I don't pride myself on my half slice skills, so I don't have much expectation going out for some eddy line down time. I decided to take an afternoon off from the LW to try some stern squirts and surfing in the Goat. I knew it should be easier than the Steeze because of its size, so I just hoped to be able to get vertical and play around a bit more.
What I discovered was the single most fun half slide design I have ever sat in.
I had an absolute blast fucking around, flipping over, getting vertical, spinning around, splatting rocks, and just being a good old fashion beater out there.
Some Notes about the kayak:
The review I would give the Goat seems kind of fake. I didn't find anything I disliked about the boat...Like 10 out of 10 or 5 stars...I hate to even be so positive because kayak reviews are so personal and bias that they are starting to feel like they don't really matter.
SO I will say this. It is insanely fun! For this style of paddling I feel like I am the perfect weight at 165 lbs or 73 kg.
If you're smaller it will perform better in hard water, but playing on the stern (you may feel like I do in the regular Steeze). If you're heavier it will be more playful and easier to get vertical, but a little slower in the snappy moves.
Like I say in this video, I suck at this style of paddling, and can barely squirt a M ripper, struggle hard in a normal Steeze, and let's forget about the Puffy. So this is BIG NEWS for me!!!! Another thought I had is I that love the feeling that longer kayaks give you durning a stern squirt or a splat. When you're in a shorter kayak the ends don't contain as much energy, therefore it feels less dynamic and less rewarding to do this style of paddling.
So being able to rip LW/Truss laps in "Steeze-esque" comfort and style and the go to class 3 and be able to do this stuff...I am more than excited and stoked. It feels like what I expected the Steeze to be when it first came out. (Now I love the Steeze for so many different reasons, but mostly its class 5 ability)
I can't wait to get it on some big water in Idaho and up on the Wenatchee this Spring.
