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Review Detail

 
GT 8.1 (GTX)
Boats & Boards
(Updated: July 03, 2008)
Overall rating 
 
4.8
Design 
 
5.0
Perfomance 
 
5.0
Quality 
 
4.0
Value / Money 
 
5.0

gt 8.1 is a great boat

About the reviewer

I have been paddling this boat for about 4 years now. I am not a class V paddler yet but am only a bit scared with the Class IV.

Test environment

I have had this boat on Rivers, creeks. It has done great on all the rivers. The boat has pretty pronounced chines so it is very stable and also edges really good. The hull speed is excellent and because I like hull speed so much I don't like paddling shorter boats. It surfs really well and is an over all excellent choice for an all around boat. It seems to be the overall perfect length for a boat. If you get any longer you would lose turning capability and any shorter (at least on rivers) you would lose some stability. q

Review

While I was learning to roll I found this boat much harder to roll than other boats I was able to roll without effort in. I now find this boat easy to roll. So if you don't have your roll down 100 percent it might be just a bit harder than others. I really like having a planing hull and love this boat for its overall ability. There is enough room in the boat for some things but if your planning on some overnight trips it wouldn't be good for that. For really big water I would want a longer boat. I am talking like Colorado river type stuff. For kern River, salt River or short runs on the Colorado its my boat of choice. I have paddled other boats like the RPM max and I like this boat better. On the creek I found it was a very fun boat also. I am amazed at the plastics that someone these manufactures produce. They take a huge beating and just keep going. I am mostly comfortable in this boat and it is a boat that the biggest of biggest guys wouldn't want to have. It fits me perfect. I wear regular Water tennis type shoes and my foot size is 11. I have paddled many a 7 hour day in this boat. The air pumps for your hips that this thing comes with is never used by me. The thigh braces are maybe the weakest point of the boat. I have sat in other boats that were much more comfortable as far as thigh bracing goes.

Overall I don't know of any other boat that I will enjoy as much as i do this boat. SEE you on the River.

Conclusion

Great boat. Pefect if you only could choose to have one boat. This would be the one.

Review

Affiliated
No
About Me
Location: kern river
Age: 46
Weight: 99.8 kgs
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