Good Karma- EJ Reviews Our Newest Creek Boat Ever! by ericjackson | Nov 10, 2012 | Creeking, Hero, Whitewater, Zen | 14 comments The First Fleet of Karma I wanted to wait until after getting off of the Green to write a review of the new Karma. I got to paddle with Nick, Dane, Clay, Zach, Kelsey, Joel, and more with the Karma, watching, talking to them, and comparing notes to what I am finding to get you this review.. I will rate some performance features from a 1-5 with a 1 being almost non-existent or poor and a 5 being as good as it gets with a 3 being average, a 4 being very good, and a 2 being below average. This is related to the creekboat category, (so for speed, for example- compared to a slalom boat it would be a 1 as it would be the slowest slalom boat, but it is the fastest creek boat, if that makes sense.) Speed: 5 Maneuverability: 4 Holding a line: 4 Stability/Ease of staying upright: 5 I love flying over the rocks, Dane saying "Wow Dad" behind his new Red Bull helmet 🙂 Boofing: 4 Getting over holes: 5 Punching through holes: 4 Carrying Speed out of drops (past holes): 5 Soft landings on big drops that are boofed: 3 Weight: 4 Sizing available (3 sizes): 4 Comfort: 5 Paddles Dry (waves/holes stay off deck): 5 Storage capacity for overnighters: 5 The "Notch" is where the Karma shows its stuff- stable and easy to control... Ease of Rolling: 5 OK- there you have a good idea of where its strengths are. Here are some thoughts on what kayak to buy now that we have the Karma out: Jackson Kayak has a variety pack of river running/creeking boats now: Hero, Villain, Zen, Fun Runner, and Karma… How do you decide? Here is how: 1. You Want the lightest weight boat you can river run in, but still surf, spin, squirt, and aren’t worried about catching edges, etc..: Fun Runner 2. You want the fastest, best surfing, lightweight, easy to paddle river runner that can also creek, but isn’t as good at keeping the bow dry, and doesn’t come in super size: ZEN 3. You want the easiest to turn, stable, comfortable, easy to boof, but not worried about speed kayak for tight creeks, and surfing isn’t critical: Hero 4. You want a displacement hull creeker that is easy to paddle, relatively fast, comfortable, goes over anything in its way, and is moderately stable: Villain 5. You want a super fast, stable, easy to roll, comfortable, creeker that goes over anything easily, boofs, turns, and carves and comes in small, medium, and Super Size: Karma It looks like Karma time to me- 10:13am and the creek is running! So many great choices for different styles. The Karma, however, is our newest and most advanced design for creeking so far. It combines the speed with the user-friendliness, and is sized perfectly so that everyone has a Karma in their size. It is really a joy to paddle and makes anyone smile more easily on the river or creek. This is the new standard in creek boats in its infancy today. I look forward to my 2013 review of the Karma after a full season of awesome creeking in it! I can’t wait! 🙂 EJ Good Karma- Everybody is happier with it! Forwards and boofing, Dane doing it right Backwards on purpose and claiming it on the lip... Hmmm, Maybe the Karma won't make you this comfortable, but it did for Dane! 14 Comments Tony Dyrsmid on November 10, 2012 at 5:10 am I can’t wait to try one. How much do they weigh. For an old guy, that is important. Please post the weights. Reply Butler Cox on November 10, 2012 at 4:42 pm Also for an old guy (weighing 190 lbs.): 1) Which has the greater initial stability, Karma L or Zen 75? 2) Which has the bigger secondary sweet spot, Karma L or Zen 75? 3) Which is the most forgiving balance-wise, Karma L or Zen 75. From the 360 view, I’d guess the Karma on both. Is that right? Thanks! Reply Stephen Wright on November 10, 2012 at 5:05 pm Butler, I’d say that the Karma is more stable and forgiving all around. It’s just a bigger boat. The Zen will be a bit lighter, and will carve harder, but the Karma is much easier to paddle downriver. Hope this helps!!! Stephen Reply Butler Cox on November 10, 2012 at 5:10 pm Thanks, Stephen Reply Darin on November 11, 2012 at 9:27 pm 42/45/50lbs for small/medium/large. Reply Mikel on November 12, 2012 at 1:18 pm Had a Hero and traded it in on the Villain last year. I really miss the carving ability of the Hero but like the speed of the Villian. Also seems like I get stuck in more holes in the Villain would the Karma be a good compromise and is it more forgiving when it comes to holes? Reply Stephen Wright on November 12, 2012 at 4:24 pm Mikel, Thanks for the message! It depends on why you’re getting stuck in holes. The Karma is faster than the villain or Hero, so you should be able to pick up more speed before hitting a hole. It turns easier than a Villain (more like a hero), so you should be able to make easier last minute angle corrections to avoid hitting holes sideways. AND it planes-out a lot better/farther over foamy backwashes and cross-currents. I never had any issue with the Villain and holes, but I’d assume that if any of those reasons are contributing to your hole surfs, then the Karma will be better. FWIW I found that the Villain carved as well or better than the Hero, but I had to have the seat pretty far back to feel it. In all honesty, I can’t imagine that anyone will prefer the Villain over the Karma once they’ve tried the Karma….I just think that it’s a better boat 🙂 Stephen Reply George Wms. Sr. on November 13, 2012 at 1:50 am I love my Karma. So far on everything Ive tried it out on. It has performed very well. If I had one criticism it would be this. The Go Pro Mount is to far forward. Making it very difficult to operate your camera while staying in your boat. Minor modifications with mine has helped but it is still difficult at best. But as for the boat and its performance. High marks all the way around so far. Reply Joseph on November 27, 2012 at 12:06 am Getting stuck in holes has nothing to do with the boat. Everything to do with the paddler! Reply Stephen Wright on November 27, 2012 at 1:18 am Joseph, I agree that it has much more to do with the paddler than boat, but some boats just make it easier to keep it straight, make last second adjustments, and do better at carrying momentum if you accidentally stuff them. BUT a great paddler can make almost any kayak do what they want it to. Stephen Reply Jeremy Undershute on January 28, 2013 at 3:23 am Jackson Villain was the best boat on the market all round and I fell in love with the way it performed! I have witnessed four Jackson boats crack and herd and seen reviews of many others. We lost two on Tuby creek in one run! I believe these boats put paddlers lifes in danger. I have been disheartened when it comes to the strength of the plastic jackson uses! I even witnessed a play boat crack on a surf wave in deep water, it was a new boat! With the Karam, has the plastic emproved? I ask you to forget about selling the product and be honest! Thank you for your time and Blessings. Your boats truly are the best design. You should make them out of the Prijon plastic, I don’t care about weight! Just a thought from someone who loves your design! Is the Karam a displacement hull as well? Reply Emily Jackson on March 6, 2013 at 3:31 pm Hey Jeremy The Karma is a semi planing hull. Several of our boats cracking had to do with a bad batch in the sense they were cooked wrong and we found a combination of colors not to be as strong. So now we have fixed the issues but continue to work really hard to make sure if one does break that we have a quick and easy warranty system. We do have a new plastic from 2011 and we are having much better luck with it now. Glad you like the Villain. I sure loved my Villain S Emily Jackson Reply Matt on September 18, 2013 at 12:19 am I am 6’1 and 208 lbs butt ass naked. HAHA I am right on the divide between the M and L Karma. I used to boat a bunch in Steamboat and on the Snake. I haven’t paddled in a river in over ten years and am gonna start again. I am torn, do I go with a Karma M or L. Gonna use it on the Kern in CA. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. M Reply Clay Wright on September 19, 2013 at 3:10 am Hey Matt – The Large should fit you nicely… I feel 200 lbs is the divider and since you are 6’1” your legs should fit the larger boat no problem. If it feels too big sit up on a foam pad or a Sweet Cheeks 200 to lift you into the outfitting better and make the boat feel smaller. If you like shorter boats (this one is 9′) consider the Super-hero.. a stubby little creeker that’s really forgiving and playful. all the best! Clay Reply Submit a Comment Cancel replyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Email * Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ
Tony Dyrsmid on November 10, 2012 at 5:10 am I can’t wait to try one. How much do they weigh. For an old guy, that is important. Please post the weights. Reply
Butler Cox on November 10, 2012 at 4:42 pm Also for an old guy (weighing 190 lbs.): 1) Which has the greater initial stability, Karma L or Zen 75? 2) Which has the bigger secondary sweet spot, Karma L or Zen 75? 3) Which is the most forgiving balance-wise, Karma L or Zen 75. From the 360 view, I’d guess the Karma on both. Is that right? Thanks! Reply
Stephen Wright on November 10, 2012 at 5:05 pm Butler, I’d say that the Karma is more stable and forgiving all around. It’s just a bigger boat. The Zen will be a bit lighter, and will carve harder, but the Karma is much easier to paddle downriver. Hope this helps!!! Stephen Reply
Mikel on November 12, 2012 at 1:18 pm Had a Hero and traded it in on the Villain last year. I really miss the carving ability of the Hero but like the speed of the Villian. Also seems like I get stuck in more holes in the Villain would the Karma be a good compromise and is it more forgiving when it comes to holes? Reply
Stephen Wright on November 12, 2012 at 4:24 pm Mikel, Thanks for the message! It depends on why you’re getting stuck in holes. The Karma is faster than the villain or Hero, so you should be able to pick up more speed before hitting a hole. It turns easier than a Villain (more like a hero), so you should be able to make easier last minute angle corrections to avoid hitting holes sideways. AND it planes-out a lot better/farther over foamy backwashes and cross-currents. I never had any issue with the Villain and holes, but I’d assume that if any of those reasons are contributing to your hole surfs, then the Karma will be better. FWIW I found that the Villain carved as well or better than the Hero, but I had to have the seat pretty far back to feel it. In all honesty, I can’t imagine that anyone will prefer the Villain over the Karma once they’ve tried the Karma….I just think that it’s a better boat 🙂 Stephen Reply
George Wms. Sr. on November 13, 2012 at 1:50 am I love my Karma. So far on everything Ive tried it out on. It has performed very well. If I had one criticism it would be this. The Go Pro Mount is to far forward. Making it very difficult to operate your camera while staying in your boat. Minor modifications with mine has helped but it is still difficult at best. But as for the boat and its performance. High marks all the way around so far. Reply
Joseph on November 27, 2012 at 12:06 am Getting stuck in holes has nothing to do with the boat. Everything to do with the paddler! Reply
Stephen Wright on November 27, 2012 at 1:18 am Joseph, I agree that it has much more to do with the paddler than boat, but some boats just make it easier to keep it straight, make last second adjustments, and do better at carrying momentum if you accidentally stuff them. BUT a great paddler can make almost any kayak do what they want it to. Stephen Reply
Jeremy Undershute on January 28, 2013 at 3:23 am Jackson Villain was the best boat on the market all round and I fell in love with the way it performed! I have witnessed four Jackson boats crack and herd and seen reviews of many others. We lost two on Tuby creek in one run! I believe these boats put paddlers lifes in danger. I have been disheartened when it comes to the strength of the plastic jackson uses! I even witnessed a play boat crack on a surf wave in deep water, it was a new boat! With the Karam, has the plastic emproved? I ask you to forget about selling the product and be honest! Thank you for your time and Blessings. Your boats truly are the best design. You should make them out of the Prijon plastic, I don’t care about weight! Just a thought from someone who loves your design! Is the Karam a displacement hull as well? Reply
Emily Jackson on March 6, 2013 at 3:31 pm Hey Jeremy The Karma is a semi planing hull. Several of our boats cracking had to do with a bad batch in the sense they were cooked wrong and we found a combination of colors not to be as strong. So now we have fixed the issues but continue to work really hard to make sure if one does break that we have a quick and easy warranty system. We do have a new plastic from 2011 and we are having much better luck with it now. Glad you like the Villain. I sure loved my Villain S Emily Jackson Reply
Matt on September 18, 2013 at 12:19 am I am 6’1 and 208 lbs butt ass naked. HAHA I am right on the divide between the M and L Karma. I used to boat a bunch in Steamboat and on the Snake. I haven’t paddled in a river in over ten years and am gonna start again. I am torn, do I go with a Karma M or L. Gonna use it on the Kern in CA. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. M Reply
Clay Wright on September 19, 2013 at 3:10 am Hey Matt – The Large should fit you nicely… I feel 200 lbs is the divider and since you are 6’1” your legs should fit the larger boat no problem. If it feels too big sit up on a foam pad or a Sweet Cheeks 200 to lift you into the outfitting better and make the boat feel smaller. If you like shorter boats (this one is 9′) consider the Super-hero.. a stubby little creeker that’s really forgiving and playful. all the best! Clay Reply
