[color=cyan:87dc262477]I see that near the end of 2004 a poll was made; "Most Promising new Kayak Brand". Jackson, Fluid and Dragorossi ended up as the top three, in that order.

Since they have all been busy producing a few boats in the mean while and people have been paddling their boats, I'd like to know what people think now? Just some comments on what you think.

...here is the article with the poll results...[/color:87dc262477] playak.com/article.php?sid=517

Yo Adrian,

Dunno. but you just gotta love Fluid. I love their stories, especially those written by Billy Harris and Graeme Anderson (also pretty no nonsense, just making boas, no annoying reps and all that).

Laterrr

I think Jackson kayaks will soon (next 5 years) take over Dagger as head of the Game. I think not only EJ's Attitude toward making boats. But his general Love of making boats will carry him past everyone else. Jackson kayak is also skeletion company. With about everyone working there a Kayaker. If my memory serves me right in the Video EJ said he has no sales reps either.


Here is my break down of the 2007 biggest sales.



1. Dagger- Still makes quality boats. They are the house hold name to newbies so they will still be on top.

2. Pyranha- I think they are going to be a big hit. Not only do they have K-1 they have C-1 which many kayak companies do not have.

3. Wavesport.- With the Project and EZ series they are taken to 3rd.

4. Jackson Kayaks- They will still be on the rise. They will rise if they make more kinds of boats. They will fall if they dont introduce different boats or new takes on the same boats.

5. Liquid Logic. They have great boats. Just my opinion because I dont know much about the Company.

6. Necky- Again they have good boats. They spend to much time in la la land ( Sea kayaking) and not enough time on whitewater.

7. Draggorossi- Stupendous boats. Prolly the best boats out on the river. IMHO Corran doesn't have a good marketing skills. Yes Corran is a great boater one of the best. But you cant just say "my boats are ment for only the experts" and expect to break into the top 5.

8. Fluid Still a budding Company.

9. Perception- Their only Decent whitewater boat is a Torrent.


And that is all I could think of. Let the Hating begin. Because I dissed your favorite Company! Sorry just this kayakers humble opinion.

This is my opinion only and I do not mean to offend anyone. In my household, we have wavesport, jackson, dagger, and liquidlogic kayaks.

this is not necessarily biggest sales, because I can only comment on the market that affects my area.

1. Wavesport- still the easiest, best outfitting. Still the best designs and the creeker has not even come out yet.

2. Jackson- good designs, annoying outfitting. I think overtime there will be more jackson kayak haters because there is one figurehead to adress anger towrds. It bothered me that I was originaly told that the jackson star series was 10% faster with new outfitting. Then i was told that It was 30% faster, and faster than the project. The percentage means nothing because there is no scale to measure speed of a boat. In my opinion, the project is a better all around boat. The all-star will no longer be top dog.

i agree with nathan, i have an allstar but the outfitting irritates me alot. I also own a diesel and thats just right. Sit 'n fit. It just feels like it should.

Unless JK seriously starts thinking about the outfitting i don't think they will get alot bigger. The speed issue bugs me as well, but in a hole i think it's still hard to beat. On a wave, easy, there's better boats.

I paddled a fluid flirt, liked it but nothing fancy. I liked the solo's as well, but the small is like a female (or small guys) boat, and the large is really LARGE. I'm 6ft and 160 pounds, and i think i'm right in between those sizes. They really improved on their outfitting, but it's still by far not at the level of "the big boys". But after all, i think they'll get there.

Dragorossi, im not so sure. I tried the squashtail and fish on the ocean, they're fun out there but thats about it. If surfing is your thing, and you want to be able to get onto a river as well (ie. a carbonfibre surfkayak is not an option) it's a nice choice. I haven't had the chance to try the creeker yet, i think it looks good but i can't say anything about it.

i think jackson is gotta be the best if you watch their free dvd you learn a lot about their boats all the boats are made by paddlers them selvs so every one who makes them knows the importence of haveing a good boat. also ej has got to be one of the best rol modles for kayakers and hay any sport.

as you said about the outfitting, simple is good. plus the new armord out fitting boats are apparently grate.

i am a bit biast i paddle an allstar

where does Riot fit in??

[color=cyan:a98d41cb15]As stated already, this poll was only for the 'Most Promising NEW Kayak Brand'.[/color:a98d41cb15]

The Fluids seem to be on the rise to me. Especially for larger paddlers. I think this will make them more popular in the future, except maybe they still need some improvement on outfitting, though it seems quite nice to me.

Personally I find EJ kind of annoying. I do like the fact that his company isnt at all corporate but his boats look too wide for my liking.

Corran has had some of the most innovative designs over the years, but sometimes I wonder if his boats are 'too' innovative. Some of them are a little ahead of their time, in the sense that if you showed a modern day playboat to a top notch padler in the early 90s he would think you where crazy. That said, I am glad that we are paddling todays boats rather than everyone still in Corsicas. If you want to know what things are going to be like in the future, you may want to look at Corran's designs.

Those are just my opinions. I also think however, that it all depends on what boat you paddle. If you paddled a Jackson first, Im sure you would learn to Love it, and then if you tried a Pyranha, you would find tons of thigns you didnt like.

I've heard troublesome news from the grapevine for Dagger fans. Since Confluence (Wavesport) bought Watermark (Dagger), I heard that Confluence has cut most all the Dagger folks and there's no one there to really concentrate on the Dagger brand. The reps are pushing Wavesport more, they've cut a lot of Team D, etc.
Has anyone else heard anything like this?

[quote:e7f11da292="yakinoff"]I've heard troublesome news from the grapevine for Dagger fans. Since Confluence (Wavesport) bought Watermark (Dagger), I heard that Confluence has cut most all the Dagger folks and there's no one there to really concentrate on the Dagger brand. The reps are pushing Wavesport more, they've cut a lot of Team D, etc.
Has anyone else heard anything like this?[/quote:e7f11da292]

Not really much of a supprise.

Look at what they did with perception. They Baught the company and then turned one of the longest running white water kayak manufactures (and ex top dogs) and turned it into a company only aimed at the recreational market.

Denzil

Fluids 06's have made up for their outfitting issues in the past. I love my new solo l. It is BOMBER!!!

Agreed with everyone elses Jackson reviews: outfitting is troublesome. I contacted EJ about it, he responded and explained that the 06's corrected the problems. Not so from my demo of an 06 superhero. Nylon ropes will always stretch. They will have to overcome this to make buyers come back (I know of two folks who say they wouldn't buy another one until they fix the outfitting).

As far as WS goes: Outfitting rocks! Plastic seems to have slipped over the years.

My $0.02
Tobias