When 听announced it would update its听much-beloved Nomad 8.5 kayak, a bunch of eyebrows immediately went up, including mine. That鈥檚 because most people who use the boat, which just so happens to be听the number-one-selling creek boat of all time,听didn鈥檛 think it needed an update.
Here鈥檚 why. For 12 seasons, the predictable,听smart design has remained the same. Pros and beginners both听like it because听its听wide, rounded hull makes the boat supremely听stable听and prevents it from getting听caught by currents.听Thanks to the moderate rocker profile, it doesn鈥檛 lift at drops, making it easier to run a 45-degree angle off a waterfall (which is key for boaters who听can鈥檛 afford to land flat.) The 8.5鈥擠agger's听largest version鈥攊s perfect for a six-foot-tall paddler plus some extra gear, but won鈥檛 swallow smaller paddlers, either.
So what鈥檚 new? The company听added a more aggressive rocker profile as well as a bit more edge to make the new Nomad, or Newmad, faster and more maneuverable. There鈥檚 also a new Nomad 9.0, which is six inches longer for bigger paddlers. It's still a solid platform, but听Dagger team pro athlete Gareth Tate says the company made the update so the boat could handle bigger whitewater. 鈥淲ith the progression of the sport towards bigger, harder, more complex whitewater, there was a place for it to have more speed and control,鈥 he says.
Remarkably, it's also supposed to perform better in intermediate water (class III and IV), too. 鈥淭he old Nomad was great for experts and beginners, but not as fun on intermediate whitewater,鈥 Tate says.
While I won鈥檛 give up my old Nomad, Dagger says a new test boat is on the way. Stay tuned for an in-depth review soon.
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