Catalogue FLUID 2012

Paul Villecourt / outdoor-reporter.com

2012

Fluid Whitewater Kayaks 2012 - celebrating 10 years Developed in Africa

Paul Villecourt / outdoor-reporter.com

Now made in the USA

2012 OUTFITTING

Fluid’s new kayak outfitting sets new standards. See below…

• All plastic parts are injection moulded. This means better strength-to-weight ratio, different parts fit together more precisely and it looks really funky!

• All injection moulded parts are produced from Nylon 6 with 15% Glass Fiber, which results in very tough and quite stiff components.

• The new seat only needs one knob nut at the back to be unscrewed to move the seat forward or backwards.

• New thigh braces are super

comfortable, easy to adjust and offers support on the outside of your legs too.

• All the new foam pads are injection moulded EVA parts. This means a better finish, much better durability and better comfort.

• There is no glue used in the new outfitting. None at all! All foam parts are attached to the plastic parts with either webbing or bungee cords. This is more robust, won’t come loosen over time, and makes it much easier to remove or replace foam parts if needed.

• The foam footblock for the creek-style boats is made of 40mm triple layer foam to ensure rigidity as well as effective impact absorption.

• The stern foam pillars in all the kayaks have two holes. The front hole is a tight fit for our new Fluid aluminium water bottle, while the back hole is a tight fit for a standard Nalgene bottle.

• All pillars - plastic and foam - are bolted to the foam pillar holders.

Pillars can’t move.

It has come to our attention that there are still paddlers out there who want to get high. So we created the Dope. No, you can’t smoke it. But you can get high with it.

So high, in fact, that you can do multiple aerial moves before landing. So high that you can wave at the crowds, the skies, the birds, the stars, the angels, the fairies, the ...

Oh wait, you can’t smoke the Dope.

The Dope is the latest progression in the science of freestyle kayak evolution. The fusion of radical design with composite material technology takes freestyle to the next level. Gone are the days of blaming your equipment for your failures. Gone are the days of blending in with the crowd of mediocrity. No zombie no more. The Dope is the next level.

This park and play device takes the best features of a proven design and combine them in a shorter, compact, more explosive package. Think of all the adjectives normally used to describe high performance playboats.

Roll them all together in a neat little bundle and inject some steroids in there. Done? Dope.

Small Length: 176 cm / 5’9” Width: 63 cm / 24.75” Weight: 13 kg / 28 lbs Cockpit size: 49 x 88 cm / 19.25” x 34.5” Paddler weight range: 40 - 70 kg / 90 - 155 lbs

Medium Length: 182 cm / 5’11” Width: 66 cm / 26.0” Weight: 14.5 kg / 32 lbs Cockpit size: 50 x 89 cm / 19.75” x 35” Paddler weight range: 60 - 90 kg / 130 - 200 lbs

Large Length: 187 cm / 6’1” Width: 69 cm / 27.0” Weight: 15.5 kg / 34 lbs Cockpit size: 50 x 90 cm / 19.75” x 35.5” Paddler weight range: 80 - 110 kg / 175 - 240 lbs

You like to run the steeps. You do it in the company of friends you can trust. You scout the lines, set up safety. But when you get in your boat, leave the eddy to aim for the horizon line, you’re really going ... Oh wait, that was the blurb for the Solo!

Truth is, the goals of creekboat design haven’t changed. But our knowledge of kayak design and the interaction with turbulent water in the most extreme conditions has changed. Feedback on designs is more comprehensive and more precise than ever before. Our understanding of the complex fluid dynamics involved has improved dramatically.

Combine all these facts together and the perfect conditions are set to create the safest, most forgiving, most capable creekboat ever designed.

The Bazooka is the result. It is fast, yet maneuverable. It is stable, yet responsive.

It is precise, yet forgiving. It doesn’t stop for anything unless you want it to, and it doesn’t lead you where you don’t want to be. It boofs like a charm and tracks well. It handles rocks and big volume and steep drops equally well.

Small Length: 232 cm / 7’7” Width: 65 cm / 25.5” Weight: 19.5 kg / 43 lbs Cockpit size: 50 x 89 cm / 19.75” x 35” Paddler weight range: 50 - 95 kg / 110 - 210 lbs

Medium Length: 248 cm / 8’1” Width: 68 cm / 26.75” Weight: 20.5 kg / 45 lbs Cockpit size: 50 x 89 cm / 19.75” x 35” Paddler weight range: 65 -110 kg / 140 - 240 lbs

Large Length: 263 cm / 8’7” Width: 70 cm / 27’5” Weight: 21.5 kg / 47 lbs Cockpit size: 50 x 90 cm / 19.75” x 35.5” Paddler weight range: 80 - 130 kg / 175 - 285 lbs

The Do It Now is a unique whitewater sit-ontop. Contrary to other “whitewater” sit-on-tops, produced in the past by various companies, the Do It Now has a true whitewater pedigree.

It allows for exactly the same interface between paddler and boat as any whitewater kayak, meaning that the knees, key to boat control, are in fixed contact with the boat.

This was achieved by raising the knee area of the sit-on-top high enough for the knees to push against, with short thigh straps to keep the knees in position. This allows the paddler to control the kayak properly by edging the boat accurately when needed, and it also allows the paddler to roll the boat easily.

Being a sit-on-top, the Do It Now has the advantage of being sealed from water entering the shell. This allows a swimmer to get back onto the boat anywhere in flat or moving water, making swims much shorter and less intimidating. No more swimming to the bank and emptying water out of a heavy boat.

The hull is based on the Bazooka hull but wider, making it a fast, stable, very forgiving siton-top, suitable for tackling class 1-3 rapids.

DO IT NOW Length: 270 cm / 8’10” Width: 78 cm / 30.75” Weight: 22.5 kg / 49 lbs Paddler weight range: 50 - 120 kg / 110 - 265 lbs Paddler: Inke Kruger. Photographer: Celliers Kruger

Paddler: Hugh du Preez. Photographer: Celliers Kruger

The Element is a surf kayak. A pretty unique one, actually. The Element is at the forefront of an exciting new development in the kayaking scene. Imagine higher speed and better carve than you will ever experience in your playboat. Imagine using that high speed and hard carve to throw bigger and faster freestyle wave moves than you ever did before. That’s what the Element is all about.

The Element is shorter than a traditional surf kayak, giving up a little bit of speed but gaining a lot of extra maneuverability. Super quick directional changes is the name of the game. The shorter length is also key in making big freestyle moves possible. Apart from the pronounced carving rails that become progressively harder towards the stern, the hull also features release edges, similar to those on a playboat. Those edges make spins and grinds effortless, and they are also the reason why the Element is relatively forgiving.

The pronounced bow rocker is perfect for a late take-off or surfing steep waves.

The peaked volume in the stern keeps the boat buoyant, enabling the hull to release easily even at lower speeds and in choppy conditions.

Medium Length: 202 cm / 6’7” Width: 64 cm / 25.25” Weight: 15 kg / 33 lbs Cockpit size: 49 x 87 cm / 19.25” x 34.25” Paddler weight range: 65 - 95 kg / 140 - 210 lbs Paddler: Lachie Carracher. Photographer: Emily Bakker

If you want a boat that gives you a fun ride without being temperamental, you need to add some Spice to your life. It will take care of you on unfamiliar runs and enable you to surf waves on the run that other paddlers can’t even catch.

Its hull has been proven to be very loose on waves. The length of the boat, combined with gradual kick rocker, makes it fast both on waves and downriver. The smooth rails will make you carve on a wave like you don’t expect from a river-runner, and also give you precise control when maneuvering in rapids.

Apart from being a forgiving yet performing river-runner, the Spice is also great fun on ocean waves.

Most volume is distributed around the cockpit, where it is also slightly peaked to keep this boat on top of the water. The ends are not too slicy though, as the boat was designed to keep you in control on funny water.

Paddlers on the upper end of the weight range will find the Spice a nice playful river-runner, while paddlers on the lower end of the weight range can expect a forgiving boat that will allow them to run complex rapids with ease.

Paddler: Andrew Pollock. Photographer: Celliers Kruger

Medium Length: 219 cm / 7’2” Width: 63 cm / 24.75” Weight: 16.5 kg / 36 lbs Cockpit size: 49 x 87 cm / 19.25” x 34.25” Paddler weight range: 60 - 100 kg / 130 - 220 lbs

Large Length: 228 cm / 7’5” Width: 69 cm / 27” Weight: 17.5 kg / 38 lbs Cockpit size: 49 x 87 cm / 19.25” x 34.25” Paddler weight range: 70 - 110 kg / 155 - 240 lbs

The Detox hull incorporates a variation of the Dope rail system with super forgiving sidewalls and generous kick rocker to create an exciting but very stable ride. It boofs like no man’s business, surfs green waves like a charm, catches must-make eddies with ease, runs creeks like a creekboat, runs big volume runs like a playboat. What more can you ask for?

There is ample volume which, combined with the peaked decks, ensures controllable surfacing when running drops. The deck profile and hull width makes the Detox super easy to roll, inspiring confidence on difficult runs.

There is enough space to take overnight gear, and the full bulkhead will protect your ankles in a piton if you miss your line (not the boat’s fault of course).

The Detox fills the gap between the Spice and the Bazooka series in the Fluid line-up. If the Spice is too playful for the type of rivers you want to run, and the Bazooka is a too full-on creeker to enjoy on easier runs, the Detox is the boat for you.

Small Length: 215 cm / 7’1” Width: 62 cm / 24.5” Weight: 18 kg /39 lbs Cockpit size: 49 x 87 cm / 19.25” x 34.25” Paddler weight range: 40 - 75 kg / 90 - 170 lbs

Medium Length: 230 cm / 7’6” Width: 64 cm / 25.25” Weight: 19 kg / 42 lbs Cockpit size: 49 x 87 cm / 19.25” x 34.25” Paddler weight range: 50 - 85 kg / 110 - 190 lbs

Large Length: 245 cm / 8” Width: 66 cm / 26” Weight: 20 kg / 44 lbs Cockpit size: 49 x 87 cm / 19.25” x 34.25” Paddler weight range: 60 - 105 kg / 160 - 230 lbs

The Bang is no stranger in the Fluid line-up.

Previously known as the Expedition Solo, this kayak set the standard for expedition kayaking.

The hull is pure-bred creeker, but the boat also features a sealed hatch compartment which allows easy access to the stern. The sealed compartment is robust, nearly waterproof, and easy to use. The hatch compartment can be used for multiday trips, but also for stashing rescue gear, photography equipment, picnic...

The Bang features a semi displacement hull with soft enough rails to keep even the most conservative paddler happy. Responsiveness is what the Bang is made for. The rocker profile and stern shape assist in stability when landing drops, and keeps you going where most boats will stall and back ender. The deck is slightly peaked for controllable resurfacing without losing speed. The perfectly distributed volume keeps you on top of the funny water, making class 5 creeks safer and more fun. Rolling is super easy, giving confidence in tricky situations.

The Bang will take care of you on steep and technical creeks, big volume runs, and also when loaded for multiday expeditions.

Bang Length: 245 cm / 8’0” Width: 65 cm / 25.5” Hatch volume: 70 litres / 18.5 gal Weight: 22.5 kg / 49 lbs Cockpit size: 49 x 87 cm / 19.25” x 34.25” Paddler weight range: 65 - 125 kg / 140 - 275 lbs Paddler: Celliers Kruger. Photographer: Andrew Kellett

Paul Villecourt / outdoor-reporter.com

The Big Bang is our evolutionary creekboat / expedition kayak capable of handing class 5 creeks, yet at the same time having ample speed for long hauls and enough packing space for extended periods in the wild.

The Big Bang is based on our highly successful Bang, which proved to be an exceptional boat for running the hard stuff while also having the luxury of a hatch compartment for easy packing on multiday trips. Did we take the Bang concept and just stretch it out? Yes and no. We created a longer, faster version of it, but we also changed some crucial features of the design. The Big Bang is super forgiving despite the longer length. It is still highly maneuverable, punches big holes like no man’s business, boofs like a much shorter boat, and has the volume and peaked decks to keep it on top at all times.

The Big Bang features the tried and tested hatch system of the Bang with a sealed-off foam bulkhead. The knee area is raised and also relatively wide to accommodate big paddlers. Copious volume and an extended waterline means that heavy paddlers will find the Big Bang a cruise. It is naturally an easy boat to roll too.

Big Bang Length: 270 cm / 8’10” Width: 65 cm / 25.5” Hatch volume: 100 litres / 26.5 gal Weight: 22.5 kg / 49 lbs Cockpit size: 49 x 87 cm / 19.25” x 34.25” Paddler weight range: 70 - 135 kg / 155 - 300 lbs Paul Villecourt / outdoor-reporter.com

Photographer: Celliers Kruger

Since its release the boat got rave reviews from countless clubs who were surprised and impressed that such a high level of performance could be achieved with a plastic polo kayak.

The tough construction of the Vuvubat makes it perfect for beginner to intermediate polo kayakers. It is the ideal boat for kayak polo clubs, where the Vuvubat will outlast composite boats by years.

Features include an adjustable seat, integrated foam bumpers and easily adjustable foot-braces.

Kayak polo is the ideal club activity.

It is a fun, yet highly competitive, sport that is well established in Europe, and it is slowly growing in popularity in North America too.

Apart from being great exercise for all paddlers, including those who don’t care about competing at the highest level, it is also a great way to sharpen boat handling skills.

Vuvubat Length: 299 cm / 9’9” Width: 59 cm / 23.25” Weight: 14.5 kg / 32 lbs Cockpit size: 45 x 78 cm / 17.75” x 30.75” Paddler weight range: 60 - 95 kg / 120 - 210 lbs

Many competitive slalom paddlers who tested the Donsa commented that it is the first plastic slalom kayak they ’ve ever tried that feels like a real slalom kayak. We take that as huge compliment. It means that all paddlers now have the opportunity to paddle a real slalom kayak without having to pay an arm and a leg for it.

The Donsa’s heavier weight means that you won’t take it to the Olympics, but the tough construction makes it perfect for beginner to intermediate slalom kayakers and slalom clubs. Experienced slalom kayakers who want to spare their more expensive composite craft from abuse when training on rocky slalom courses will find the Donsa a happy alternative.

The Donsa is not just a kayak for slalom paddlers though. Kayakers who are not interested in slalom competition but who like a fast kayak for downriver play, or who just want to experiment with new lines in rapids or experience a different way of running rapids, can make good use of the Donsa’s agility. It is the perfect kayak for practicing attainments.

Donsa Length: 353 cm / 11’6” Width: 60 cm / 23.5” Weight: 15.5 kg / 34 lbs Cockpit size: 45 x 78 cm / 17.75” x 30.75” Paddler weight range: 50 - 90 kg/ 110 - 200 lbs

The Anvil is a new generation hydrospeed, both from a materials and design perspective, and as its name suggests, it is made to take a beating.

The Anvil is first and foremost a creeking board boasting styling that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing.

The Anvil has proven to be an excellent choice for expert as well as novice hydrospeeders: experts appreciate its smooth handling & responsive turning abilities, making it ideal for technical river running, while novices find comfort in the tough shell and robust sidewalls, offering excellent protection against impact. The rounded hull with soft rails facilitates exceptional whitewater navigation. Easygrip handles allow for excellent control.

An added feature is a 4” hatch, ideal for stowing away small items, nestled in the centre console of the ergonomically contoured Anvil hydrospeed.

The Anvil is a great alternative for river people who want to experience whitewater more intimately. It is also a great addition on rafting trips to keep rafters entertained.

Anvil Length: 110 cm / 3’7” Width: 64 cm / 25” Height: 30 cm / 12” Weight: 9 kg / 20 lbs Paddler: Charl van Rensburg. Photographer: Adrian Tregoning

Paddler: Charl van Rensburg. Photographer: Adrian Tregoning

Paul Villecourt / outdoor-reporter.com

Paul Villecourt / outdoor-reporter.com

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