hi,

i am 15 and have been paddling for about 4 years, i paddle grade 4 rapids and stuff like the Upper dart in the UK and The Landeck Gorge in Austria. i currently paddle a Liquid Logic Cr124 which is a bit of a tub at my size and i would like to get more into freestyle, i can flatwater cartwheel various playboats which i have demoed but have seen a couple Bliss-stick Specialists which look rather nice and was wondering if anyone had any views/thoughts/opinions/etc on them? whats the out fitting like? would it fit me?(i weigh 55-60kg which is around 120lb i think, and am around 5' 8" or 5' 9")



Thanks
Torsten

Hey Torsten, I think the Special would make a great boat for you. If you are looking for Bliss-Stick I would also give the New Smoothy and Super RAD 180 a good hard look. Outfitting is simple (ratchet back band, hip shim holsters, adjustable thigh hooks, etc...), comfortable and effective. You can check out all the specs and how the outfitting works @ www.bliss-stick.com

As always try to demo whatever!!

Good Luck

t

hi,

may i ask why you recommend the smoothy and RAD180, would the Rad 175 not be more suitable size wise? i had mentally dissmissed the smoothy because i thought i would be quite away below its weight range as i thought i was fairly central in the specialists weight range? what are the weight ranges?

what would be the performance differences between the smoothy, the specialist and the RAD 175/180?

another problem with demoing is that there are no bliss-stick dealers near me i think and the specialist i am looking at is second hand but would be sent to me.

thanks
torsten

hi,

another thing i wanted to ask was what size spray deck i will need, currently i have a keyhole nookie v-shock, will this fit?


thanks
torsten

are there any other playboats that you would suggest.

i am planning/hoping to paddle rivers like the landeck gorge and innst gorge in austria and possible rivers like the upper dart in the UK, would the bliss-stick specialist be ok for this?

thanks
torsten

Hey There Torsten, sorry if it sounded like I was recommending one boat over another. Think you would really like the Specialist. I thought you were looking at a shop with a selection and it is alway fun to demo and compare different modles. You also said you were running some class IV so thought a little extra volume might be a good thing.

Have friends that are in the 5'8" 130lb range (60k without kit) and are running Specialist as well as super RAD180s and Smoothies. Seems that leg length is as important as weitht in fit and comfort.

As for spray skirts, I believe recommended is Key Hole for the Specialist and RAD175 and "flip deck" for the Super RAD180 and 185 as well as the Smoothy.

I am using a Snap Dragon keyhole on my Super RAD180 and 185 and it stays very dry.

t

hi,

thanks for the information, i have an inside leg length of about 37", any idea how this would fit?

also how retentive is it, from both a freestyle point of view and a river running point of view, also how about being backlooped?


thanks
Torsten

OK, I am 5'11" with a 32" inseam and cannot fit into a RAD175 but fit in the 180 well and the 185 even better. That being said, I'm a creeker not a play boater and older so not as limber as I once was. Hopefully someone else out there could chime in on this.

Can't comment of the runs you mention as I live in N. Idaho. Hope to visit one day.

As for back loops and the such have seen Video of Yapper and others at the worlds doing some incredible thing with this little boat. I guess it all depends on skill level. If you see me doing back flips in one please, throw me a rope.....I'm getting worked!!!

t

well, thanks for the help, i am sure i will manage to cram myself into somehow if i must...

do you have any advice on the trim? should it have an even amount out of the water at each end or 2" at the front or what?

thanks
Torsten

I would guess that everything else, trim is also a personal preference with many opinions, so will have to experiment. With my creeker I like just a hint forward, hate those suprise backenderes, riverrunning I like it neutral and when I'm forced to play I like it back pretty far..

I know you'll enjoy and thanks for the conversation!!!

t

i to don't appreciate a nice view of the sky when i would rather be looking at the rapid ahead....

its a pleasure to talk to someone who actually knows something about Bliss-stick kayaks, the specialist in particular...

i'l be sure to post if i have any more questions when/if i get it, which i hope to.



thanks
Torsten

hey just as a suggestion i personally like the rads more than the specialist i have both a rad 175 and the specialist and i would paddle the rad over the specialist anyday. im about 5' 9" also and fit pretty comfortably in the 175.

Hey mate,

I've paddled the specialist, 175, and 180 each for about a year, and I really think you should go for the 175.

I got my first playboat (180) when i was about your age and about the same height and weight, and I really struggled to progress quickly because the boat was just so damn big! It was great for loops, but the whole time i was paddling it i found it very difficult to sort out moves like cartwheels and blunts. Also, although the boat looks the same as the 175, only bigger, it is a completely different boat. The 175 is hands down the best wave boat I've ever used, but the 180 is nowhere near as good. I'm not sure why, but the 175 is able to carve and bounce amazingly well, but the 180 struggles to do any of that.

The specialist is a fun little boat too, but may still be a bit big for you, but isn't as great a wave boat as the 175. Its a lot slower then the rad, so i've found that it can't catch waves that my 175 can blunt on.
The specialist also has a very different style of bouncing and surfing then the rad does - its a lot more of a butt-bouncer then the rad. Although this does let you get instant gratification when learning moves, it means that you can learn sloppy technique. Whereas the rad needs a carved bounce to work, which would teach you far better technique.

Also the specialist may be a bit big for you, it was designed for about 70 kilos.

So yea, i really think that if you able to fit into a 175, you should go for it. I mean I'm 75 kilos now, i'm way outside the limits, but it is worth it man.

but sorry dont mean to try and talk you out of the specialist, it really is an awesome little boat. And I'm sure that if your running class 4 now, then you'll be ripping it up in no time, in whatever boat you get your hands on.

cheers bro, have a good one

hi,

thanks for all the advice and i would love to demo both but there is nowhere near me that stocks Bliss-sticks, the Specialist i am looking at is practically brand new but second hand and will be sent to me so i cant try it out. i personally have nethe sver tried out any bliss-stick boats but have just heard what excellent boats they are, this will be my first proper playboat.


any other boat recommendations out there? any other opinions of the Specialist or the RAD175?


What do you know about the difference between the Specialist and the RAD175 terry?

link

These are some comparison pics, but the 175 is not included. Should give you a general idea of the different proportions of the boats.

hi,

thanks for that link, i looked at those pictures a while ago but i'l have another look.

thanks
Torsten