Welcome to our new gear testing partnership with Portland, Oregon’s Alder Creek, whose employees put paddling gear through its paces day in and out on the waterways of the Northwest. For this installment, longtime employee Nate Watt catches us up on his time in the Jackson Clutch, a sort-of half slice creeker for all-around paddling.
River: Kalama Red Barn 365 CFS
Paddler: Nathan Watt
Writer: Nathan Watt
Boat: Jackson Clutch
Other Gear: Immersion Research Devils Club dry suit, Sweet Rocker Helmet, Astral
river shoes, Werner Paddle.
With Alder Creek now being one of the only whitewater retailers in Portland,
we’ve been able to pick up Jackson, Liquid Logic, and Pyranha. With this influx of new
boats, of course we had to try them out.
First of all, I’ve been a big fan of Jackson Kayaks ever since I picked up an Antix
2. My initial thoughts on the Clutch are that it feels like a half slice and creek
boat had a baby. It feels like a cross between a Gnarvana and an Antix. With the high
volume bow and mega bow rocker the thing just boofs over everything and
carries you over holes with ease. The half slice tail also allows for some fun pivot
turns and stern squirts. The boat also turns on a dime. However, I wasn’t able to get it
fully vertical, but in full disclosure I’d say that was most likely user error…
The secondary stability is solid and comfortable for hanging out when arcing
turns or doing a slight lean boof. The boat feels somewhat slalomesque and
carries a ton of hull speed. I noticed that when doing pivot turns the pressure
really builds up on the stern and pops you forward like a cork. I’m 5’6” and 165
lbs., and was interested in finding out how this beast of a boat would roll. To my
surprise, rolling was easy and felt a little smoother compared to my Antix 2.
Surfing also felt smooth and playful. It was very maneuverable on a wave, no matter the size. In addition, the bow volume prevented any pearling from happening.
Overall, this seems like an awesome boat, whether you’re just running some
low-key whitewater or trying to step up into some harder more technical runs.
One thing I’d be curious to see is if they make a new model with the double
rails. Which is what they did to the new Antix 3, which I really enjoyed. I think this
would allow for a little wiggle room on the edges. If I had more thumbs, I would
give it four thumbs up.
Curious about paddling the Clutch and in our neighborhood. Stop by
Alder Creek and take it out for a demo.
Read full review here: https://aldercreek.com/jackson-clutch-review/
Read more reviews of the Clutch here: https://paddlinglife.com/industry-news/jackson-releases-new-clutch-kayak-a-halfslice-creeker/