Over the winter I found a Jackson Superfun used for a reasonable price and decided I wanted to learn it after going through a season in my XP10 and working my way up to Class III+. I was really worried how this transition would go. Well, I am pleased to report that I am loving the Superfun! I have been working my way back up the river starting in easy Class I and now am in Class II with a Class III trip coming in 2 more weeks. I am so much more confident in the ‘corvette’ and am making ferries that I couldn’t hold with the bigger boat. I feel like I can actually do what I want to do now instead of the fighting the barge. It’s been very liberating and the smaller boat is much more stable than I thought it would be. I’ve been attacking every squirly eddy and surfing every wave. In one surf session, I’ve surpassed what I had done in the big boat. I’m actually having alot more fun pushing my limits. I have no issues with paddling straight and don’t feel like I’m killing myself to keep up with the others. If there are others out there like me hesitant to leave the safety and stability of a hybrid WW boat…YOU CAN DO IT!
Malissa (41 yrs old, 2nd year in WW and Mommy to a 6 and 7 yr old!)
Good for you!
Sounds like you're having fun!
I started paddling whitewater in my 40's, and found myself repeatedly having to explain that it wasn't all about running huge waterfalls or doing a gazillion flips. It doesn't have to be big scary water to be fun.
I agree!
It’s a good confidence booster to take a step back into easier waters. I feel like I can totally ‘play’ the river instead of stressing out about every impending doom rapid! haha I’m not crazy enough to jump in where I left off with a new to me boat. I probabably would have done ok, but i like to play things safe!
Ayup
The little squirts are so much more fun!
Boats like the SuperFun
Jackson's Fun, WaveSport's Fuse, and the like, and especially their larger sizes (SuperFun, Fuse 64) are actually "compromise" or bridge/transition boats too for the right sized paddler: they are not full-blown play/freestyle boats nore are they full-blown river runners either.
They are, however, perfect for what you are doing.
Another observation, once you master the Fun, when you go back to the XP you will find new ways to appreciate the longer waterline of it. You have to paddle linger boats differently compared to the shorter ones.
Keep in mind shorter boats hide lack of boat control technique - they are easy to force to point in the direction you want, for cross-ferrying for instance. A longer boat will require much more precise directional control to manage in currents.
The SuperFun is not short enough and is high enough in volume and with forgiving enough edges that it does not suffer from the problems that short playboats present to new paddlers - it masks a lot of what is needed to master such short boats, such as body weight distribution...
Food for thought.
Thanks
for the update. I was wondering how you were doing with that boat. I’m going to change from my XP to that boat, and or get a Jackson Zen.
how
easy does it roll compare to the xp10?.. I sent you an email as well.
thanks
jb