Dagger Kayaks and Which is Worth Getting?

If you love kayaking as much as I do, I am hoping you have tried out, or at least know about the different Dagger  Kayaks. If you haven’t tried one, do so. These are awesome kayaks, out of this world if you will!

I got my start with them on the Deschutes River in Oregon, when some friends invited me along on a trip. They had DGB’s from Outdoorplay, for us to use. Now, having kayaked before, but in smaller boats, I have to tell you, I was a bit intimidated by it’s size. At just under 12′ long, it sure looked like it was going to be a handful, but……… like most fears, they quickly dissipated as I paddled out into the mild current.

We started at a point in the river, wherein we had about 2-3 miles of fairly smooth water for all of us to get used to the boats, and get used to it I did. If you know the Deschutes, there are several Class III’s to navigate and a few small falls to go over and this boat was great. I have to say, it’s a great river boat, not only for the novice (like me) but for the thrill seeker’s as well.

For our trip, like I said, we all used the Dagger Green Boat Kayaks from Outdoor Play with the ATX paddles, life vests, etc. We had a great trip and I was hooked from that day forward! The DGB is the only boat for me.

Why Dagger Green Boat Kayaks?

dagger green boat kayakFirst, lets talk about how you will feel riding in this kayak. The Dagger Green Boat Kayak is excellent for any water conditions you choose. At 11 and a half feet long, the DGB has a knife like design that will slice through those rapids without ever losing your line. It’s set up with roto molded seats, adjustable hip pads and adjustable back bands that allow you to adjust the seat and foot braces so that you feel snug in the cockpit but still free to move about. The foot braces are foam padded and adjustable to fit most anyone’s leg lengths just like some of the best inflatable kayaks. Again, this is another important feature. Just ask anybody who kayaks.

As a sidebar, I thought that some of you might be wondering just what “roto molded seats” mean, so I decided to look it up and I have included a tidbit from Wikipedia:

Roto molding: “A heated hollow mold is filled with a charge, or shot weight of materials, it is then slowly rotated (usually around two perpendicular axis) causing the softened material (inside the mold) to disperse and stick to the walls of that mold. In order to maintain even thickness throughout the part, the mold continues to rotate at all times during the heating phase and to avoid sagging or deformation also during the cooling phase.” Now then, don’t you feel better knowing what “Roto-molded seats” means? I thought so.

Water Sport Enthusiasts love the Dagger Green Boat Kayak

A boat for all skill sets. Did you know, that the Dagger Green Boat kayak was originally designed to win the Green River creek boat race? It is in fact, named for the Green River which is located in western North Cdrolina. Well, in it’s first race, The Daggxr Grlkn Boat won 4 of the top five spots. in it’s very first competition! (they have even etched a map of the Green River into the deck). I’m telling you, this is the Indy racer of Kayaks but has the toughness and the sturdiness of a Nascar. If you want all of that, but at the sedan price? Then you have found the right boat. At nearly 12′ long and 2′ wide, there is plenty of room for storage and you will still be able to handle it like the knife edged boat it is. It’s designed for easy lean, and to cut and run. With the rocker’s dialed in at both ends, it will spin with ease. It has a bow up presence and it punches through those eddys with ease.

I found myself turning and spinning the boat, just because I could. The “bow up presence” I spoke of just means that keeping the bow up is easy as you head for a hole or an eddy of some kind, the boat just knifes right through with ease. You will be amazed. This boat is flat out…..a keeper.

Dagger Kayaks offer a lot of versatility

From creek paddling to Class IV’s and V’s, this is the boat. This boat brings fun and variety to any Kayaking trip. Using the rockers in the bow and stern, you can set this boat up for almost anything. Racing through rapids without losing your line,or even resurfacing after drops. The cockpit is roomy and comfortable with adjustments galore and still plenty of storage room inside for long haul paddling. The DGB has all of the boofing and turning capabilities you expect and more. You will find it an entirely new paddling experience in kayaking, simply due to it’s agility, responsiveness and forgiveness. This kayak has a fast and stable platform, with the emphasis on fast.

Just in case you weren’t familiar with the term “Boofing,” this is what it means: (I always like to share important facts in these little side bars) It is the raising of the kayak’s bow during free fall, while descending a ledge, ducking behind a boulder, or running a waterfall. This technique is used to avoid submerging the bow of the kayak by ensuring it lands flat when it hits the base of the waterfall. The term mimics the sound that is usually created when the hull of the kayak makes contact with water at the base of the waterfall. I have found no other boat that performs like the Dagger Green Boat. Creek boats are generaly slow, especially in pushy water. A slalom boat is a blast to paddle, but you will drown yourself in big water. Old school lobg boats (as some refer to this boat) just aren’t maneuverable enough. The Dagger Greeb Boat combines all of that.

Now then, with another kayak lesson under your belt, go forth with your knowledge. While your’e at it, check out the camera and mount. With these, you can record that kayak adventure form start to finish

Dagger Kayaks are built for speed

Do you want to punch through those eddy’s “on line” and fast? This boat fills a really big niche in the Kayaking world. At nearly 12 feet long, it appears big and heavy. Some have even called it “old school.” I have to tell you……nothing is further from the truth. This is a boat built for speed. In fact, the speed of Dagger Green Boat is scary at first. But once you get used to it? You will find speed is your biggest asset. It doesn’t matter if you are a novice paddling in flat water, or an intermediate practicing rolling and spinning moves. (Mbves that you thought were out of your league), Or a white water rafter ready for Class IV’s. With the DGB, you have a boat to take you from beginner to expert.

The Dagger Green Boat Kayak, despite it’s size, is very stable, easy to spin, turn and roll. If you don’t find this the fastest and easier boat to paddle in white water, something is wrong. It punches holes easily, due to the hull speed that can be generated and putting a little bit of the bow in slack water. This allows you to spin the hull quite easily. I recommend you try this boat on your own local creeks or rivers, but if you’re no expert, or even if you are? I suggest you practice your spins and rolls before you hit those class IV’s. You’ll find the Dagger Green Boat roomy, very fast, very forgiving and is big enough for multi-day white-water trips.

Dagger Kayaks for racing

If you ever wanted to win, what are you waiting for? The DGB was first Introduced in 2006 leading to many first place finishes. It was a Pat Keller/Snowy Robertson design, that finally became available commercially in March 2008. These wins, lead to 32 of the 60 long boats in the 2008 Green River race being Dagger Green Boats. It’s unbelievably fast. Fiddling around with seat position is important, as you want to be able to maintain ease of turning for corrections, but you want your body snug as a bug should the bow be grabbed by some strange or weird current. Beware those rogue currents.

This boat is meant to race. A simple hint? Keep a paddle in the water at all times and it will simply carve it’s way down the river. When going into drops, try to go in slow, and then you will find the DGB comes out of them fast and clean. If you lean back a bit in this boat, it will help you plane out of the rapids fast. You will find yourself planing so fast out of eddy’s, that the front half of your boat will stay dry and you can cut minutes off your time.

Kayaking requires conditioning

If you’ve never kayaked before, and think you want to get into this sport, there are some simple things to do before going out and just buying a kayak. Upper body strength is a must, because you are going to be paddling, sometimes with ease, and sometimes with real spirit. But paddle you will. Want an idea?

If you have access to a canoe, or even a small row boat, try to row that boat, or paddle that canoe upstream fro about 30 minutes. If you can’t do 30 minutes, try 15. The point being, is that unless you are already in shape (and even if you are) you are going to be using different muscles than you use for most anything else. You will find that your arm and shoulder muscles will be burning after just a few minutes. Grab some books or videos on conditioning for kayaking. Your leg muscles shouldn’t be neglected either, as you will be using them to help brace your upper body as you paddle through eddy’s, over drops and across white water pools.

Final Thoughts On Dagger

From my introduction on the Deshutes River in Oregon, to present….I have yet to find a better all around kayak than the Dagger Green Boat. This company has only been around a few short years (commercially since 2008) yet it has continued to garner positive talk as well as wins. The long boat crowd want to label the Dggger Green Boat as a white water boat only. But for me, this boat is at ease in a creek, a river or in white water with class IV’s and V’s. It’s an entirely new paddling experience for all who try it. Paddling is easy and the boat is so forgiving that it helps boost your confidence. The more you paddle it, the better you feel and the more rapids or falls you experience? Well, your skill set improves as well.

For a day paddle on a local creek or river, or a multi day trip….this is the boat. It has tons of room for gear and yourself. If you currently own a play boat of some kind or even a Mamba, try a Dagger Green Boat soon. You will be amazed by this boat. All others will seem sluggish. I definitely recommend this boat to anyone who wants to kayak.