I'm a whitewater kayaking virgin (sort of...)

My whitewater kayaking history starts way, way back in 1996, on the Cowichan River on Vancouver Island with a really great crew from my days at Ocean River Sports in Victoria.  I still remember scouting the main rapid with Michael Pardy, my eyes may have been a bit wet ;) with fear but he just said, "you can do it, just follow my line!".  I did it and got on the river a few more times with Michael and others, even made it out to Jordan River (good times BAM :) before heading to the Mainland.  Once on the mainland I bought my very own boat from Marlin Bayes, owner of Western Canoeing and Kayaking, the Perception Corsica.  I got out paddling on the lower section of the Chilliwack River with friends from Western and again with Michael.  I also recall one of my first introductions to "Necky Dave" aka. Dave Vanderveen when I flipped on an eddy line.  Michael did not see me go over but Dave came to my rescue and I didn't come out of my boat - hurray!  You made a fantastic first impression Dave.

Soon it was back to the Island for some kayak surfing at Tofino.  This time we rented Dagger RPMs and boy did I do a lot of swimming.  I was inspired to learn how to roll but alas this did not come easy for me but eventually I got it (most of the time).  With a roll under my belt it was time for a new-to-me boat - the Necky Jive (a boat I still regret selling).  This boat took me many exciting places locally and then on February 7, 1999 my short and timid whitewater career came to a very abrupt end.

I experienced the loss of a friend on the river and it changed me.

My friend Lynn Clark has been gone for over 14 years and I think of her often but no more so than when I am at the river.

I've always been a "nervous boater" but was inspired last season when Jackson Kayak introduced the Zen.  A boat designed by the industry's leading whitewater kayak manufacturer and a company I represent.  Well, it's April 2013 and my Zen 75 (designed as a classic downriver boat in 3 sizes) is in the garage just waiting for me to pull the trigger.  I got my "engine" in the form of my Werner Paddles Sherpa WW paddle (it's perfect for me) and well I got a load of Kokatat gear to keep me warm and dry so it's happening THIS season.

I've got some wonderful friends and colleagues who know my story and now you do too, if you see me on the river shout some encouraging words okay, and I will do my best to keep the open-side up.

Stay tuned for my first whitewater trip report.

Jackson Kayak Zen 75 - Review

Jackson Kayak Zen 75 - Review by paddler Tony Dyrsmid

My first impression of the Zen 75 is as follows; Although this is a large kayak it is easy to carry due to the grab strap on the centre pillar and lighter carrying weight (43 lbs I weighed it) . Right out of the box it is super comfortable. The only thing that I had to do was move the seat forward a notch and I was good to go. This is standard fare for me as I have short legs.

 
I was amazed at how well the boat carves and holds a line while surfing even the smallest waves. I was able to look around much more and be aware of where I was on the wave, That put a huge smile on my face.  Ferrying is so easy in this boat, one good hard stroke to cross the eddyline and then just rudder to hold your angle. It catches all the waves as you cross the river and you don't seem to drift down as I have noticed in other boats. It is super stable while ferrying and inspires a ton of confidence. Hold that line. Just point this baby and minimal corrections are all you will need to get where you want to go. And, you will get there fast as it makes short work of those sometimes long paddles between drops and to the takeout. With great hull speed and excellent tracking, attainments are also a breeze.

 
Due to the stability of this boat, I did not flip it while paddling. The initial stability is surprisingly good and the secondary stability is absolutely bombproof. That being said, I did a roll in the eddy and I can't say I have ever rolled a boat that that was so easy to roll. It was so easy that I had a big grin on my face as I came up. Unbelievable. What a confidence builder.

 
All in all I am very impressed with this boat and highly recommend it for any level of paddler. For beginners it is stable, tracks well, has great hull speed and most importantly is easy to roll. This is a great confidence builder allowing the new paddler to progress rapidly. This boat will take
you up to the advanced level of paddling big water in a relatively short time. For the intermediate and advanced paddler, try it and you will find love at first sight.

About Me: I am 5' 10, 190 lbs. I have been paddling for about 15 years but started late in life. I have just recently had 3 years of minimal paddling so my skills need to be brought back up. That being said, with just one hour in this boat I am already feeling a lot more confident and doing a lot more. I feel that my skills will leap ahead paddling the Zen 75 and I expect to be comfortable paddling Tamihi rapid (class IV) by early summer.

 
Thanks for taking the time to read this and have fun paddling. Look for the gray haired old fart with the big grin on the river.

THANKS TONY!!!