Whitewater Kayaks

Turn up the volume--Corran’s newest river running creeker takes on high-flows and steep creeks thanks to a design tweak that represents a break from the Dragorossi norm.

You expect a lot of things when you decide to review whitewater kayaks during December in Colorado. Staying warm definitely isn’t one of them. We packed up the quiver and drove to the Barrel Springs and Shoshone sections of the Colorado, still running thanks to a malfunction in the turbines of the nearby powerplant. Call us weenies, but it was the first time either of us had kayaked in Colorado in December (it was also the first time we’d ever used pogies on bike handlebars as part of the shuttle).

The Grand Canyon is the grand daddy of all river trips featuring three weeks of raging and river-running. The big water, bigger canyon and, hopefully, good friends, all add to its mystique. If you’re lucky enough to get on a trip, you’ll need the right gear. Paddling Life’s Nick Hinds was one of the lucky few this year, testing out everything from coozies and cutlery to fleece and flip-flops. Here’s what he and a few loyal testers found out:

Creek boaters need a home. Wave Sport brings them a downriver ecosystem with the Habitat($1,000)--one of the company’s more anticipated releases.

We love rivers. We know gear. So here's our Spring Picks, including Pyranha, Dagger, Jackson and Liquidlogic WW kayaks; drysuits from IR, Kokatat and Palm; and a review of Yakima's SkyBox Pro. Every piece thoroughly tested. That’s why it’s here. We like it. If it was up to us, we’d own it all.

Joe Carberry recently visited Portland, Oregon on a gear testing trip and the water was gushing. Bloated waterfalls and steep waves were par for the course, as were cold hands and ice-cold beer. Following is a run down of the gear he abused: Helemts--The Sweet Rocker S1; paddles: The AT 2; Palm Torrent Drysuit; PFD: Salus; Boat: Liquidlogic Ronin