I recently had the opportunity to paddle the new Drago Rossi Squashtail on a variety of features, over a three day period while visiting Montreal (Habitat 67, Chambly). Since there are so few reviews on this boat, I thought I would share my experiences.

About myself

First, I am what you would consider a fading expert paddler. I have been paddling for 14 year, have paddle virtually every rodeo boat build from 1995-2004, and can handle my own (fake-it) at any play spot and almost any river. Once upon a time I paddled 250+ days a year. More recently I have been paddling 50+ days a year. This spring I have only been in my boat 5 times. With that said, you won’t find me throwing a Helix or McNasty with authority but I still have command of the basics (air-blunts, donkey flips, loops, etc). I am 6’1”, 175 lbs., 33” inseam, and have size 11 feet.

Review

The boat I paddled had a non-standard lifted seat (~2”) which provides added leverage for carving but eliminated some leg room for my tall frame and some stability. Despite this reduced room, I still found the boat comfortable enough to paddle for extended periods without cramping. The fit and finish are excellent and the lines are beautiful. The cockpit seems larger than Corran’s past designs and the cockpit rim has a unique and effective double recessed lip that allows the sprayskirt rand to nest deeper than on other boats providing a very dry ride. I doubt that a rubber-rand skirt will fit this configuration well but the shockwave skirt designed for it is quite nice. The new thigh hooks are cool looking and operate smoothly. I also liked the adjustable heel chock that reduces toe pressure and increases foot room. The backband is completely attached to the seat, easily adjustable and moves as a unit when the seat is moved.

I am not really going to compare this boat to conventional rodeo boats per say because that would do the Squashtail the disservice of implying that it is in that class. Sure, it will cartwheel, squirt, loop, etc. but that isn’t really what the Squashtail is about. It is about rethinking how you look at a wave and how you achieve your freestyle objectives. The Squashtail is FAST! Not just fast for a 6’ boat but FAST PERIOD!!! I will go out on a limb and say that it is as fast as the Glide on a green wave. While other boats reluctantly hop down the face of a wave until they are dragged back to the peak from resistance, the Squashtail plains out quickly and retails a high speed until the surf is lost. It carves like no other river or ocean kayak I have paddled. You can not simple hop into the Squashtail and turn about on the wave as you would in your spud boat any more than your would turn a snowboard as you turned your alpine skis. The transition timing, trim points, and wave sweet spots are different. You can use way more of the wave, obtain speeds never before achieved, and have greater positive edging (even without fins) than imaginable. This is really the departure that the Squashtail makes…it retains its speed indefinitely. This constant speed forces you to concentrate not on where you are but on where you want to be and what you will do with this speed when you get there.

Starting at the waves peak, lean forward, spot the shoulder and prep the carve by planting you paddle blade much as a skier plants a pole to initiate a turn. As the boat moves into the turn, transition your weight from the midship toward the stern in anticipation to explode off the stable platform provided by the “squashtail”. Keeping a sharp eye on your destination, utilize your retained speed and rail off the shoulder traversing back across the face. This exercise acquainted me with the boats unique characteristics. I only started to feel the air potential from this speed and edging applied to a steep shoulder or rib much as a board surfer executes aerial moves. It is worth noting that the Squashtail really won’t leave the water by conventional hopping techniques…it must be driven. It is cliché but I felt like I was driving a Ferrari through the winding Swiss countryside.

The Squashtail is not hard to paddle or unforgiving. In fact, it is surprisingly very forgiving. The hull is characteristically loose (almost silly loose) and sustained green grinds are effortless. While front surfing, the bow is well out of the water. When edged, virtually the entire rail is engaged in the wave from bow tip too stern. Paddling in moving water, catching waves on the fly and establishing a surf are all effortless and refreshing if you have been frustrated by the impossibility of catching a green wave on the fly with a rodeo boat.

Conclusion

If you are looking for just another flavor-of-the-month “rodeo” boat, this isn’t it. If you are looking for something truly unique, incredibly fun to surf, and possessing potential as yet not full tapped then the Squashtail just may be that boat. Take the time to learn this boat and be creative (think outside what scores points).

Cheers

Jason Wing