New Dagger Mamba Review and Soča Valley extreme kayaking video

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It feels kind of strange writing a kayak review in the middle of a snow-white Bovec, but if there’s a good time to spend it on a computer, it is on lazy winter evenings. I spent most days of 2012 in a kayak, working on the river throughout the summer season and kayaking great whitewater in what turned out to be an epic autumn in Slovenia in terms of water levels.

My 2012 kayaking season has been largely affected by a transition from Pyranha Burn to the new dagger Mamba. I am very picky when it comes to kayaks and I am not easily persuaded. I paddled an old Mamba 8.5 from time to time and I really liked the control it offered on the water. But I never liked how it performed on the rocks. The old Mamba is mainly a river-runner. It is a great learning tool for beginners and a very safe bet for paddlers that don’t like being surprised by the boat. But it just couldn’t compare to the more hybrid-like Burn, when it came to creeking.

That is why I wasn’t instantly persuaded by the idea of switching to the new Mamba, which was presented to me in the springtime – even though it was a new model that needed to be “outed”. When it comes to extreme kayaking, I go for whatever I feel best and safest in, even if it isn’t in the best interest of my sponsors. I am glad that they understand that but in any case I still couldn’t wait to try out the new Mamba. Trying out different kayaks is kind of a hobby for me, as it makes me feel like a little child with a new toy. Most contemporary models come in different sizes as well, which just multiplies the experience.

At that moment Soča valley’s biggest kayak test center, Alpin Action, only had a Mamba 8.1 test boat. But I was quite sure that it was a right size for me, as I normally couldn’t resist the playfulness of smaller models compared to more conservative character of bigger ones. I tested the boat at a fairly low water level at Katarakt section of Soča River, which offers some nice rocky boofs on a mostly “watery” course. Mamba 8.1 surprised me in every way. The first thing I noticed was that the boat lost its ship-like character of being able to go straight without any “urge” for turning until you commanded it to. In fact it felt like a firecracker under my bum. I used to paddle slalom and I love the boats that can spin fast, but this boat exceeded all my expectations. I could hardly keep up to it. I could almost say I got outmanoeuvred by the boat. I wanted to own one, just for the challenge of taming it, but I could only get one boat and 8.1 size felt too small for my 75 kg, for serious extreme kayaking. What mattered to me the most was that its hull was much rounder than that of the old model and it gave me great control on the rocks. I had some problems in the past for not paddling the big enough volume boat in extreme whitewater, but the amazing performance of Mamba 8.1 gave me confidence to do a risky decision. I did something unthinkable for myself and just ordered an 8.6 version without trying it.

My first impression when I was unwrapping the boat was: “oh my god, it’s huge.” I felt a little bit sick, because I was really worried that it was too big for me. I’m only 174 cm high and I had some experience in the past with not being able to properly control the boats that were too big for me. I still think I look a bit funny when I sit in it, but how I feel in it is another tale. For the first few months I used it mostly for work at a very low water Soča. I had been taking photos of rafting and I needed to overtake the rafts a few times on their descent. Mamba felt like it was made for the job as it is fast and offers an amazing amount of space for my camera gear. I also learned it is a little less bouncy as the 8.1 version, which I expected from the bigger size. Nevertheless I was amazed by the fact that, even though it is a super big kayak, I was able to spin it very easily and fully control it. I couldn’t wait to try it on harder water.

In the next few months I got a chance to try it in super big volume, low volume creeks, steep big water situations and so on. To start with the sum up: I love the boat and never felt so secure doing extreme whitewater as I do in Mamba 8.6. When I first tried it in big volume, I was amazed by how on top of everything it felt and by how easily I could change direction, even though it is slightly harder to keep it on a straight track as it is the old Mamba. But unlike the old Mamba, this one can comfortably be used as a creeker: It has a very nicely rounded hull, which I feel confident to take to the steeper rocky rapids. The good features also include stability, easiness to lean it and roll. It is also really easy to boof, while it tends to land soft and accelerate on the landings.

I can’t say I don’t miss a bit of a playful character which smaller boats can offer. I honestly believe that a size gap between 8.1 and 8.6 is too big and I would like something in between to do those play-creeking runs on easier rivers and to also be able to use the same boat in serious conditions. But that would probably be a compromise for me, because there is currently no other boat than Mamba 8.6, that I would rather take to a hard paddling expedition. I can confidently stuff it full of heavy equipment, sit myself in and I can hardly notice any change in the way this kayak handles. Dagger is introducing a new outfitting kit in 2013 and I can hardly wait to try it out – especially those extra inches you can slip under the seat. Great job Dagger!

 

Here’s a video of Extreme kayakin in the Soča valley that I recently made . In the first part of the video I paddle the new Mamba 8.6 at a Katarakt section of Soča River. I believe it is quite evident in the video, that the boats handles like a charm, stays on top of features and accelerates effortlessly.