creeker
(45 x)

A creeker is used in alpine white water. The large volume ensures good buoyancy to minimize the risk of getting caught between the stones on steep, rocky terrain.
Also, creekers may offer a little more security from capsizing in the easier whitewater area than river runners that are more tail-heavy. Of course, this is also a matter of training.

Crossover
(10 x)

The "crossover kayak" is not a standardized term.

The boat types are sometimes rather longer white water boats with a luggage hatch and sometimes rather short touring boats with a blunt snout, a bent bow (rocker) and also a luggage hatch.

one-piece paddle
(4 x)

A one-piece paddle is obviously not divisible. Many paddle manufacturers also offer 2-, 3- or 4-piece versions of their established models. These cost a little more, but can also be stowed across the trunk or even in the boat itself as a spare paddle. And when ordering online, divisible paddles are cheaper to ship!

fin/skeg
(11 x)

The skeg, a small retractable fin in the back of the boat, keeps the boat running straight, especially if the boat has a lot of rocker, i.e. a banana shape. Long crossover, touring and sea kayaks with rocker are highly susceptible to side winds and waves. The skeg works wonders. The children's boats from Soul also have skegs.

Some of the boats listed here have a skeg included, with others it is available as an accessory.

A nasty classic is not to retract the skeg when landing. This happens regularly, even to experienced paddlers... Fortunately, it can be replaced on almost all boats 😉

Very straight boats don't need a skeg because they just go straight anyway. a folding rudder is more appropriate here.

flat bottom
(77 x)

The flat bottom was introduced to achieve better maneuverability. If the boat does not have a pronounced keel that lies deeper in the water, then it takes less effort to turn, for example for eddying. Overall, however, the immersed surface is higher and thus also the frictional resistance. Flat bottoms can occur along the entire length of the boat, only in the maximum beam area, or only at the stern. All boat shapes that require high maneuverability are available with flat bottoms, play boats, creekers, crossovers for flat, narrow small rivers and even sea kayaks that have been optimized for surfing and playing in the surf zone are available with flat bottoms.

Advantages:
– much more manoeuvrable depending on the length of the flat areas
– the boat is a few centimeters less deep in the water at the deepest point

Disadvantages:
- a little slower
– a little heavier, because more material is needed to make flat floors stiff enough.

fiberglass shaft
(4 x)

A fiberglass shaft (GRP) is less rigid than a carbon shaft (CRP) despite being heavier. This means a slightly more sluggish conversion of the power per paddle stroke with a little more energy loss due to the cushioning. In return, the force peaks on the wrists are lower.

In addition, glass is heavier, but also less sensitive to scratches and also cheaper. For the vast majority of paddlers, GRP is the best value for money.

half slice
(27 x)

We call a new generation of Riverrunners the Halfslice, which combines the best features from different boat models.
Put simply, creeker in the front, party in the back.
On the one hand, there is the conspicuously curved tip of these boat models, the so-called "rocker", which makes boofing extremely easy, if not can even be described as a kind of "auto-boof function".
On the other hand, in contrast to the creeker, a halfslice has a flat rear, which ensures the fun factor even in light white water. Because the tail can be submerged, the boof is often lighter than the creeker.
Most models are also quite long compared to older riverrunners, which makes them very easy to accelerate. And in connection with the rocker explained above, you can also explore quite sporty levels of difficulty with this type of boat.

Real all-rounders that are really fun! It's best to try it yourself, we also have many half-slice boats for testing.

Children's boat
(10 x)

Boats for children (all sizes and ages).

Hatches
(10 x)

These boats come with cargo hatches. You have to check whether the storage space is just enough for a muesli bar or expedition luggage based on the storage volume.

There are day tourers with one hatch and sea kayaks with up to 4 hatches.

Prijon offers combined hatches that are closed with Neuprene covers and hard plastic covers.

Most other manufacturers rely on rubber/PU/caoutchouc hatch covers. These can be perfectly tight as long as you don't get grains of sand under the sealing area and the bulkhead to the passenger compartment has been properly sealed.

The latter is far too often a little leaky, unfortunately not that rare and almost independent of the manufacturer. It is best to check this immediately after purchase. If in doubt, ask us for a suitable sealant.

ratchet straps
(62 x)

Ratchet straps are very common for adjusting the backrests in kayaks. So you can clamp yourself into the boat for optimal boat contact.

The downside to the rope clamps now used by many retailers is wear and tear and possible susceptibility to sediment.
Spare parts help with this shortcoming, the ratchets are usually interchangeable.

River runner
(48 x)

River runner or half-slice boats combine small, playful playboats and large-volume creekers for heavy whitewater. This makes these boats perfect for learning how to kayak in a playful way. With a lot of volume in the bow and strong rocker, these boats can also be driven in heavy white water. A mostly flat tail allows playful elements like undercutting. Kayaks with a volume well below 300 liters are also often referred to as river runners.

round bottom
(11 x)

The circular cross-section has the smallest surface area of ​​a prismatic body. The smaller the surface, the lower the surface friction. So racing boats drive almost exclusively with the cross-sections of a gutter. Fast whitewater boats and touring boats for long, open routes also benefit from the round bottom. In most cases, however, the cross sections of these boats are not extremely round, because: The perfect circular cross section does not offer any form resistance to tilting. (Like a ball that spins forever in water, unlike a surfboard, which requires effort to tip.)

Compared to the flat bottom, there is another advantage that can be easily illustrated with a sheet of paper: if you lift a flat sheet at one end, the sheet sags limply. A half-curled, round sheet remains stiff. So if you want a flat, stiff paper, you need much more material thickness.

The round keel allows the boat to run straight ahead as if on rails. So if you spend a lot of time on small rivers, you will hate it.

Advantages:
– Noticeably faster
– Stiffer or lighter
– Better tracking

Disadvantages:
– Less maneuverability
- More wobbly
– The boat is a few centimeters lower in the water at the deepest point

rope clamps
(22 x)

Cable clamps as a way to adjust the backrest quickly and individually offer an alternative to the ratchets that were almost exclusively used in the past.

Initially celebrated as an innovative, less wear-resistant system than conventional ratchets, disadvantages have now also become noticeable here.

Anyone who has ever slipped their rope out of the cleat while boofing has already helped with their boat with other ropes or knots.
Manufacturers have remedied with less slippery metal clamps instead of the plastic clamps.

Thus, as with everything, there is no permanent perfection with frequent use. But here, too, if something breaks, the rope and clamps can be replaced.

Play boat
(9 x)

Here is a selection of River Runners that are slightly shorter than the Halfslice models.

comprehensive thigh braces
(19 x)

Here we list the corresponding kayaks, where the manufacturers value comprehensive thigh supports in their standard seating systems.

This is often an advantage for good maneuvering and a stable seat in the whitewater boat.
One finds thigh braces that are too comprehensive, especially with wider thighs a bit cramped.
You have to test yourself. Many seats can also be individually adapted to body shapes.

Whitewater spraydeck
(4 x)

Only spray skirts made of neoprene are used for white water. In addition, they often have Kevlar-reinforced borders, so that they stay seated on the coaming even if they capsize.

Here, when attaching the spraydeck, care should be taken to ensure that the existing grip loops can guarantee an emergency exit, since the elastic neoprene is not always so easy to push open with the knees.

Whitewater paddle
(4 x)

The usual lengths for whitewater paddles for adults are between 192 and 200cm. Divisibility is not mandatory, but it saves shipping costs and makes transport in your own vehicle easier every time.

In principle, there are three types of divisibility:

• in firm detent , so the angle is always the same
• in variable detent, the angle is freely selectable, the length is the same
• in variable clamping, with a freely selectable angle and up to 10cm additional length.

In addition, some paddles are even used in 3 or 4 parts offered to use them as eg in a boat Replacement paddle to be able to stow away.

In order to keep an overview of the more than 350 paddle variants currently on offer, we recommend that you use the product data filter in the sidebar or compare them in the table view using a free text search!

Additional handles on the coaming
(61 x)

Normally, almost all kayaks intended for whitewater have up to three additional handles near the Sülrand in addition to the two handles at the bow and stern.

On the one hand, this makes it easier to salvage the boats in white water. But it is also good for getting out quickly in difficult terrain, you can thread the ready-to-hand sling through a handle within reach to secure it.
Also, recently, boats that don't have these handles have been banned from participating in some whitewater races.

Since some manufacturers do without these handles, which we believe are quite advantageous, on some of their River Runners, we have introduced this keyword to you.