Submitted: 03-12-2001 by Gerry
A follow up to my earlier review. Now that the ice is going out and the snow is melting off, I've had the opportunity to take this into some pretty fast moving rivers and large creeks. At over 14 feet, the Looksha Sport really isn't made for this kind of thing, but it does a surprisingly good job of letting me play in this kind of stuff. I was able to float over a lot of barely submerged obstacles, and get close enough to some nasty tangles with a small saw and hand-held shears that I could open up a path. Not exactly the fastest trip I've ever taken, but since we started out by paddling upstream and clearing as we went, the downstream run was fast and fun. With aggressive leans (easy with the Looksha's hard chines) and quick sweep strokes, snaking through tight "S" turns was easy and a real hoot! This is still a great sea kayak, but it's also a much more versatile boat than I would have expected. If you're looking for a very versatile boat that would be difficult to outgrow, this could very well be the boat for you. It's a bit pricier than the competiton, but the attention to details, the quality of the construction, and the thoughtful design make it worth the extra money. |