What to expect when you are expecting.....the Recon

Here is a link to some sweet shots of the new Recon.  If you are like me, while you are waiting to get a new boat, you want to look at as many videos and pictures as possible.  So I just shot a bunch of angles of the new boat before shredding down the Meadow.  Isn't she pretty....

prototype testing in action

It seems to have the best characteristics of all the prototypes.  After three runs down the Meadow River and two runs down Manns Creek, here is a list of what feels good.

-smooth displacement hull with a good edge that doesn't catch rock in the mank and flip me over.  Rolls over rock.

-Ultra stable landing and melting down in unpredictable current

-Drives from the bow or the stern.  Lean forward to catch eddys and grab current to stay on line.  Or lean back to carve over eddys and rudder down the river.  The combination makes for a killer boat.  

-Keeps a nice straight line going down a rapid.  In fact, if you want to turn the boat you better be ready to give it some edge and carve or it is going keep moving in the direction it is pointed.  While flat it is a tank but the second you put the Recon on edge it carves where you need it to go.

-Super fast eddy turns.  It whips into eddys.  Very crisp feeling. 

        Not only is it a good design but the outfitting is the best in the market.  So comfortable with lots of quality gadgets that work.    

-An extra seat pad to give paddlers more lift and better edge control.  

-The seat pad is held down with easy access hook/bungee combo that allows you to add more foam under the Whiteout seat  to add more lift and give you better edge control.

-The bulkhead has three layers of extra foam to provide as much cushioning and extra foam that you would ever need. 

-The Whiteout outfitting feels and looks great and, after all prototype testing, has proven to be durable and comfortable over time.  

-There are MORE than enough places to store and clip gear with a water bottle holder that actually holds your water bottle with a throw bag holder on top of that.  There are dual bungee straps on both sides of the seat below your legs perfect for keeping small throw ropes or elbow pads/pogies/gloves when you are not using them.

-The wing nuts that hold the bulkhead in place have small straps on them so they don’t come off and rattle around in the bottom of the boat.  

-and don’t forget about the easy adjustable ratchet leg lifter!

       The one thing I would recommend to all paddlers trying out the Recon for the first time is move the seat back.  I got mine and the seat came all the way forward.  I didn’t think about it and paddled it on my staple class 5 run, the Meadow, and it felt extremely different from the prototypes I was used to.  The seat needs to be towards the back to initiate the stern edges while lifting the bow up allowing it to ride over the water.  With the seat all the way forward, it weighs the bow down and makes it catch eddies unexpectedly.   When the bow plows water it gives the boat a “mind of its own”.  So, again, try moving the seat back.  

       Water has been good in West Virginia this winter.  More footage coming soon.

Shane Groves