This Kayak Had Me Smiling All Day! | Jackson Kayak Rockstar V Review

[@robertmcculloch4078]

I’ve checked out a lot of reviews on the V. This was the most useful.

[@PaddleTV]

Thanks Robert!

[@waynefatguyinakayak7408]

Loved the review Ken. Just one suggestion... NOSE PLUGS! Hahaha! I absolutely need them when I'm in an environment where I will most likely roll, and especially with practice rolling. I keep them permanently on my helmet strap, and keep a second set in my PFD in case something happens to mine or someone else needs to borrow them. Thanks for adding the suggestion for exploring the used market for those of us that can't afford to buy new. You can find AMAZING deals that way. I picked up a Dagger RPM Max WITH a Werner Powerhouse paddle for $250, and my Jackson Super Hero was $130. I sold the Dagger because I didn't fit well in it (because I'm a bit too fat for it), but I still have and LOVE the Jackson. I tried out a Rock Star recently, and I was a little too heavy for the large size (260ish lbs), one thing I plan on working on in the very near future. Although, it was suggested to me by a local shop to look for a used Jackson MonStar. The shop is Outdoor New England in Franklin, NH. If you're ever in the New Hampshire area, check them out. I just started whitewater this spring, and with the instruction they offer I went from being completely inexperienced with no skills to having solid rolls in decent current. I took an intro class with them, and I'm hoping to take a more advanced class in the future, if we ever get enough rain to bring up the river level. They built a whitewater park with a standing wave. It's a fun place for sure.

[@PaddleTV]

Awesome to hear that your whitewater journey is going so well Wayne! If/when I'm in NH next, I'll definitely check the shop out, along with the whitewater park! :)

[@waynefatguyinakayak7408]

@@PaddleTV I've been loving it the last few months since I've gotten into it. And it was a combination of yours and Pete Beck's River Kings videos that piqued my interest in whitewater. Loved the videos you and he put out when you went to North Carolina.

[@Truth-Be-Told-USA]

I am 6'1 and I love my new Rockstar V! It's much easier to get vertical than my older Rockstar IV

[@gpalmer456]

That was a really good review. Thank you.

[@brentwade9346]

Great review, Ken! I am demoing one this weekend - L. I'm 6'2, 210, and this kayak fits, feels and paddles so much better than my ProjectX64 it's unreal. I wear size 12 water shoes in mine very comfortably with the foam block installed.

[@PaddleTV]

I can't wait to get mine back on the water! It's been high water here on the Ottawa, and so I've been paddling my Antix all season so far. Fun... but not a Rockstar!

[@milechap]

Seeing these comments I thought I would add a slightly different take on sizing: I am 6’3” 190 lbs, 12.5 feet. I tried the large and medium and ordered the Medium. It’s tight, but not too bad. This is such an incredible boat! Cheers.

[@ryancooper3629]

You are bang on about it being a problem for someone just a little bit larger than you. I'm at 6'3" and have an older Rock Star large and I have to wedge myself into the thing quite painfully. It really drains my desire to run whitewater. On mine I had to rip the foam thing at the toes out so I can mush my bare feet right into the tip of the nose. I generally can only sit in it for 10-15min or so before my whole lower body goes numb and I need to get out.

[@bobwinston5114]

Yeah, tell me about it at 6'3", 205, 36IN, SZ12! I've owned all the "Star" and "Rock Star" series. Then the 4 came out with even more volume but less legroom and a narrower hull that was tweaky as sh*t surfing and a true slug for river running. It was designed for one thing only - to get MASSIVE AIR at the comps. So, I sold it and went back to a N.O.S. Rock Star 3.0, a true "wave boat" that won the Garbuerator Rodeo. I tried getting in the 5.0 but with the seat in the middle position, the footroom was impossible. They should've moved the knee pockets higher to compensate for the inch or so they took off from the length of the 4.0. So, I guess I could move the seat back but then it could get "tail happy" and drag on spins, etc. It's the 3.0 for now, unless I can figure out a way to carve out the plastic seat insert and min-cell in a lower position -- UGH!!!

[@rivergodskayakadventures3315]

@@bobwinston5114 ...try taking the sweetcheeks out - this gives you a bit more legroom.

[@bobwinston5114]

@@rivergodskayakadventures3315 Thanks for the comment. The owner of the boat I did sit in ALREADY had removed the Sweet Cheeks and replaced them with the 1/2" foam seat. (Now, I suppose I may have gained another 1/2" if I'd ripped that out...but I don't think the owner would've gone for that! ;) ) They'd also removed the "Bees Knees" to make more knee room and were using a couple cig pack chunks of foam for foot blocks! They just made it in at 6'3"/34IN/SZ10/Mid-pos. The side-irony in all this is EJ promoting the APEX as a quicker swing-weight as it's SHORTER as well! Bottomline - if you're gonna take an inch or so off the length, upsize the knee pockets proportionately more so in the larger sizes to compensate for fit. I'm no designer but I don't see where doing this would have any affect on boat performance aside from additional pop and perhaps a barked elbow now and then.

[@claywright9394]

@@bobwinston5114 Our longest inseam boats would be the 2013 Super-star and the Monstar. The challenge with boat lengths is that longer boats don't work as well for freestyle as shorter ones, and boat comfort matters for everyone. Do you see all the tall people slouching down - staying seated or kneeling at concerts and movies? No - because they want to be comfortable and enjoy the view their body allows, even though it blocks the view for behind them. So it's hard to expect us to make EVERY boat less-comfortable and lower performing for average paddler just so tall people fit. It's a tradeoff we make - ''lets make this one for long legs, lets make the next one for average people''' every other model or so. The RS4 is much too long in the length and tall in the knees for average size paddlers -and harder to do freestyle for everyone - just so that taller people fit? I'm really sorry you didn't like Rockstar4 performance! We sacrificed peak performance for all paddlers just for people like you! So here we are. You don't like the 'tall persons' boat .. and want to try the RSV. An extreme suggestion would be to heat and flex the knees pockets upwards, i've used a car jack on top of a small board with another board on top across the knee area. Keep the hull flat - don't bend the cockpit too much or your skirt won't fit. Less extreme - remove the foam seat pad, and do try sitting one back. We designed this with more stern surface area than the 3 so that it planes better even with your weight further back. Good Luck!

[@PRWilson88]

This review is great. I’m 6’1 and mostly leg 34 leg as well. I tried a guigui large the other day and seat fully back I was in tight with my butt off the back of the seat and my toes pointing inwards with no foot block. Great to hear I should fit a large rockstar.

[@wavesummit]

This is perfect, I was just out on the Ottawa last week, it seems to be pretty popular. Saw Clay Wright paddling the medium on the Garb. At 5'11 200lbs I'm at the limit of the medium, the large seems nice, but I will only know until I can try one on the water.

[@Joe-xq1nt]

Impressive, I wish I had started kayaking 40 years ago. Maybe if I had I’d be able to enjoy this style of kayaking. Shoulda woulda

[@blueonyx7628]

How about using it for exercise on calm waters being that it is very portable and one can easily take it to the nearest lake similar to the convenience of a run?

[@gpalmer456]

I use an older one just for what you’ve described. I tend to river run in the warmer weather, but this time of year I’m playing around on a short section of the river and may play on the same wave for an hour or more. The small size of these boats makes it easy to carry back up to the truck even after I’ve gone a ways down the river.

[@Truth-Be-Told-USA]

Inches... I am 6' 1" and I fit in the medium V no issues. An inch or two makes a big difference

[@MrForthofer]

What shoes do you wear? I’m 5’10, have the seat in the furthest back position and have a hard time sitting in it. I have a medium as well

[@Truth-Be-Told-USA]

@@MrForthofer 12 but I was unblessed with narrow size b feet. So 12b. I fit great in the boat

[@Truth-Be-Told-USA]

@@MrForthofer I don't wear shoes if anything I use water neoprene 'shoes' but usually I don't use anything on my feet to be honest. I do wear wetsuits when the water is cold

[@andydt82]

certainly a bit different to your recent batch of beginner/inflatable/touring & SUP's!

[@PaddleTV]

I definitely spent the longest time 'testing' this kayak! FUN!

[@danenewman800]

What is your weight?

[@datapro007]

Wave Sport Mobius - $200 used

[@bpdough]

First here

[@edwardmccouch738]

Do they make any playboats for "bigger" paddlers... some of us 6'4"+ / 300+ would like to play too...

[@peterkitchener8787]

The biggest one I've seen takes around 120kg/240 pounds. But there launching the Mega Neutron X PE here in the UK soon. Mega kayaks do build to order and it mite be worth contacting them. I'm not sure if Jackson do the same, but its worth calling them. It wont be a stock boat and will cost more. I'm only suprized no one in America is making them for bigger people.

[@wisenber]

@@peterkitchener8787 " I'm only suprized no one in America is making them for bigger people." I've never seen a 300+ paddler trying to playboat or freestyle. The market is niche enough as it is, I doubt a manufacturer would want to risk sitting on a bunch of inventory that didn't move by the end of the year. Paddlers that size would be able to use an XL creek boat to approximate a playboat.

[@peterkitchener8787]

@@wisenber Your right and I think its why they only make them to order here. I've seen a pyrahna machno creek boat and its not the same. A custom build mite be the only way to go. There must be someone out there with the molds to do this?

[@wisenber]

@@peterkitchener8787 That's the problem. It requires a different mold, and they're not going to incur the expense of a mold for small runs. More than likely, the seats and other fittings would need to be created to withstand the added stresses from that much more weight. The current seats are the same on the other three sizes. So if these retail for $1600, how many 300+ pound paddlers would be willing to spend $2100 on limited production run boats made for them? The same holds for 6'8" paddlers. You won't find a sit inside rotomolded sea kayak for someone that size. Heck, you probably can't find plans to build your own kayak for that size. It's hard enough for me to find kayaks that have room for a size 13 foot.

[@peterkitchener8787]

@@wisenber A size 13 shoe/boot is a size 12 here and common size. Most of the UK kayak manufacturers make less than 50-70 "bespoke" boats a year. Its more like yacht building mainly due to cheap overseas imports. Your right to say you wont find a rotomolded but they can build a composite to any shape or design. Seats and other fittings are over engineered. They can easily take more than 300 pounds. As for price...on a bespoke kayak its the labour cost, materials costs are fairly standard. Without talking to manufacturer, its hard to put a final number on it. Howe surf and ski base in Australian did build a surf ski for a friend at my kayak club. He's 160kg and it wasnt than much more than list price. So it's always worth talking to them.