Dagger Boat Reviews
Dagger
Dagger web site
http://www.dagger.com
A decent whitewater boat. Its got a lower volume especially around the
cockpit, than either the RPM or Vertigo. It hasnt quite got the RPM's ability to stay on
the crest of a stopper, but its damn close. Its higher volume back means slightly more
work doing stern dips. Its a fine boat, you can throw it around in the water and it just
performs, winning the 1995 Whitewater Rodeo World Championships. Its also very comfortable
to paddle.
Ian Robertson
Dagger say its designed as an all-purpose, high performance kayak for smaller folks, its great for surfing, hole playing and general river-running. Its easy to handle and forgiving, perfect as a first boat for kids.
Great boat! Handles very nicely and holds an edge well. Great for running rivers and also stopping to play in waves. Difficult to perform playboating tricks, but then wasn't designed as a no holds bar rodeo boat and I'm not that heavy. I'd definitely recommend it for beginners through to advanced paddlers. We have a couple in the club and they are very popular. They're also easy to roll which comes in handy on white water and also teaching beginners in the pool.
| Outburst Pro's | Outburst Con's | Dims |
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Length - 330 cm Beam - 61cm Cockpit - 86*48cm Weight (ex footrest) - 18 Kg price(inc VAT) - £500 |
(review by Darrel Robertson)
RPM
I like Dagger’s RPM a lot, because its really stable in white water,
is fairly short, and has enough speed to cut it as a general purpose boat. It can catch
very small surf waves on the sea which I just cant in my MI335 (general purpose kayak). It
also has a drainage plug.
What can I say? I love Dagger. Coming off the huge success of the RPM, designer Marc Lyle went shorter and more aggressive. The result was a real, "Radical Play Machine." You better believe the Dagger Vertigo will set it off in 1998. What I like most about the Vertigo is the versatility of how it performs. The Vertigo will surf, carve, spin and cartwheel. It is seven-feet, 11-inches long, 25-inches wide, and has 64 gallons of volume distributed mostly around the cockpit. It has tiny ends and a planing hull with a super hard-beveled chine. The wide planing surface creates a slippery surf with guaranteed flat spin-ability. The boat may feel a little edgy while front surfing, but that's just the Vertigo letting you know it wants to flat spin. Go with it because it will release and you will soon find yourself back surfing. As for retentive moves--they are no problem with the Vertigo. The flat-boxed sides create a stable platform to support the paddler's weight when initiating, and this support creates a good base for control while allowing the paddler to link more moves. The Vertigo is not, however, the boat of choice for downriver playboating. The stern has a bad habit of catching the best of boaters off guard--I've seen some good paddlers rolling on the eddyline in the Vertigo. Despite its stable edges when initiating moves, once out of the hole or off the wave the Vertigo becomes a "Radical Flipping Machine." Comfort of the Vertigo is average, not as good as the RPM, but will any boat ever be? There is plenty of room for big legs, but big feet will be begging for Perception foot bumps. It comes with your choice of Dagger thigh braces, aggressive or less aggressive, and Dagger's comfortable seat. (Review by John Trujillo)
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Last Updated 15th April 1999