Karma Review in Chile

The Elusive Karma

This November and December I had the once in a lifetime opportunity to take a trip to Chile with a fellow kayaker and my new Karma. Getting to Chile was easy, getting the Karma to Chile was not. However, it was totally worth the wait.

After an entire month waiting for UPS to deliver my Karma to Pucon Kayak hostel, two ten hour bus rides to Santiago, and fourteen hours spent in Santiago trying to get my boat out of customs, I finally managed to lay my eyes on it. I gave my Karma a quick hug and a kiss and then headed up to the Rio Palguin to break her in.

While waiting for my Karma to get to Chile I had been renting another creekboat. The creek boat I was in is a solid and reliable boat, but the Karma takes things to a whole new level. The difference between the Karma and other creek boats is noticeable the second you sit down. In most kayaks you squish yourself in and get ready for a day of fun creeking and tingling feet. That’s not true in the Karma. The Sure-Lock Backband is raised up higher than the backband in most other kayaks and makes it feel more comfortable and supportive while on the water, whether that be dropping a seventy footer or the class III boulder garden afterwards. The rope tensioning system also allows for maximum adjustability.

The second thing I noticed about the Karma was its speed. As the great Ricky Bobby once said, “If you ain’t first, you’re last.” Dane Jackson took the Karma to a Whitewater Grand Prix victory this past year and when you paddle the Karma you feel like you’re on the same level.  When blasting through a hole on Upper Palguin, or landing a thirty foot boof on Boof to Swim in Middle Palguin, the Karma keeps its speed where other boats might stall out. It accelerates quickly and maintains its speed through holes and waves.

The first day of paddling the Karma in Chile and I wouldn’t trade it for any other boat I’ve used. This boat seems to have it all, and I can’t wait to spend another beautiful month in Chile paddling the Karma.