one time on the water and i…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 6/30/2016
one time on the water and i was in love! it's like a fever and i've caught it and i'm passing it on to everyone i know. can't wait to paddle these colorado mountain lakes and rivers!!!
Pros
I love that the hoss bt is inflatable and easy to pack. when the day is over and it's time to go home, it's super easy and quick to deflate. roll it up and slide it in the pack and you're ready to go home.
Cons
I have struggled a little with the hand pump. Seems hard to attach without losing all the air from the electric pump. Also, the gauge has never worked, so i can only go by feel to know if it's inflated appropriately.
Usage
it's good exercise but its mainly very relaxing to me. chillin on the water is good for the soul!
At 10' 10" long and 35 inches…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 7/31/2015
At 10' 10" long and 35 inches wide, this is a scaled up version of the same shape as their Straight Up all-around board. I loved it. It's wide enough to be stable but the rocker profile (especially in the tail, where some inflatables stay flat) makes it playful and responsive. I'm 6' and 175 lbs, but I could imagine smaller paddlers having fatigue or general trouble with the reach to get your paddle over the side.
Pros
Inflatable! Super easy to inflate, comes with what looks like a re-labeled version of the NRS "Super Pump" 2-stage pump AND a little 12v dc blower to get air volume into the board the lazy way.
Stable, large platform (10'10" x 35" x 6")
It's big, so it's really stable for a board under 11' I also really dig how big the traction pad is. It only leaves about 2 feet at the nose without traction, and only a few inches at the tail.
The tread rise in the tail is also long enough to actually be effective, vs some less expensive brands (Tower) 2" x 5" joke of a kick pad.
Cons
Inflatable, so a bit less glide and a bit more buck than a traditional epoxy board, but still within acceptable range for the trade off in storage space/transport.
Usage
Flatwater play, short touring, and downriver class I,II,III.
I'm 53 and bought the Playa…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 10/10/2014
I'm 53 and bought the Playa for me and the Hoss BT for my husband....and I LOVE the Playa for me! While the Hoss BT is definitely more stable the Playa offers more of a challenge, is easier to maneuver, and moves along faster in the water.
In the exactly 30 days I have
owned the boards (as of today), I have been out 14 times and have taken
and introduced the sport to 13 different people and my dog! Everyone starts off with the Hoss BT but after feeling comfortable many of them try the Playa. They also feel it is easier to maneuver and feel like they are getting a better workout because it is a little more challenging to balance. I also take my dog with me on the Playa but since he is 50 pounds, he takes up a good portion of the front and doesn't have as much room to get comfortable. Also if he moves around much, you have to be ready to counterbalance. It makes it kind of fun and interesting though....at least for me. I think my dog prefers the Hoss BT where he can really stretch out. I have had two adults on the Playa as well. It is definitely less stable with two adults but still very doable and makes it fun as well. My teenage nieces like to lounge on it while one person stands and does all the work! I'm new to this sport and so haven't been on very many boards to compare to but I can't say enough
about this inflatable board with unbreakable fins! So far ....while carrying it up a hill, I
tripped and fell onto the board with fins down with no damage to fins, my friend actually
backed her pickup truck into a bank along the Salmon River with the Playa sticking out the back resulting in dirt and mud on the board by no damage, and I have hit rocks on whitewater with NO incident. I filled it up to 14
pounds pressure the first day (max is 15)....and haven't had to add any
air since! They are 6 inches thick and very stiff. People are amazed
that they are inflatable!! There are plenty of D rings for strapping stuff
down and I bought the kayak seats that attach to the D rings to make
kayaking more comfortable ...although I haven't used those much yet.
Also I love the Hala butterknife paddles that I bought to go with it.
They have paddles on both sides but still have a paddle handle which
enables you to switch from paddling to kayaking instantly (which I used
often during my first trip on whitewater. Any time rapids were too big
or scary I plopped my butt to the board and rode it like a kayak!) They
also break down into 3 pieces and adjust very easily to different
lengths with minimal effort. I LOVE this board! I LOVE this sport! I
just can't get enough! I wish I had found it years ago! Now I'm excited
to see which friends go out and buy there own boards!
Pros
Everything so far....inflatable but very stiff, lots of D rings, very durable and tough, love the Playa's bright colors, love how manuevable it is
Cons
No carrying straps on the front and back but I added some myself to the D rings.
Usage
touring mainly flatwater, exercise, relaxing, fun,companionship with friends, enjoying the beauty of Idaho and its breathtaking beauty in places that not everyone can access, .....and hopefully next year some more whitewater paddling