What could be better in December then heading to Veracruz Mexico for some kayaking? I was super fired up to take the new Jackson Karma to Mexico as I had heard nothing but hype and great things. I wanted to paddle it myself and see if this new boat would be replacing my Villain (which is by far my favorite boat to paddle).

The first day in Veracruz we put on the roadside Alsaseca. This is a low volume run with slides and waterfalls. First thing I noticed about the large Karma was it looked huge. I was pleasantly surprised to realize this boat paddles small. I doesn’t have a learning curve and is very easy to paddle right away.

The second thing was the stability. The Karma tracks on edge catching eddy’s, ferrying across current or just heading down stream. I loved this about the boat.

The karma catches eddy’s like it is it’s job and maneuvers always staying on top of the water. I believe this is why it is so fast. The karma resurfaces really fast off falls and the bow does not dive into anything, it is always trying to stay on top. I noticed this the most on a triple drop on the big banana section of the alsaseca when I was the only one out of 6 tries to stay upright in the huge folding curtain. I also hardly got my hair wet on a drop called meat locker on the big banana section, This boat loves to be on top of water.

If you are looking to boof something, this is the boat for you. It is so easy to boof! I also had no problems with hard landings. Seems the rocker on this boat helps displace water on tall or hard landings. I had no hard landings up to 50′. If you miss your boof, the karma is very forgiving and will help you keep that nose up. You also won’t get any unwanted spins or water playing with your stern while paddling down stream. If you have to roll, just do it. It is super easy to roll. If you haven’t found one, you need to get in and try it. You will not regret it.

All in all, there was nothing I disliked about the boat. I had never paddled it until I arrived in Mexico and was smiling my way down the river. I am super fired up to paddle this boat in the 2013 season and beyond.

This is my 2 cents, hope everyone had a happy new year and if you’re ever in Jackson hole look me up. Safe travels for 2013.