Riot Magnum Review

General Info:
Kayaker-
Weight: 155 I’m a little light for the suggested weight however the boat feels like it fits perfect.
Height: 5’9”
Shoe Size: US 10 more than enough room for my feet.

Kayak- www.riotkayaks.com
Length: 7’11”
Volume: 72 gallons
Weight: 39lbs
Width: 26”


I received my Magnum almost one month ago and have had a chance to paddle it on a variety of whitewater now. I gave it a test run on the Green River Narrows, Cheoah, Waterfalls at Rock Island and Tallulah. Overall this is the best creek boat I have ever paddled, here’s why.

Outfitting:
The Magnum is complete with Riot’s simple yet effective outfitting system. The 2006 thigh hooks are nice and are complemented with foam knee blocks to place between the kayak and your knees. The seat can be adjusted in less than one minute and requires no tools. The back-band is a ratcheting design and the most comfortable back-band I have ever used. The best feature with the back-band system is if the ratcheting system has mechanical failure you can bypass it with a cam strap buckle that is on the back on the back-band. This insures that you won’t be stuck on a wilderness creek without a back-band that works. The back-band is designed so it can be removed in the need storing gear in the stern for self-supported trips. The stern has heaps of room for self-support overnighters. Both the back-band and seat come padded out for the uppermost comfort. The bulkhead is adjustable and comes with a one-inch piece of foam. I used this foam and added a couple of other pieces to it to beef up the piton capability. Behind the seat are two rope tie-off points to store a throw bag or safety kit. The only thing that I would change with the Magnum’s outfitting is adding a water bottle holder/ throw rope holder in front of the seat. I did this myself by drilling two small holes in the front center pillar and inserting two small pieces of plastic pipe, for bushings, and rope. This system works great and you always have your throw bag where you can quickly grab it if needed.

Design:
The Magnum’s hull is unlike any other creek boat. The hull from the seat to the bow is somewhat of a displacement design. This is nice for rock boofs as you can still navigate your bow after the boat is in contact with the rock. From the seat back near the stern of the boat the hull flattens out and has more aggressive edges. This is great for carving turns and surfing out of hydraulics if need be. The hull has the slightest shallow V design which helps the boat track and gives it the most speed for a boat of its length. The stern of the boat is a square design that is used to load the stern for punching holes and shooting out the downstream side. The Magnum comes with four sturdy grab-loops that are comfortable for carrying and strong enough for an extraction. There is also a security bar if needed to lock the boat when not in use.

Performance:
The Magnum is easy to paddle compared to other creek boats. Thanks to its edges it carves in and out of eddies similar to a play boat. The Magnum is surprisingly fast for a boat it’s length. Head to head it is one of the faster boats on the market. It accelerates on edge and has good speed when paddling downstream too. Oh yeah, and it surfs great too, no reason not to surf it up a bit in the creek boat.

Boofing/ Jumping:
The Magnum’s bow rocker and squared off stern makes boofing an easy task. The front of the boat has a rounded, traditional hull that makes it possible to drive high onto rocks and one is still able to adjust the boat’s angle. Before paddling the Magnum I was a little worried about how the edges would affect its boofing ability in the situation of a rock boof. I found the boat would drive onto rocks and slide off with ease. Rock boofs, water boofs, fades, or slopers the Magnum’s nose stays on top of the water.

Slides:
The Magnum is great on slides because one can continue to adjust the boat’s angle while bouncing down the slide. This was a concern before paddling the boat because of the boat’s edges. In the past this is the problem I have found in creek boats that have edges. One thing I noticed was the more the boat pointed downstream the easier it was to change the boat’s angle. If the boat turned to ninety degrees, nine or three o-clock, it was harder to turn it back to a twelve o-clock angle. After several runs down the Green and Oceana I feel good about paddling big slides in the Magnum.

Waterfalls:
While at Rock Island recently the lake was spilling, which means the waterfalls were running, and I had the opportunity to paddle the Magnum off of Mill Side and the Spout. Mill Side was a little bit low but I decided to do it anyway. The lip was shallow and I knew it was going to be hard to set my angle. I was thinking worse case scenario I would pitch pole and practice landing on my head. While going off I was waiting for a late stroke and my boat hopped off of the rock and I landed flat without taking a stroke. Ouch, note to self, too low! Next, I paddled over to the Spout and it was the perfect level. My friends and I ran laps on the Spout for the rest of the afternoon. The Spout is a picture perfect waterfall and the perfect place to practice waterfall technique. All afternoon we practiced entering the water at different angles and trying different styles. What I found was that no matter what I did at the top of the waterfall the Magnum was going to surface in control, balanced, and up right.

Big water:
I haven’t had the chance to paddle the Magnum in big water yet (due to our little drought here in the SE) but I feel confident it will perform well. The boat is maneuverable, fast, and has the ability to carve through pushy water. More later…

Conclusion:
I am enjoying the Magnum. There are three things I look for in a creek boat: I want a boat that I feel is safe. I want a boat that is comfortable with lots of room for gear. And of course I want the boat to be fun. The Magnum meets all of my needs. Most creek boats I have paddled in the past have been just fine but I wouldn’t say fun. The Magnum is more fun because it is maneuverable, fast, and I don’t feel an adjustment period when switching from my play boat to my creek boat. I hope this review gives you an idea of the Magnum but truth is you can’t tell much from a silly little review. Give the Magnum a test drive and I think you’ll find it to be a great boat. See you on the river!

Jason Aytes
The Academy of Huge Experiences
Nantahala Outdoor Center Lead Instructor

El Rio Verde Y Scout

After returning to the U.S and Spring temps in the air my good friend Ryan Sherby aka Scout and I traveled to the Green River. At the put-in we realized it had been over two years since we had paddled the Green together. We had a wonderful day and it was good to be back on El Rio Verde. Here are a couple of photos I took of Ryan running the race line at Frankenstein and in the boogy water just down stream.