Boats 101: Playboats

  • Volume distribution

Volume distribution also differentiates aggressive freestyle boats from more forgiving play runners. Modern freestyle boats typically have a lot of volume packed into their short length. This helps prevent pearling (when your bow or stern gets sucked under the front of a wave), and allows for more buoyancy on moves like the air loop in a hole.

Where this volume is distributed depends to some extent on the manufacturer. Although some designers choose to concentrate the volume closer to the cockpit and others will put it in the stern or bow, almost all freestyle boats these days are shorter and higher volume than their counterparts of five years ago.

Playboats, Blister Gear review.
The Pyranha 420, designed as a freestyle kayak, would be considered long by today’s standards.

Concentrating the volume closer to the cockpit makes the bow and stern thinner, which theoretically makes it easier to initiate tricks like cartwheels and blunts. Having more volume in the bow and stern, on the other hand, helps prevent pearling without sacrificing cartwheel-performance.

Play runners typically have their volume distributed either toward the cockpit or spread very evenly throughout the boat. This leads to a “slicy” bow and stern for tricks like stern squirts and cartwheels. The added length also provides more forgiveness in front-to-back stability since a paddler can get in the backseat without sinking the stern.

Comfort

You should also think about comfort versus performance when you’re deciding between a freestyle boat or a play runner. Freestyle boats are known for being very uncomfortable, especially for tall boaters with large feet. Although modern freestyle boats have more foot room than most older models, their length is still a limiting factor for large paddlers. If you know you want the added freestyle performance, it’s worth putting up with this discomfort.

It is also important to think about what you will use the boat for. If you’re mostly going to park and play at your local spot with eddy service, then I’d recommend a more aggressive freestyle boat since you will easily be able to climb out and give your legs a break on shore.

If you are planning to do a lot of long river runs, I’d think about a play runner that won’t put your legs to sleep quickly.

Either way, it is important to think about your body type and what type of paddling you intend to do. And you should demo boats before purchasing them to ensure that you can sit for a long period of time without wanting to scream.

Bottom line

There are a lot of different combinations of length, rocker profile, edge design, and volume distribution that distinguish freestyle boats and play runners within the playboat umbrella, so it’s important to think about your paddling goals, ability level, and body size before purchase.

If you are looking for a comfortable and forgiving ride that can still hop into a play spot, investigate play runners.

If you are hoping to perfect the latest and greatest freestyle moves or are a very aggressive paddler, check out the wide array of freestyle boats.

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