About the reviewer

I'm an intermediate paddler who's been paddling for around four years. I starting getting into paddling through MUCK, our university kayak club in Maynooth, Ireland. For the first few years I paddled everything from Invaders to Whippits, basically all the old battered club boats. Searching for my first boat was tough due to my height and poor student finances so when I found a second hand Ace I was well pleased.

Review environment

The main spots I've paddled the Ace were The Sluice on the river Liffey in Lucan, Co. Dublin, The Annamoe on the Avonmore in Wicklow and surfing spots like Bundoran, Westport, Lahinch and Castlegregory

Review

The Ace is at home on surf. It's very fast, predicable and carves like a dream. It's longer length and planing hull allows it to catch and stay on waves that shorter playboats cannot.

As a playboat it's very slicey back and front means that carwheeling is pretty easy but it's weight really holds back attempts to throw air moves.

For riverrunning/creeking it's low volume means you're going deep on drops and you're probably going to sustain some ankle bruising if you hit rocks head on. Not advisable above grade 3/4

Outfitting is very comfortable with great thigh grips and a decent backrest. No ratchet for backstrap though. Footrest is a molded plastic bucket with strap to tighten, not very comfortable for the larger footed paddler as it tends to cramp your foot arches.

Conclusion

Great second hand boat for the taller beginner/intermediate who likes a surf and wants to try a bit of play and river running. Too heavy/long for anything airborne and too slicey for anything above grade 3/4. All said I love the boat and it will do me for another while yet