Dagger

Jitsu 5.9 Kayak

Being caught in the middle of an argument can be awkward and painful, but being in the mid-sized Dagger Jitsu 5.9 Kayak is the exact opposite: relaxed and borderline hedonistic. Driving into waves and popping out of pockets, or stringing together a series of loops that would make a rodeo champion jealous, this aquatically agile boat gives you dynamic control in every dimension.

Dagger designer Mark "Snowy" Robertson knew 'yaks needed the marriage of old-school speed and stability with newfangled flippability. The smooth, progressive rocker and clean entry off the tail give you a clean break-away while helping you accelerate into a wave. The low stern profile gives you sufficient speed to track a tight line. Once you've reached your terrifically turbulent destination, you'll be able to appreciate proportioned volume that is localized around the cockpit. Tapered sides push volume toward the center, which is good news for hole moves, a boatload of volume in the center supports modern-day combo moves, and an abundance of volume behind the seat gives you pop out of the pocket.

It's equipped with the Contour Ergo outfitting system, so paddler comfort is maximized and paddler power is exploited. The seat rail is welded to the boat itself, making it easy to take your paddle power and transfer it to the Jitsu 5.9 kayak's on-water performance. How your body is positioned within the boat translates into how efficient your paddling is, i.e., takes a lot of work to do very little, or the work input correlates to trick-ability. Nearly everything adjusts on this boat, so you can customize the padding for optimal power delivery where you need it. For adrenaline-addicted paddlers, the Jitsu offers speed to launch your cartwheeling fun into the air without tipping you ass-over-teakettle when you're balancing on the stern.