[img]images/boats/wavesport/habitat-th.jpg[/img]Boats Database: Wavesport Habitat 74

Why name it the Habitat? Here are a few definitions...

anyone had a chance to try this one out?

Yep have the 80 though. Not tried it on anything big yet just a little boaterX on a pretty easy course.

Overall opinions on pretty much flat water

Out fitting
This is where I think wavesport have it, the outfitting is excellent with plenty of adjustment, this is a really comfy boat to be in with a well thought out gear stashes, but that is it. I modified the foot block with thick foam impact pad. The seat folds flat so easy to get access to the back of the boat.

There are two things that I am just being picky on but dont let that put you off. one thing I am not too keen on is where the inner pillar is located, I would prefer it a little further back toward me as I find my shoes snag a little on exit, second is the seat adjustment once in I can not figure out how to get it right using the ratchets I get about 2 inches to move the backrest forward. This really is being picky and will probably sort the second with more time.


Paddling on still water, well this is easy as you would expect, fast and streight but i can still turn it quickly. Important to me as when running a long river 70% of it is grade 2/3. I reccon this would be a great boat for still water instructors, comfy, roomy and loads of place to get gear in.

Shape.
The shape is awesome running of a drop it just pops streigth up again, I am about 95 kilos I can paddle this without the bow going under, I am still getting used to a displacement hull, the plus side is it rolls so easy, slides great and I am sure will be a blast when I take it out to some proper water soon. Primary and secondary stability seem perfect and the kayak feels nicely balanced.

Seems great, will do a little review once I have taken it to some good water.

Got this having paddled a burn, jackson mega rocker, LL jefe

Oh and you can loop it if you are really keen, see pic

ok wll try the pic again

i was thinking about getting a wavesport habitat 74
has anyone tryed this kayak
and what is it like for getting into white water

thanks will

I agree with the review...

WS outfitting is some of the best out there... I am really happy with my Project.

I paddled one down a C3 rapid and can only go from that... Seemed pretty good, boofs well and like I said, comfy

Downside. (relative) Due to the displacement hull it takes some timie to learn to control... I think this of all displacement hulls though.

What kind of water do you plan to run?

I really like the Burn and the Solo and cant wait to see the exped Mystic... By the time I wear out my burn there should be some demos about...

not much of a review I know...

like all boats... DEMO!!!!!!!!!!!! never buy a boat without paddling it in some whitewater

Let us know how things go

Keep in mind that Wave Sport plastic is known to be very weak. You might want to look into the Jackson Punk Rocker, Rocker, Fluid Solo S, Prijon Embudo, or a Liquid Logic Remix 59/69. The Remix would probably be the best to start with, since they roll easy, but still have decent speed and good stability. However, the ends are pretty low volume, so if you are stuck in a hole, you will have a greater chance of being backlooped. I am checking out the Solo this weekend, and I will try to get back to you as far as comfort, adjustability, etc. I have checked out the WS Diesel 65 (2007 model), the JK Punk Rocker, and the Remix, but I have only had a chance to paddle the Remix. The only downside that I could find is that my shins were hitting the front bulkhead knob. The Punk rocker was great, but the metal bar that I think is a hull stiffener is on a plastic guide and was a few inches off line, so that could be a problem in the long run. I did like the cleats on the Jackson, because you can adjust the backband and bulkhead without moving from the cockpit. It also has the Uni-Shock bulkhead, which cushions your feet on large drops. The Diesel's thigh hooks felt flimsy, and if anything goes wrong on a rapid, you don't want it to be your thigh braces. The Embudo is just a really tough boat, which means that it doesn't have pillars. The outfitting is not that great, but it is easier to change the outfitting than the plastic.

i paddles in in the nevern in pembs and there were some good grade 4 drops and it was a very good boat i thought. wavesport are by far the most comfy boats i have ever paddled but lack in other areas but this one doesn't. very good boat. plastic is good on these too. this one went off of a 20ft waterfal directly onto the front and only a small dent.no split or anything. good boat.

Keep in mind that Wave Sport plastic is known to be very weak.

I have no idea where you are getting that statement from but personally think it is rubbish.

Since this post I have used and abused the habitat for a year and it is a fantastic and sturdy yak. If you like it buy it.

It soloed down a nasty boulder garden in france (lower guisane) when the river was in spate. In all honestly this kayak should not have made it in one
peice, it came out perfect apart from a few new scratches. So weak? No I don't think so.

Can you let me know where you get the above from?

You suggest getting a jackson punk rocker, rocker, personally I would not touch one of these with a 20foot pole. The centre colomn moves when you land
a drop and whilst the plastic is great I do not think it is suited to a creeker, too much flex in X-link plastic.

Nearly everyone agrees that Wave Sport plastic is very soft. They could have changed their plastic, but I doubt it. Some people have gotten dents in the bow, but the most common problem seems to be cracks/oil canning. Odds are that most are good, but they have a greater percentage of boats that have problems compared to most manufacturers. It does appear that fewer people are having problems with Wave Sports, which is a good sign. As far as the Rocker goes, I don't think that the center column is secure, because if it comes loose in a store, I could imagine it sliding in a rapid. The Fluid Solo would probably be a better choice, even though the outfitting is not as good as Wave Sport. If you look at a side view, they are very similar. However, it ultimately comes down to 05dave's opinion, and how he likes the feel of each boat in the water.

I had a Wavesport BigEZ for three or four years and had no problems at all with the plastic. Super strong.

But, are they using the same plastic now? That I don't know.

Ah well maybe so but that is the first I have heard and in my experiance the Wavesport Habitat stood up to a sound thrashing when in all honesty it shouldn't have.

I guess you have to compare it to the number of boats sold versus warrunty claims. In the UK Pyranha gets bad press for plastic but they out sell others by 5 to 1 so you are bound to hear more about it. Just never heard anything against wavesport so was a little surprised by your post.

As for dents I dont think you can ever blame that on the manufacturer and always down to navigator errors, hitting a rock at speed will dent anything.

Fluid Solo I agree is an awesome yak and well worth a look.

Cheers now, have a great weekend.

kojak wrote:

I had a Wavesport BigEZ for three or four years and had no problems at all with the plastic. Super strong.

But, are they using the same plastic now? That I don't know.

Nearly all kayak manufacturers now use linear plastic instead of crosslinked. As far as I know, the only major companies that don't use linear are Jackson(still crosslinked), Prijon and Eskimo(Blow-molded). Here is a link from Mountainbuzz on the Habitats.

www.mountainbuzz.com/forums/f15/thoughts...t-74-80-a-12736.html

I've demoed the Habitat several times, mostly steep 4+/5. I found it very, very comfortable and the plastic seemed solid. The planing hull was extremely stable and the chines were great for tracking and carving. However, the hull lacked rocker. This combined with hard chines created a low bow with vertical sidewalls. As a result, the bow would not want to release and "spin" when correcting, turning, or eddying. To be reliable, the chines had to be engaged when turning. Good chance this is user error, but that's my take. I have been told the Habitat 80 has better rocker.

With plastic it seems that if its not German it'll break. I've broken an M3, a Rocker, and recently a Solo. Jackson and Fluid honored their warranties (the M3 warranty had expired). Last winter we had a rash of broken Rockers (7 between 4 of us). It will be interesting to hear how the "well-cooked" 08's will fare this season when the levels rise and the temperatures drop. Anyone else see the 07 Jacksons have problems?

As far as other creekers, I prefer chines, so the Rocker and Jefe aren't on my short list. People seem to love both and they're as comfortable as creekers come. The Solo and the Burn have great hull designs, each a lot like the Habitat but with more rocker (esp. the Solo). Unfortunately the Solo seat anchors fail (repeatedly) and the thing weighs a lot. I'm currently trying to choose between the Magnum and the Mystic. Again, lots of rocker, raised chines, semi-planing hulls. Any opinions out there?

-p

Thanks cjcc!

Currently I own a Prijon Cross and don´t have to worry about breaking it.

greendancerpdk, you mentioned the weight of the Solo.

Just to compare things: Mystic 21,5 kg
Prijon Cross 18,5 kg
Prijon Hercules 19,5kg
Burn M 18kg
Jefe 20kg
Fluid Solo 20kg
But how much does the weight of the boat matter in this category? Does it affect ones paddling or is it just the hiking that worries people?

Opinions you say? People seem to like the Burn. And what about DR Critical Mass? Or the Karnali?


10-4

kojak

Walk into a shop and one hand a Solo on to your shoulder. The true wait is remarkable, particularly in the stern. Despite this, the Solo is fantastic in the water. The semi-displacement hull is super stable. The generous rocker gave up solid boofing, easy corrections and steering, and predictable resurfacing. Volume in the stern lifted you out of hydraulics and the raised chines helped in tracking and carving. This combo of chines and rocker is what I seem to like in a boat.

I bought the boat thinking the performance in the water would "outweigh" the Solo's weight. In practice, its a tough call. Hiking in a couple miles with a 1800' descent, slippery gorge portages, and being in situations where you really want to one hand your boat made me want a lighter boat. I could also quit *^*^ing whining and hit the weight room.

It's hard to know if the weight effects the performance. I have found other similar boats (Magnum, Mystic, Burn) to be faster and less sluggish once you slow down in traffic. This may be due to the Solo's rocker rather than its weight. Also, the stern could sometimes not disengage when boofing, dropping the bow a bit. But this could be a combo of boat length and user error.

Honestly, I wouldn't be considering leaving the Solo, but I just broke my hull and have had constant problems with the seat anchors failing. The backband is connected to the seat, so when you apply pressure from bulkhead to backband, you're torquing on the seat anchors. Consequently, they break. Repeatedly.

The C. Mass and Karnali appear too big for me (175 lbs).

-p

Yeah, quit whining