egg! Isn't it wierd that they are always the 1st to offer up advice on what boat to buy.Well, I wasted 500 bucks last season on a jk boat thanks to all the ej lovers and their biased reviews.(only 500 b/c they do resale well)I bought into the hype last year when I moved to memphis and bought a hero for a creekboat. After paddling it I was at a loss for words.I cant believe how sloppy that boat feels on a real steep creek. Its super slow,wont hold a line, and doesnt even boof as well as my old boat (h3).I really thought it would perform similar because of them both having rails and hoped since it was shorter w/more volume it would be perfect. However after paddling it over a full season it was clear that it felt more like an oversized,twitchy,corky,playboat than a decent creekboat.I sold it and am now considering a new burn or karnali. Anyhow IMO the xp is a great boat and capable of everything from the buff. to the grand. If the allwater is anything like the hero it will be at best a jk ripoff of the xp. After demoing one here in memphis and reading the TR on the Grand I would say you cant go wrong with the xp. :)

[Mike_P]

I would say most of us that own JK boats love them & hope Jackson's business suceeds since the boats are 1) made in America & 2) the business is not part of a big conglomerate & 3) EJ seems to give a rip about his customers. He personally emailed me when I was deciding which size of one of his boats to buy. I also think you either love or hate the outfitting. I find his boat extremely comfortable.

Generally speaking, though, I don't you'll find JK fans bad mouthing other companies boats.

my 2 cents
Mike P.
Rogers, AR

[okieboater]

I like the JK kayaks I have because they work well for me. Jeez before that Perception, New Wave, Dagger and a host of others worked ok, I just found a better fit for me in JK designs.

I do not think EJ and his team pass golden eggs out their wazoo, but it is pretty obvious that their designs, construction, sales techniques and the general way EJ runs the show is working. Rarely have I had a kayak head man talk to me in person like EJ has on several occasions, take that back, I asked a question about a Mongoose and Jim Synder did give me a call. Maybe Jim gave some tips to EJ.

Also had a large Burn that worked well for me, but not as well as the Mega Rocker and Super Hero has worked.

Different strokes for different folks. That is the good thing about the kayak choices us boaters now have to choose from. If one design does not work for you, you have a ton of choices to make. Rick, sounds like you picked a JK loser for your style of paddling. Hope the XP works out for you. Shane is also a really good man and I am sure he and EJ have a lot in common. Please post on how the XP works for you. Been thinking that boat might work out almost as good as a canoe on my Buffalo Floats. Let us know.

I just give thanks that we now have choices. Back in the day my only choice was a Dancer XT, which worked better for me than the fiberglass home built that also worked pretty good, just not as good as the XT.

[rick james]

Wow...didnt realize i'd get heart rates up enough for a pro jk rally.Yeah, choices are the spice of life!I am sure you love your hero's ,fella's, but I really gave it a chance and I consider it a flop.(too much like a playboat for my needs) I have had my eye on the madboy from draggorossi though.It looks like it may fit my needs well. Has anyone out there paddled a Karnali,new Burn, or a Madboy on anything steep that would care to comment on them? I think the Karnali might be a bit long for what I want, but that Madboy seems sweet!Sorry to get your panties in a bunch jk fans. I just get tired of people constantly trying to push jk as a superior product(happens often in memphis and most that push wont even boat decent stuff), especially after I was so unsatisfied with the hero in spite of all the rave reviews.Plus, boats are very expensive and shelling out that much $ and then having to resale it sucks ,so I'm a little chapped.I guess reviews, supposedly "plush"aka cheap outfitting, and the label top selling new boat were like neon signs telling me too buy it, when actually comfort appeal and sales arent the final measure of success when it comes too boats, hull performance is the bottom line. moral of story=buyers beware b/c clever marketing will get you, so be sure to demo,demo,and demo some more b/c the hull performance should always be the deciding factor.(you can modify outfitting but cant change the hull)Oh yeah, and I wasnt intending to knock jk, just folks like you fellas who soooo desperately feel the need to constantly chime jackson,jackson,jackson anytime someone asks about a boat! So get out a kleenex guys and wipe EJ's brown(and that bit of corn from his dinner) off your noses!Essentially, I was just saying to take jk recommendations with a grain of salt b/c from my experience lots of people push their product and yet I have found it cheaply made, overhyped, and of poor design. PS Being from West Virginia it kind of hurts to hear Jim Snyder's name in the same sentence as EJs.

[RandyJ]

Should we all check our panties now and see whose are in a wad? I'm lookin' at mine and they look and feel okay. Dave, you good? Mike?

[okieboater]

Well speaking only for myself, I do not wear panties, but due to the excellent outfitting on JK boats, my underwear are clean and not wadded up. Same goes for my face and nose areas.

I am suffering from cabin fever tho.

Looking forward to getting on the water and messing around in one of my Dagger, New Wave, Prijon or Jackson kayaks soon as the snow melts down to the cedar boat shed.

[Mike_P]

I'm good, thanks.

[Regud]

So if you were looking for a creek boat, why did you buy a river runner?

[SteveGabbard]

[JBL1026]

Hope that mad boy works out for you being a river runner, like regud said.... maybe you should look for a true creeker since you sound like someone that gets on "decent stuff. " Ive never owned a Jackson kayak but the simplicity of the outfitting was something I liked.

[rick james]

So... Regud I decided on a river runner for my creekboat b/c I am always home for Gauley season and wanted a river runner that would also creek well. Plus, I just dont have the cash for playboat, creeker, and river runner. I am more of a 1 boat guy.JBL, I did finally demo a madboy and while it was an improvement over the hero it still didnt feel any better than my old h3. Also JBL I do still on occasion run good stuff (meadow,watuaga,green (lite,i am gettin older-48)but I spend more time on rivers than true creeks so I have always preferred a river runner for everything. Could it be I have paddled it so long that I am just severely biased to the h3? Anyway, I will be trying out the new burn soon and maybe even a karnali just to be sure, but I might just get another cheap h3 and stick it out with her. Oh and dont worry fella's I am sure I will creek (and river run) just fine in whichever river runner I choose!Oh yeah and I got yer Steve, it ( the )popped up on google when I typed in STEVE GABBARD! Just Kidding Im not accustomed to all these emoticon thingys and they are still cracking me up.

[SteveGabbard]

LOL

I googled Rick James and "wife beater, sex slave, and coke addict" came up. Sucks being famous sometimes doesn't it?

Let's face it, there is a perfect boat for every person in every situation but we are all different with different preferences in boats. The key to finding the right boat is try before you buy.

We can all be d$%^ks to each other on here or we can give an honest opinion to someone who requests one and then hopefully enjoy each other company on the river.

[JBL1026]

Rick that totally answers my question, .The one quiver boat theory makes sense, and I see how the Hero could accommodate both rivers and creeks(I had someone tell me that also)You may like the burn, Ive been looking at those and from what i have read it refined from the H3 . Im a one boat guy at the moment (playboat, but it sure takes care of me) but hope to change that soon (anyone got one out there ready to come off of) See my post on the gear swap section if so.

Hope Im stilling paddling the good stuff that age

See you on the river

Josh

Hey Steve, you still have that CR 125 for sale, I have a friend that may be interested

[rick james]

LOL! Steve thats hilarious! However you've got me confused w/ the Rick James that had a jerry curl! Oh yeah and that is truly my real name. (well actually its Richard James) You guys can just call me Rick! If you look up richard james it should read.... boatbeater, h2o slave, and paddling addict!

[SteveGabbard]

Rick,

Glad you clarrified that! I was a little worried about having to keep one eye peeled for the Deliverance folks and one for the Sex Slave Abductors!

Hope to see you on the river,
Steve