About the reviewer

i'm 6ft4 and just getting into playboating.

Test environment

wales, small river grade 2 water. croyde (devon) surfing.

Review

I'm 6ft4 and i was suprised when i managed to fit into this boat. it's extremely comfy and roomy, simple outfitting no fannying around with ratchets just simple draw cords. the bean bag seat makes paddling a very comfortable experience and the Happy feet footbag is an ingenious idea that works really well.

the boat handles well, is very quick to paddle and turns on a dime. easy to roll with or without a paddle.

good going down river but like most playboats you can't travel far!!

on the surf its exceptional. sticks to the wave with minimal paddling required and is very easy to control.

Conclusion

excellent boat, love it!!!!

About myself

I've been paddling for 3 years and just got into playboating. I'm working on aerial moves, but have the basics down pretty well.

About the test environment

Ocoee, Nantahala, over 100 hours flatwater teaching kayaking

Review

First off, this boat is entirely too big for me at 180lbs. It certainly made learning cartwheels a bit tougher than necessary. Bow stalls put my center of gravity too far out of the water for much control. Despite these shortcoming, there is a tradeoff- River running and big air. River running is much easier than my previous boat, the Wavesport Ace 5.1, a river running playboat. I don't have the problem of unintentional stern squirts in fast water. The SS is also not very edgy, so it takes a bit more screwing up to get window shaded surfing or flipped when floating a river. This boat is super wide with high edges, causing me to frequently bust my thumb. Even at 6'2", I have to move the seat up very far to get a good balance for play. I like to keep it a little further back for running. That is where the biggest problem arises- with the '04 outfitting. Ratchets behind the seat are a huge pain to adjust on the water, and slip a lot. The happy feet is nice, tight and warm, but again requires a lot of adjustment to get it right. Its also hard to use with full booties on. All that goes away when Im on Hells Hole. A low rocker, wide tail gives some speed on the wave while 60 gallons of volume gives great launching, even for a noob to air moves like me. The air I got, sometimes accidently, was more than enough for someone my size w/ more skills to do whatever they please. Its also not hard to roll considering its width.

Conclusion

This particular model of boat has some room for improvement, mostly outfitting. I would highly recommend it to someone around 190-210 and up to 6'4. The happy feet are a definate compromise- comfort and performance w/ a huge hassle factor. I would prefer foam. The backband just sucks. If you want to drop a few benjamins in outfitting or don't mind a little hassle, this is the boat for you- otherwise save them for the extra paid for an 07

About myself

awreet, im a boater that lives in south west scotland and i enjoy big rivers in small boats. i have paddled in the alps, hope to paddle in norway during the summer and uganda next summer if my plans come together.

About the test environment

i tested the jackson superstar firstly on the alt kinglass a tributery to the orchy. and then the pattack. and then four season white water course at teeside.

Review

as a paddler of the 4 fun another jackson boat and being in love with it i was expecting big things from the superstar. paddling straight on to a grade 4 ish river was probably not the best plan i've ever had but the star made it really bad. i was backloped twice before the main fall and headed backward only the cries of my paddling buddies urged me into the smallest of eddies at the top. i wasent amused. however on the pattack i was very happy soaking up the river and every drop with ease. however the teeside courese made my mind up, to get rid of the boat.

Conclusion

For me the boat is unbalanced, too bulky and way too much volume. im not a small guy but chucking the boat around wasn't easy by any means. i would give the boat about 2 1/2 out of 5. not too hot

About myself

I have been paddling for less than a year, but with the playpark in my back yard I am able to paddle almost everyday.

About the test environment

I took it to the Reno Whitewater park at medium flows and on the North Fork of the American

Review

This is a review of a '04 model, not the newer '05 ones.
The boat performs on any feature, small or large and really does well in a hole and feels loose on a wave. It is a little slower than the other boats out there, but I found it was a pretty good compromise between speed and all around performance.
It fit me size wise and room was not an issue. Down river performance was very good and did not feel grabby. It was easy to roll and the one thing i really like about Jackson Kayaks is the way my knees fit.

The outfitting does suck. The design does save weight, but I wonder if it can't be improved upon.
The hip pads are horrible and could not be shaved, i could only add shims, and they were just the wrong shape for my body. I could only sit in the boat for 30 minute intervals becuase my legs fell alseep and my hips would hurt.
The footbag is ghetto. I hated having to re-inflate the bag every time i got in and out. The old back band kept braking and was too low on my back and as a result, i kept falling out of my seat. To be fair the new '05 boats have a better adjustable back band and better hip pads and a retro-fit kit is offered for a fee on the '04 boats.

Conclusion

The Star series is a great boat and a super performer, but the outfitting is another question and when you factor in the price of 1000 dollars???
Again to be fair alot of these outfitting problems i had, have been addressed in the newer models.