Jackson Traverse Crossover Review

[@maxtax8223]

been shopping for and trying to understand what type of kayak i need to get down those class 1 - 3 white waters i often encounter on my day or overnight trips on mostly calm lakes and rivers - the honest opinion offered by this giant of a man explained it fully and the arguments in the comments helped just as much ... thx Doc - i need a crossover kayak likened to this Jackson or to the Dagger series ones..

[@jondunaway2753]

Thanks for the video Stephen! So what did you end up switching to? I was pretty well set on this as my crossover boat until I watched your video. I too will be doing a great deal of flat water and don't like the spin out issues you've experienced in their design. I need a great 50/50 boat.

[@CheekyMonkey888]

I think you need to add a much larger deployable aluminum skeg atop the stern, the drag of a larger skeg will keep the boat tracking straight as long as you have any forward motion. Only issue is that with said skeg up, when comes time to whitewater, rolling the kayak will be hard, as it will provide too much lateral resistance. Your review is spot on, this is a whitewater kayak, with a tiny skeg added for marketing it as crossover.

[@brettkovak6344]

I purchased an LL remix Xp9 it has a displacement hul not a planing hull. It's SUPER stable and tracks VERY well with skew down because I believe it has less rocker than the Jackson. I love the boat, outfitting is superb! The skeg is the best on the market, BUT I was looking for something more playful. Don't get me wrong he XP is a very well designed boat but I wish I got the Jackson. Also the XP is about 200.00 less then the others. So anyone looking for the same performance from their crossover as this gentleman is , the liquid logic XP is in my opinion an excellent choice!!

[@StephenSmithAgape]

The Traverse is very nice handling boat. The only is after I stop paddling. I had another tell me his crossover tracked well during the glide as well. I think it may just need a bigger skeg to help with the glide.

[@gkarjala]

Looks like a great boat. Prolly a lot like my Katana. Not ideal on flat, but better than the average Rec. Paddler can make up for anything it lacks in.

[@phoenixamaranth]

It's very much like the Katana

[@MysticalDragon73]

I'm sorry I've had the traverse since it was released and paddle ohio flat waters. It tracks very well IF you paddle it correctly and have the skeg down. You need to use vertical strokes and treat it like a whitewater hulled boat that it is. Using your thigh braces, and feet on the bulkhead also helps. Will it track as straight as a touring or a rec touring boat? Nope and no kayak with a whitewater hull ever will. I've got the Fusion SOT crossover also and it handles very similarly, though the traverse still beats it. I cannot comment on the sit inside version of the Fusion as I cannot fit inside one. My Jackson Tupelo tracks far straighter, and is faster in flat water. However its not nearly as nimble. As always in kayaking you must make sacrifices with boats. There will never be one do it all boat, though the traverse is close to it.

[@StephenSmithAgape]

I do all that I actually like this boat and have no problem with the tracking skeg up or down while I am paddling as I am used to paddling creek boats on flat water. The spinouts occur if you have any speed and stop paddling and are gliding. As long as it is under power it is fine, but in flat water I spend more than 50% of my time gliding. After using the boat for sometime I have found I can keep it from spinning out longer. I find this boat to be very comfortable and would like to use it more like you you use your Tupelo and I think it might track better while gliding, if the skeg was bigger. My other Jackson boat is the Big Tuna and of course no problems with spinout in that beast. The Big Tuna is best boat for paddling with big dogs.

[@absoluteelectricandmainten7432]

Ww Ww, Would you be interested in selling your Traverse? I am a beginner in kayaks, and would like to have a traverse to learn how to do some 2’s and 3’s in rapids. I also desire to have a kayak to take for an overnight trip. I have read about this kayak and like what I have seen.

[@phoenixamaranth]

I purchased this kayak back in the spring and when I first got in it, I too, thought it was a dud for flat water, until I realized that the control of this kayak is like a whitewater boat first and foremost. The thigh pads are a must for controlling it on flatwater too, unlike normal flatwater boats that your legs can sit idle with no affect on how the boat steers. I found that using the thigh pads to lean compensated for the tendency to spin out. Not perfect in higher wind but it definitely became far more usable on flatwater for me.

[@StephenSmithAgape]

Well most flat water boats slowly start to drift to one side if you quit paddling and that is acceptable, 7 seconds to turn 90 plus degrees is not with the rudder down. You should be able to take a picture or fish out of a flatwater boat while moving neither is possible with this boat without first bringing the kayak to a complete stop to negate the spin momentum. This is a trekking boat and a fine one at that. Calling it a crossover boat is completely deceptive marketing. I wasted $900 on a boat that is marginally better than my creek boat and I am still looking for a flatwater boat that can handle some white water.

[@phoenixamaranth]

I don't know what level of whitewater you're looking to do, but the older Jackson Rogue and Liquid Logic Remix XP have a lot less spin because their hulls are not flat. This makes them more prone to get pushed around in whitewater but I've taken them on class 3 stuff with no real issues. Honestly, you may be happier just getting a cheap flatwater boat and separate ww boat. I've paddled the top crossovers out there and they all come up short in one way or another. It's really not possible to make a boat do both exceptionally well because the hull shape for flatwater is the exact opposite of a good hull shape for whitewater. A flat hull is ideal to ride on top of turbulent water and turn quickly (hence why it spins), but a curved or v shaped hull is best for cutting through flat water and holding direction. The Fusion, Katana, and Traverse are all essentially copies of each other with flat hulls. While you might get a slight difference in one from the other, they all focus on WW performance design.

[@StephenSmithAgape]

I agree with you completely, so why is Jackson pushing this as a crossover when it is clearly not? The moral of the story don't buy one of these boats unless you have actually paddled one. When I was in the store they had boat hanging from the ceiling and no demo boat available. Fortunately, my dealer is willing to take care of me.

[@phoenixamaranth]

Well it is still a crossover as it is usable in flat and white water to varying degrees, it's just not a perfect flat and whitewater boat, and for the design reasons I listed above, there will likely never be a perfect crossover. They all have to give one way or the other in their design. I personally like the traverse because it leans more whitewater design than any other crossover I've used, but if you're wanting more tracking and still want a crossover, try out the LL Remix XP.

[@AnonymousOtters]

Hilarious that you think your definition of some idea (crossover) is what the industry needs to go by. My definition of a crossover is exactly what this design entails. Sounds like you didn't know enough about the sport to judge the pedigree of the kayak, which is clearly a whitewater hull design. Sorry if you got sold on it otherwise

[@brettkovak6344]

Another GREAT choice if you're Looking to do more flat water and some class 1/2 Rapids is the Dagger blackwater 12.5 it's an older boat. They don't make it anymore but if you find a nice used one you'll love it!! I had one and wish that I never sold it. It DOES have a drop skeg. They also made an 11.5 for smaller paddlers .i think the stopped making them in '08 or '09

[@montjamz]

Why wld u think a boat w this kinda rocker is a wildlife photography flatwater boat first... It's obvious it's a whitewater boat 3/4 of thr time w a 1/4 minimum skeg down.... Crossover just means it's capable of tracking well in sections where there's low current.. It's not a lake boat smh

[@StephenSmithAgape]

Note strap over the back hatch. I have lost three of these covers during transport of my Big Tuna, which has the same hatch. If the hatch is not perfectly sealed, it will blow off during transport. The cover is not needed when paddling.

[@AnonymousOtters]

Wrong, the cover is needed during paddling to prevent water from entering and filling the hull on capsizing. Regardless both the stern and bow space should be filled with either dry bags or float bags to prevent the boat from fully filling with water. Jackson makes a hard cover specifically for heavy whitewater that is both more secure, adds some more attachment points, and is fully waterproof. It is cheap, but probably should come with the kayak instead of the current one.

[@WelderRDT]

thanks for posting.

[@deesul4134]

Thank u for this review

[@kbbgood]

So what is a crossover boat?

[@johnstewart8849]

Why do all of these “reviews” go into great detail about deck accessories, but don’t show you the hull design....THAT’s the part that meets the water!

[@StephenSmithAgape]

I thought that was covered. Hull design is always a compromise, if tracks too well, it loses white water capability. This boat spins out with the skeg down unless you are actively paddling as has every white water boat that I have owned. The skeg just slows that process down a bit.

[@nemisbreadisthebest]

Can I buy your boat+ a perception hook if your interested

[@StephenSmithAgape]

email me at [e-mail]

[@JimHep]

😧 this is easily the most confusing review on KZbin. I can’t decide if you hate it or not. Literally all the “issues” you have a user error or incorrect expectations of the design. 🤦‍♂️

[@StephenSmithAgape]

You are correct my expectation is crossover means crossover, not lip service to crossover. I am an experienced paddler and can easily paddle my other creek boat in a straight line and I don't expect it to track when I quit paddling, but every flat water boat I have used tracks reasonably well once you stop paddling. I love this boat, it is comfortable, handles well, just spins out when not under power. Other crossovers track. So in summary a nice white water boat with a skeg that helps, but is not totally adequate. So if you are planning to use it to fish or take pictures, which requires the use of your hands, the boat is going to spin out on you.