MixMaster by EJ- Part 2: Deciding between the 7.0, 7.5 and generally understanding how the boat should perform for your size in different scenarios… by ericjackson | Apr 1, 2018 | EJ, Internationalisation, MixMaster, the teacher, United States, Whitewater | 15 comments If you missed part 1 of this series, please read it to understand how to outfit the MixMaster for your size, with some out of the ordinary ways. All Photos are by Peter Holcombe (awesome!) If the boat is big on you: You will find it harder to get vertical, but easier to river run. You will be more retentive in flushy holes/waves, but less retentive in corner pockets, and pour-over type holes that are ideal for the MixMaster. You’ll like river running on most rivers, squirting, cartwheeling, etc.. but you’ll need the help of the water more. If the boat is small on you: You will find it super easy to get vertical, blasting, cartwheeling, squirting, etc.. all vertical moves are improved. River running will be more of a challenge, but your learning curve will be STEEP as you truly learn edges, how to use them, and how to control them. You will be less retentive on waves and flushy holes. You will be very retentive in sticky holes that allow vertical play, blasting, etc.. as your body will be in the foam and that holds you in better. Everyone is somewhere on that scale. You are either small, medium, or large in the boat. If you are able to fit into the 7.0 you can choose either boat and change where you are on that scale. I am 165 pounds and in the 7.0 because I want easy vertical, retentiveness in holes, and am less interested in running hard rivers in it or non-retentive wave play. If I wanted to go to a really hard river, I would want a 7.5. Squirt boat that provides long stands on the ends, requires balancing and bracing to keep upright. No skill needed for vertical! Learning curve- super fast as long as you don’t overwhelm yourself. MixMaster- 7.0 80-100 pounds– good river runner with edges, but plenty of volume, fun on waves and in larger holes, but hard to flatwater. Learning curve medium. 100-120 pounds- good river runner, but edges are in play, acting lower volume than most boats, fun in all situations, but till takes reasonable skill to flatwater. Learning curve medium fast. 120-150 pounds- great slicey playboat that is getting easier to flatwater at 120 and is easy at 150. If you are 120 you’ll need to learn more skills than 150 which is really easy. Still solid at river running, but starting to feel narrower as you go up the weight scale. A 120 pounder might put in a seat pad to jack up a little while a 150 pounder won’t. Learning curve fast. 150-175 Pounds- Awesome playboat, but the volume feels and is low, the boat feels narrow, and it is redicously easy to throw around, mystery move, stall, squirt, cartwheel, wave wheel, blast, etc.. For me, this is my sweet spot, for my goals for the boat. Over 175- It is a plastic squirt boat, and paddles as such. Learning curve, very fast. Over 175: Squirt boat that provides long stands on the ends, requires balancing and bracing to keep upright. No skill needed for vertical! Learning curve- super fast as long as you don’t overwhelm yourself. MixMaster 7.5 120-150 Pounds- good river runner, but edges are in play, acting lower volume than most boats, fun in all situations, but till takes reasonable skill to flatwater. Learning curve medium fast. 150-175- great slicey playboat that is getting easier to flatwater at 150 and is easy at 175. If you are 150 you’ll need to learn more skills than 175 which is really easy. Still solid at river running, but starting to feel narrower as you go up the weight scale. A 150 pounder might put in a seat pad to jack up a little while a 175 pounder won’t. Learning curve fast. 175-200- Awesome playboat, but the volume feels and is low, the boat feels narrow, and it is redicously easy to throw around, mystery move, stall, squirt, cartwheel, wave wheel, blast, etc.. For me, this is my sweet spot, for my goals for the boat. Over 200- It is a plastic squirt boat, and paddles as such. Learning curve, very fast. 200+ –Squirt boat that provides long stands on the ends, requires balancing and bracing to keep upright. No skill needed for vertical! Learning curve- super fast as long as you don’t overwhelm yourself. I hope you found this helpful! I am excited to share part 3 with you soon! See you on the River! 🙂 EJ 15 Comments Clay Wright on April 2, 2018 at 11:41 am Great piece EJ! The sizing for me at 170 is variable – 7.0 for most play but 7.5 is still easy to throw around and fun for all the tricks. I thought I was committed to the 7.5 as it’s just so slicey! But the 7.0 definitely fits more like a squirt boat and it’s fun to swap ends so effortlessly all day on every eddy line instead of just the best ones. C Reply Arjuna on April 3, 2018 at 2:59 pm Are your weight ranges naked or with paddling gear? Thanks! Reply Clay Wright on July 22, 2018 at 4:53 pm For our sizing purposes, you must weight yourself while wearing a Speedo .. like EJ .. for correct results 😉 We all weight the same kayak gear and don’t expect anyone to have to weight theirs when choosing a kayak. The weights listed mean YOUR weight, not in gear. (Speedo is optional, naked is fine depending on where your scale is located). Clay Reply Joe C on April 4, 2018 at 9:47 pm What size wrench do I need to adjust the saddle? Went to a dealer to try out the sizing and to compare the Mixmaster 7.5 to my Big EZ, but I couldn’t get in the boat. Reply Clay Wright on July 22, 2018 at 4:41 pm Hey Joe C – You don’t need a wrench – the seat slides just by loosening the nut at the front of the seat, pulling the seat portion up, and kicking the seat forwards or backwards to whatever hole you prefer. If you can’t get in, take the foot foam completely out first. These are designed to be cut down to your leg length. When new, you will not fit into the boat with them in. Hope this helps – hit back again if not. Clay Reply Clay Wright on July 22, 2018 at 4:42 pm Hey Joe C – You don’t need a wrench – the seat slides just by loosening the nut at the front of the seat, pulling the seat portion up, and kicking the seat forwards or backwards to whatever hole you prefer. If you can’t get in, take the foot foam completely out first. These are designed to be cut down to your leg length. When new, you will not fit into the boat with them in. Hope this helps – hit back again if not. Clay PS – tell us how they compare! Reply Archie on May 5, 2018 at 5:06 pm Are your weights naked or with paddling gear on? Thanks! Reply Clay Wright on July 22, 2018 at 3:03 pm We base our specs on what YOU weight – without the PFD and helmet etc on. We all wear gear in our kayaks but few people know how much it weights so we factor that in. Clay Reply Joe Coxon on August 16, 2019 at 6:32 am Hi Guys I’m 185 lbs 30 inch inseam. Thinking 7.5 is best for for me what do you guys think Reply Clay Wright on December 9, 2019 at 8:12 pm Hey Joe! No question – 7.5 unless you want a super-squirty boat. Some like that, and you will fit! I’m 170 and love the 7.0 for some things but going downriver on anything more than the Ocoee I chose the 7.5. Personal preference. Hit me up for more if needed, my first name at JAcksonkayak dot com. Clay Reply Linda on March 3, 2020 at 10:38 am What happened to this boat? Here’s the kicker… this model is now discontinued, just when I tried to order one. It has been around only for… How much? A couple of years? Please keep producing it!!! Slicey boats are living new dawn. Reply Angus on May 22, 2020 at 11:06 am Yeah, me too…I finally saved enough money to get a new boat to help me with flatware and eddy line play and I can’t find the boat I want…what happened! At 155lbs I was undecided on sizes, but have been trying (unsuccessfully) to nail flatwater cartwheels for while now and was going to go for a 7.0…and use my 2fun for rivers…what other options are there? Reply Jonas Minton on July 5, 2020 at 11:25 pm Maybe a Necky Chronic. Jonas Reply Wes on October 19, 2020 at 9:08 pm Hey guys I was looking to get a mix master 7.0. I’m 6 foot and 140 but my legs are long should i go with the 7.0 or the 7.5 to better fit me? I’m 14 btw so I will probably keep growing.. Thanks! Reply Ryan Moran on January 6, 2023 at 12:51 pm Bring Back the Mixmaster! Viva La Mixmaster! Reply Submit a Comment Cancel replyYour email address will not be published. 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Clay Wright on April 2, 2018 at 11:41 am Great piece EJ! The sizing for me at 170 is variable – 7.0 for most play but 7.5 is still easy to throw around and fun for all the tricks. I thought I was committed to the 7.5 as it’s just so slicey! But the 7.0 definitely fits more like a squirt boat and it’s fun to swap ends so effortlessly all day on every eddy line instead of just the best ones. C Reply
Clay Wright on July 22, 2018 at 4:53 pm For our sizing purposes, you must weight yourself while wearing a Speedo .. like EJ .. for correct results 😉 We all weight the same kayak gear and don’t expect anyone to have to weight theirs when choosing a kayak. The weights listed mean YOUR weight, not in gear. (Speedo is optional, naked is fine depending on where your scale is located). Clay Reply
Joe C on April 4, 2018 at 9:47 pm What size wrench do I need to adjust the saddle? Went to a dealer to try out the sizing and to compare the Mixmaster 7.5 to my Big EZ, but I couldn’t get in the boat. Reply
Clay Wright on July 22, 2018 at 4:41 pm Hey Joe C – You don’t need a wrench – the seat slides just by loosening the nut at the front of the seat, pulling the seat portion up, and kicking the seat forwards or backwards to whatever hole you prefer. If you can’t get in, take the foot foam completely out first. These are designed to be cut down to your leg length. When new, you will not fit into the boat with them in. Hope this helps – hit back again if not. Clay Reply
Clay Wright on July 22, 2018 at 4:42 pm Hey Joe C – You don’t need a wrench – the seat slides just by loosening the nut at the front of the seat, pulling the seat portion up, and kicking the seat forwards or backwards to whatever hole you prefer. If you can’t get in, take the foot foam completely out first. These are designed to be cut down to your leg length. When new, you will not fit into the boat with them in. Hope this helps – hit back again if not. Clay PS – tell us how they compare! Reply
Clay Wright on July 22, 2018 at 3:03 pm We base our specs on what YOU weight – without the PFD and helmet etc on. We all wear gear in our kayaks but few people know how much it weights so we factor that in. Clay Reply
Joe Coxon on August 16, 2019 at 6:32 am Hi Guys I’m 185 lbs 30 inch inseam. Thinking 7.5 is best for for me what do you guys think Reply
Clay Wright on December 9, 2019 at 8:12 pm Hey Joe! No question – 7.5 unless you want a super-squirty boat. Some like that, and you will fit! I’m 170 and love the 7.0 for some things but going downriver on anything more than the Ocoee I chose the 7.5. Personal preference. Hit me up for more if needed, my first name at JAcksonkayak dot com. Clay Reply
Linda on March 3, 2020 at 10:38 am What happened to this boat? Here’s the kicker… this model is now discontinued, just when I tried to order one. It has been around only for… How much? A couple of years? Please keep producing it!!! Slicey boats are living new dawn. Reply
Angus on May 22, 2020 at 11:06 am Yeah, me too…I finally saved enough money to get a new boat to help me with flatware and eddy line play and I can’t find the boat I want…what happened! At 155lbs I was undecided on sizes, but have been trying (unsuccessfully) to nail flatwater cartwheels for while now and was going to go for a 7.0…and use my 2fun for rivers…what other options are there? Reply
Wes on October 19, 2020 at 9:08 pm Hey guys I was looking to get a mix master 7.0. I’m 6 foot and 140 but my legs are long should i go with the 7.0 or the 7.5 to better fit me? I’m 14 btw so I will probably keep growing.. Thanks! Reply
