Waka Billy Goat - First Test Run

Billy Goat First Impressions:

As soon as I ran the first 1/4 mile of class 3 in the Billy Goat, I knew we had a banger. To me it feels like the Stout and 9R had a baby. I loved the mix of a narrow hull added to the ease of the Waka platform. The narrowness allowed for easier edge transitions, extra speed through slack water, big snappy leans, and effortless to roll. All that combined with the “EASY” hull that Waka is known for creates a really unique and amazing kayak.

There were a few things that came to mind for a quick day one review of the boat. But I will learn a lot of things as I keep paddling this design.

Seat Placement:

I moved the seat back about 2 inches immediately. Then moved the bulkhead and backband to suit me in a further back position. I would recommend doing this for most paddlers. (I will try further back for the next laps, but I wouldn’t go back forward) I have slowly become more and more of a fan of paddling stern heavy, especially with the new high rocker designs. One thing I tend to notice about a design while paddling with the seat set back are the stern edges and how catchy they become. I was happy to notice the Billy Goat had no sign of getting stuck on a stern edge or having catchy moments in cross currents. Being further back actually helped me engage the stern / release the bow and use sweep style corrections to stay online and dry.

NARROW HULL:

I did have to stay more on my game through deeper seams in a narrower kayak. (I am used to bigger & wider boats) However, once I got used to a more tippy feeling kayak, I it quickly became a more nimble craft. I would use a quick edge to edge transition to grab water with one rail or the other for really intuitive paddling. There was increased speed retention through slack water and flatwater sections…similar feeling you get in a long boat or other narrow creek designs. This is a cool attribute of a narrow boat, and something I feel that the OG and Steeze are missing. (though most of the time those designs make up for it in user ease)

SIZE:

I am 165 pounds and 6 feet tall. My first test run was on the Little White Salmon, a Simi Steep class 5 creek with a mix of waterfalls and boulder gardens. The Billy is very comfortable and feels to be on the medium/small size for my size. I would happily use it for almost any day-to-day class 5 run, but I would still upgrade to an OG for any overnight missions. As you get lighter in the weight range you could for sure load up with gear and have a good time on any missions. We will continue to test the boat out, but it feels like best weight range will be from 100-175lbs. I feel like a lot of the magic of the design will start to bog down if you push the weight range too high.