X-Par Missile

the longest of bushnell's single person boats, it is not the fastest for most paddlers. i also have a wave exceed and on the rivers and lakes i race on the wave exceed is faster. however - in a sprint it is the fastest boat in my arsenal. so why race this boat? it surfs faster than anything else out there, has a SHALLOW DRAFT useful in case you are in a shallow river. lets say you want to draft the competition in a race - it's sprinting ability will allow you a burst of speed to get on someone's tail and then stay there.

This is, potentially, a very fast boat - much faster than I am currently capable of making it go. After several years of paddling and racing slower, more stable boats like the Seda Impulse, the X Par felt very unstable the first few times I used it. Now that I've become more accustomed to the boat, it feels quite stable - particularly at speed. This boat rewards proper technique with a silky smooth ride, slicing through the water with very little disturbance or wake. In fact, the boat seems to perform better in a slight chop of 6-12", than on flat water. Beam seas, however, are still an unnerving adventure for me. The seat is comfortable and puts the user in a very good position for training. The tiller-controlled rudder turns the boat much more easily than I would have expected, given the X Par's 23' length.

This boat was built with superb attention to detail. Mr. Bushnell obviously puts a lot of time, effort and expertise into creating his products, and the boat has an almost artistic quality to it - if you like shiny phallic green art. Now if he would just build himself a web site and get an email address.

Caveat Emptor: I left the X Par locked onto my wife's car for one day. She came home reporting that no fewer than 8 men (all young, good-looking, athletic types she noted) came up to her to ask about the boat. She said I could leave the boat on her car any time I wanted. You've been warned.