Submitted: 05-18-2006 by jstroken 
My wife and I have owned a pair of Konas for about 3 months. We've been out several times on the James River. A little stretch between natural bridge and Glasgow. The first time out, moderate class 2 in high water, 5.53 and rising. The Kona was very stable with lots of storage options. Even with all the storage, I wouldn’t recommend a long trip. With a moderate breeze blowing against us, the k2 was never hard to steer, track or get set for the next rapid.
On another April day we ventured farther down stream through Snowden. The river is not as mellow through this section. I had no problems. My wife on the other hand flipped upside down, nearly loosing all gear. I don't know if it was the yak or her inabilities. Curious to see how it'll handle the river...or how the river will handle it. Thus far I’ve liked everything about the Kona. I rate it a 10 as long as it continues to hold up on the James River. |