Great for river-running - beginner to advanced. Also a nice boat for instructing in.

About the reviewer Grade 3/4 paddler Test environment Grade 2/3 rivers, low volume creeks and surf Review Often run local river at low flows and I wanted a boat with enough volume to keep me out of trouble. The 180 allows you to dart around and find the channels you need. Dropping into holes with a Boof and some weight back to get the nose up the 180 will skim over holes. I suspect if you are under 80kg and less than 175cm tall with average foot size this is the boat for you! Conclusion Great all round river-runner and playboat!

About the reviewer Grade 3/4 Paddler, Have 3 boats 1 for surf, 1 for playhole and one for creek. Test environment Surf, Variety of grade 2-4 rivers in NZ Review Moving from a river-running boat I immediatedly noticed the added bouyancy, forgivingness and EXCELLENT COMFORT. At first I was a little disapointed with performance as it did not seem edgy enough. However as my paddling developed I have learned to paddle the boat - which responds better as flow increases. I enjoy the security that this boat gives on the eddy line and on the edges of holes. This boat punches through holes like a beast! Most recent trip on grade 2+ boulder run I enjoyed eddy hopping and playing in holes and waves. On a couple of occasions spending more time than some playboaters on a feature. Only negative is that it is quite heavy especially once loaded with splits and other safety gear - so not ideal for long portages in "indian country" Conclusion This is a great all round boat for someone looking to progress towards more challenging runs and creeking. COMFORT...