Since you mentioned the word "aggressive" twice in your question, I'll assume you don't want to monkey around with tame beginner's boats. The Grind is a great choice; however, it was designed for larger paddlers, and since you describe yourself as average size you might not find the fit to be optimum. That's not to say it wouldn't work. The Grind has an easily adjustable seat, and I know one paddler who's under six feet who loves the boat.

	Jonathan Hanson Jonathan Hanson Jonathan Hanson is a writer whose lifelong appreciation of nature shows up frequently in his work. Meet Jonathan Previous Answers

However, unless someone you know is offering you a killer deal on one, you might want to at least try a couple other models. Take a look at Riot's own Disco, which is 6' 11" in length compared to the Grind's 8' 3". The Disco should match all the moves of the Grind and fit you better. Also try the Dagger Centrifuge, at 7' 10". It's designed for small to medium (140- to 200-pound) paddlers.

Happy paddling,

—Jonathan

Go to GORP Paddling Forum

Previous Expert Answers

Back to GORP Paddling

Return to Top