Yep, Jackson’s got a new river running creek boat out that’s turning heads.
Designed to blend confidence where you need it and sportiness when you want it, the kayak is meant from everyone from those just starting out to experts pushing the boundaries with Class V, with a shorter, lighter, sportier ride. Call it a modern creek boat rocker profile without all the weight and volume, with a full-on creek boat hull, slimmed-down deck and shorter length for a lighter, nimble, easy-to-turn, easy-to-boof, easy-to-carry boat serving up maximum maneuverability.
But don’t take our word for it. We tapped Southeast paddler Halie Orr on her take on what is sure to become a quiver killer.
In Her Own Words:
“Here are my first impressions of the boat. I was just taking off the river the day that Jackson released the medium Flow. I had been anticipating this release day, curious as to what Jackson had been cooking up. My interest perked with the length being shorter and less volume than some of the current and modern river running creek boat designs.
Some background on my paddling ability and current boats I’ve been spending most of my time in: I’d consider myself an intermediate boater that loves river running with a little play on the side. I mostly paddle Class II to III+ rivers. Over the past year I have spent most of my time in my Antix 2.0 & Gnarvana, both mediums. I also still have the original Jackson Zen 65 that I love to break out from time to time. I’ve also paddled the Code, Scorch, OG Ripper, and Ripper 2. I enjoy eddy hopping, jet ferries, S-turns, surfing, 360 spins and am just learning to stern squirt my Antix.
Back to the Jackson Flow. I picked one up in the sweet Miami Vice LE (Limited Edition) color. Would that little bit of pink on the bow help me to channel my inner Dane Jackson? The ease of outfitting and adjustment is one of many things that I love about a Jackson. Bulkhead adjusted, hip pads in, all within 5 minutes—it doesn’t get much easier than that. It has comfortable outfitting and knee position, and its sizing felt perfect: not too big. I enjoyed the size of the medium. At around 165 lbs. and 5’5” tall, it fit me perfectly without feeling too big.
I took the new Flow out on two laps down 4.4 miles of Tennessee’s Pigeon River and on about 16 miles on North Carolina’s Nantahala River Gorge, in everything from Class II to some big water III+ in wave trains, shallow ledge drops, big irregular waves, wave holes, and standing waves.
On my first outing, me and some of the girls were putting on the Pigeon River to catch the last release of the season from the powerhouse to the Hartford Bridge. Having never taken a stroke in this new boat, I was off. My initial thoughts…I peeled out and noticed that the boat got up to speed quickly with only a few strokes. I caught an eddy and practiced a few rolls. We continued through a series of small ledge drops and I began to eddy hop. At this point, I noticed its great secondary stability and how snappy it felt peeling in and out of eddies. The boat had good primary stability, but not so much that it would take away the nimble and fun feel of river running.
I immediately settled in with how the boat was handling with my paddling style. I could feel the sportiness and felt confident as I made my way down. I even took advantage of a few boof rocks and ledges. I was able to boof the boat with ease. I began to punch a few holes and punched right through them; the bow remained high and dry with very little splash to the face, which I appreciate since I wear contacts. I intentionally changed up a few lines mid rapid to see how the boat would handle…no problem. The boat didn’t seem to lock in on a line like some boats I have paddled. I felt as if I could place it exactly where I wanted. I was enjoying the shorter length and hitting some tight eddies that I sometimes slide out of.
In all, it’s a very fun river runner. A little sluggish to roll at first but I believe it was my technique as I am used to rolling my half slice. After a few minor tweaks in my technique I was rolling it with ease.
This boat shined at river running on Class II -III+ for me, in everything from large wave trains to holes, tight eddies and swirly/funny water. It had excellent primary and secondary stability and was nimble and quick. It also has snappy edges going into and out of eddies, with excellent edge to edge transition. Its volume distribution helped it boof with ease, carry speed well, punch holes, and skip out of drops and holes. It also rides up and over features well, surfs great, and let me do 360 spins with ease. I got in some great surfs at Surfers Rapid. Its flat planning hull and crisp edges allowed me to remain on the wave and carve it up. I took the traditional line after catching Truck Stop eddy at the falls. I nailed my line perfectly and came through with hardly a splash.
In Double Reactionary on the Pigeon River, I messed up my line and went into the swirly “No man’s land” eddy. My friend came in hot behind me and plowed into my stern. Whoops! With a low brace and a few strokes, I was back on line. Wow, most boats would have punished me for that mistake and I would have flipped over, but not in the Flow.
This boat is in a class of its own when stacked up against a lot of the current river running and creek boats currently on the market. I could see instructors teaching out of this boat as well as newer paddlers just starting out. As an intermediate paddler, I am looking forward to taking it down some more technical and challenging rivers.
https://jacksonkayak.com/jackson-kayak-flow/
FEATURES
- Full planing hull
- Super high-rockered design–both bow and stern
- Lots of legroom for all-day comfort • Forgiving sidewall and deck shape for a forgiving, confidence-inspiring ride •
- Sleeker, shorter, lighter, and lower volume than a full-on creek boat
Specs (Medium) * Small and Large Available Spring ‘24
Length: 8’5″
Width: 26.75″
Height: 14.5″
Volume: 77 gal
Paddler Weight Range: 130 – 190 lbs
Weight: 46.7 lbs.