I currently paddle a wave sport project 45 but am getting too small for it, (no legroom), I need a bigger freestyle boat that is good
in both a wave and a hole, although I'm 5'11 tall I'm only 65kg so getting a bigger boat would mean I'd be right at the bottom of
the weight range.


I'm mainly looking at the allstar or the project 52. However the riot flair 47 has a lower weight range so would fit me much better
than the all-star or the project. However I know they are the better boats.

I need advice on whether you think fit is more important than the boat itself of vice versa???


Please reply

Really it is soo very subjective

Im assuming from your post that you are still growing, are you going to grow more? if so get in at the lower range (that seems obvious)

Ok, so when it comes to the actual boats, id simply get out and demo, there are so many boats that are in your weight range and really the mfg specs are pertty shady as they are guesstimations. So fit is bette than size as soo much goes into the design outside of the volume specifics, the allstar is longer than teh project and will paddle faster for waves, the project has more centralised volume so it has more pop for loops

Its bland to say but get out and demo as much as possible and see what you like... the project series really rock ( I have one ) but the Star series are great too ( I want one)

Go with you heart and demo from there

What about the riot as it would be a better size for me

Don´t bay Riot flair, it´s almost wave kayak. I´m same weight and taller than you. I paddled astro 54 a few years but I´m too light for it and now I just order Jackson star. It´s little more roomy and one gallon bigger than projeckt 45. Project 52 and allstar are too big for me and then I try new star and love it.

Have you moved everything that's adjustable to fit you better? If not, do that first, so you can wait until you stop growing to get a new boat. Also, if you like the Project, get the 52. Another boat you may want to look at the Dagger Agent 6.2, and the Dagger Kingpin 6.2 would probably be the best fit, since the weight range is 100-180 lbs. The Orbit 47 or the Astro 54 would be a much better option than the Flair 47, since they fit the same weight range, but are designed as full on playboats vs a surf/playboat hybrid. I would get the Dagger Kingpin 6.2, just because of its reputation as a playboat.

my weight is exactly the same as you, but i bought a project 52, paddled in zambezi and also used for safety kayak in my home town (bariloche, argentina) and it took me a couple of days to get used to that volume (im in the limit aswell) but i fell inlove with that kayak...

that is a subjective question.. very.

So, I'll just throw in my two cents. I paddle the 52, and what I can tell you from paddling riots before, is that it is a very different boat. Slicey, less forgiving, but carves better, more volume in the bow, stern sinks like it's nobody's business. Its a good boat, but very different. I would make sure that you demo one, you may not like it. My first impression was that I wasn't into it, as I tend to like the smoothness of the Wavesport, it's speed on a wave versus a riot, the wavesport tends to be looser as well, and just better fit for my body.

A couple more things I can tell you about the riot. The bow shape itself makes bow stalling the boat easier. It's edgier, so edge transfers in cartwheeling is a little faster and not as forgiving as the jackson or wavesport. The back band is a fixed one, it tightens, but is low on the back just above the seat, when comparing to an Allstar or Project, the back band can move freely and can tighten to however you see fit. the advantage here is that you get a tighter more customizable fit in your boat, as well as more power as you can have the back band higher up on your back.

If you go with a jackson, you'll have a very similar feel to what your paddling now. as the two boats branched off from, essentially, the same original design. If you go with a riot without demoing, you may not like it or you may love it. It all depends on what you want from your boat.

One more thing I want to add. Moving up in volume may not necessarily be a bad thing. With the right boat, you can still do all the same moves, but you can play on bigger features more easily, and the added volume will give you a greater advantage when looping, you'll get higher and more pop.

Good luck with all that, I recommend you demo, and find out what it is you like in each boat versus the other (slicey, hole performance, surfing ability), and then go from there.

Hope that helped some.

Thanks fo rthe advice;)