hey everybody I just picked up a riot dominatrix 47 ultralight and I want wondering if its a decent boat and any info about it. I still need to find a paddle and a pfd but Im not really sure what im looking for yet. I also need a skirt and I was told its a funky size if anyone happens to know anything about these boats id totally appreciate it.

Also on the few reviews I have found people have said its long at seven foot seven? but it seems pretty short to me. im 5'11 and about a buck seventy so I fit in it but I just have a hard time imagining that it could be much shorter. I have only played around with one other kayak in a pool and I think it was a piranha but im not sure.

I would also appreciate any tips to getting me out on the water or know of any groups around tacoma,wa that beginners can hang with.

thnx everyone!

Stu

If you look at a boat like the Bliss-Stick RAD, the 175 is I think 5' 10.5", almost 2 ft shorter than the Dominatrix. Since you got the ultralight version, it will probably be more likely to break, since the ultralight versions were made primarily for competitive paddlers. For the skirt, I know that the Riots normally are a different size, but Seals doesn't have the Dominatrix on their site. IR says that it's a medium for their sizing, and a Seals size 1.4, so I hope that answers your question. For a paddle, look into Werner Paddles, since they're some of the most durable around, and for a PFD, most people use Astrals, but you could probably get by fine for a while with a Stohlquist, since they have an extensive line and you could find the design that you like, and most of their PFDs cost less than the competitors. If you want to paddle whitewater, you will also need a helmet, and I would recommend a Shred Ready or a WRSI helmet, since they are some of the best helmets for the price.

Id go to your local paddling shop and ask them there...

Im sure there is a local forum to get you dialed into your local scene... Also ask about a paddling club, The majority of the people I regularly paddle with I met through the clubs... they are a grat resource!

wow 5'10 how would you fit? this thing seems small to me as it is. as for the ultralight Im sure that was going to be a fact with the boat. for $250 I hope I still did good but as a newbie I might try to trade it for something a little tuffer. thnx

The Dominatrix has relatively flat ends, which reduces the useable amount of space. Look at this link: link . The second to last picture is of 6'6" Hugh du Preez in a 6'6" Fluid Flirt, which obviously doesn't have too much extra room, but I don't know where the seat was (front, middle, back position).

I paddled a Dominatrix 47 circa 2001-2002. It was quite an advanced boat for its time (as most Corran designed boats are) and seems long compared to todays playboats. I have memories of painfull feet and standing on river banks trying to get the blood to flow back to my extremeties.
With those ends this boat can cartwheel like crazy but with the super sharp rails catching an edge on a wave usually ends in downtime.
My one ended up oil-canning badly but I am not sure if that was just a peculiar storage problem I had or a general problem - might be worse with your super light version.
Enjoy your new toy - maybe next time do some research before you buy the boat?

you're dominatrix might bend but won't break any easier than most boats
I worked with Riot when that design came out and it had a good track record for plastic strengthl
the thing to avoid with the competition weight boats (ultra light) is the launching from rocks and strapping to your car roof with the hull down on the rack cross bars. Put it on it's side an it will last a long time
I still have an experimental ultralight Trickster that came out before the Dominatrix and it is in good condition because I took care of it.

NRS, Seals, IR, Mountain Surf, etc all made skirts that fit your boat. Call or email your favorite skirt company directly and they will tell you what size you need.

Enjoy the boat. It is an advanced model that will teach you many things.
I suggest keeping it for a while and finding a creek boat as your next boat.
That way you will have both freestlye and creek boat and be able to learn most of the kayaking stuff you need.
Sometime in a year or two you will start to have your own opinions and know what you need to get next.

Enjoy. I certainly enjoyed my Dominatrix 44 when I had one.

Scott

yeah im happy with it. My friend needed money so she sold me her xbox 360 with some games for $150 bucks and traded it on craigslist so I couldn't be too picky but the design of the boat was much more modern than the other boats people were interested in trading for. Im not much of a gamer guy so I feel at no way at a loss. The boats in great shape and has no:cheer: gouges or anything silly on it and I can still throw it in my nissan and head out as soon as I get my safety gear in order. I dont have a skirt but id like to just go row around in a lake or something. I guess if im not tiping over or getting splashed on I shouldn't need it up id sure hate to loose my boat or something. anyways thankyou everyone for your responses.


Hey maybe I have the wrong idea but I believe I have a play boat what was a play boat at the time it was made it sounds like they are significantly shorter now but wouldn't a creek boat be even smaller than my boat? I love the thought of rallying some creeks but is mine too big? I know im not going to be doing any of these things for a while but its just something im thinking about. thnx again

ScottBarnes wrote:

NRS, Seals, IR, Mountain Surf, etc all made skirts that fit your boat. Call or email your favorite skirt company directly and they will tell you what size you need.
Scott

cjcc wrote:

For the skirt, I know that the Riots normally are a different size, but Seals doesn't have the Dominatrix on their site. IR says that it's a medium for their sizing, and a Seals size 1.4, so I hope that answers your question.

Problem Solved! Also, you probably want to try to find a local store to buy it from, because you can make sure that the model is exactly what you want, and if you've not used skirts before, they could probably help you get the skirt on by yourself. In other words, I have the IR Shockwave, which is only $95 and although it isn't seam glued/taped, it has a deck release, and unlike the Snap Dragon River Trek, the end of the tunnel (where your waist goes) has a sewn end on it, not raw neoprene. The edges of the shock cord are about 1/8" overhang of raw neoprene past the skirt, but I don't see it causing a problem.

Sbryan, the dominatrix is/was a high end performance boat and not a boat that will make learning to kayak easy. Most (maybe not all) kayakers will start out in a kayak that has a friendly hull, has volume and is easy to roll. There are all types/shapes available that will help steepen your learning curve but starting out in a high performance (albeit and older) kayak (even though it was a great deal) will make learning to kayak harder with much more upside down time than you might expect. Be careful and have fun, Woody