Jackson's All-Water deftly handles touring, whitewater

From the leader in whitewater kayaks comes a hybrid boat designed to help flatwater paddlers safely navigate and explore whitewater.

Jackson Kayak’s appropriately named All-Water builds on the legacy of excellence developed by longtime whitewater kayak design partners David Knight and Eric Jackson. Like its whitewater counterparts, the All-Water is designed for comfort and ease of paddling.

Testers were impressed by the All-Water’s hull speed and glide in flatwater conditions as well as tracking which is attributable to a deployable/retractable spring-loaded skeg controlled from an easy-to-use cleat system in the cockpit. Boaters can stow enough gear and goodies into the 10-inch round storage hatch for a 3-day self-supported trip. A spray skirt fits around the roomy cockpit, waterproofing the boat for those occasional forays into whitewater conditions. Like other best-selling Jackson Kayak whitewater boats, the All-Water is engineered to roll effortlessly.

“The All-Water was designed to be the boat of choice for paddlers who want to take on any river that has stretches of flatwater interspersed with whitewater,” said Marty Cronin, Jackson Kayak’s vice-president of rec/touring sales and marketing.

Standard-issue comfort outfitting includes Jackson Kayak’s popular Sweet Cheeks, thigh support pads, Sure-lock back band, hip pads and adjustable foot braces. A paddle rest in the front of the boat gives boaters a convenient place to stow the paddle for relaxing float time. The boat comes in two ergo-fit sizes, 9 feet and 10 feet in a variety of colors, MSRP $849.

For more details about the All-Water, the complete lineup of Jackson Kayak boats and a dealer locator, visit JacksonKayak.com