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Crossover Creekin' in the Katana 10.4

Posted: 07.14.2014 by Brendan Wells

Crossover Creeking in the Dagger Katana

This year I wanted to try something a little different, so I got a Katana 10.4 not knowing quite what to expect. Unwrapping the boat, I was super excited to see the hull that looked like it could definitely handle whitewater.

Plus, it had all of the extra features to make it the perfect boat for long over-nighters on rivers and even to explore the San Juan Islands outside my back door in Bellingham, WA. With a drop-down skag and convenient back hatch, I feel confident taking this boat out on longer trips in the bay, lakes and rivers.

As soon as I got the Katana, I couldn’t wait to see how it would perform in whitewater, so I went to the river I knew best- the Green Truss section of the White Salmon River in Washington. This is the river that I honed in my skills as a class V kayaker, and know it better than any other. I haven’t spent much time paddling long boats in whitewater, but I love the feeling of keeping my speed through everything and not being concerned of getting spun out as easily as in a short boat. Rather, I focus on taking fewer, precise strokes to keep on-line, and getting my bow up as best as possible through holes and ledges. I was impressed with how well the Katana sped out of features and stayed on-line. With its rocker profile, I didn’t have trouble keeping its bow up over drops and making tight turns. Overall, I am stoked to have this boat in my quiver to use on a variety of paddling trips.

Check out this video of my testing the Katana out on the White Salmon River and stay tuned for the release of more Mountain Mind Collective videos!

Crossover Creekin' (Quick Flick #3) from Mountain Mind Collective on Vimeo.