2010 Hero
Printed From: ProfessorPaddle.com
Category: General
Forum Name: Whitewater Forum
Forum Discription: Open Discussion Forum. Whitewater related subjects only
URL: http://www.professorpaddle.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=10526
Printed Date: 07 Jul 2025 at 10:39pm
Topic: 2010 Hero
Posted By: Liz
Subject: 2010 Hero
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2011 at 11:49pm
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Hey Crew,
I have a friend here in Utah who is trying to sell me his 2010 Jackson Hero and I am wondering your thoughts on the boat. Does anyone have one? I know the old Heros have a bad rep, but I believe the boat has been redesigned... I tried it out in the pool and it has excellent stability, rolls like a charm, turns quickly, and has a good amount of buoyancy. I've been looking a boat that will help me do some bigger stuff (creek boat?). With that said, my kayak learning curve is slow but deliberate, so I don't mind it being a river runner/creek boat. That might help with the transition? It is also new, selling for a great price, and happens to be pink - which, I admit, gets me pretty excited. 
Thanks in advance for your help! |
Replies:
Posted By: water wacko
Date Posted: 24 Feb 2011 at 6:15am
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Liz, you are perfect for the Hero. You are the paddler this boat was designed for and if you already like it in the pool, you'll probably like it on the river. I really liked mine. And it will help with the transition from playboating to creeking. Once you're running class V more regularly, a longer boat might be helpful, but I know guys who swear by them in the 5+/expedition environment, too. Have fun in pink!! ------------- "Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive." ~Howard Thurman |
Posted By: jP
Date Posted: 24 Feb 2011 at 11:45am
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Well, you know Bret is gonna speak highly of any Jackson boat- they cut him some kinda deals on boats.
That said, I happen to agree with them. It is a stable boat that will widen the parameters of what you'll be able to run. The more recent models of Jackson's creekboats and river runners have improved designs compared to the older ones, which I thought were kinda crappy.
A 2010 Hero ought to be fine if the price is right. Anymore, I'd suggest going for the whole playboat/creekboat duality,(having one of each in your quiver) unless you know you need a boat design specificly for something else.
A Creekboat will allow you more of a margin for comfort and an ability to run more stuff spontaneously with more people on more new runs.
The hero is basicly a creekboat, regardless of how it as marketed.
As always, I'd act as though it isn't really your first choice. Hopefully your friend isn't reading this but you should try to knock the price down, whatever it is. It's a buyer's market, child! ------------- 🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋 |
Posted By: ch3kayakchem
Date Posted: 24 Feb 2011 at 12:02pm
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No boat handles the same on the river as it does in a pool!!!! A creeker is designed for aerated water (bubbles in the water) no class three (IV+) pool will give you that feel to base your decision for purchasing a creeker. Just a thought ; if he is truly your friend, have him hold it, demo that style of boat on a real live moving river, then base your decision on purchasing that boat.
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Posted By: jP
Date Posted: 24 Feb 2011 at 12:26pm
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whatever- if it floats, it'll work.
You'll get used to any modern creeker you adopt. And class III is good enough to determine if its right for you. The above comment implies that if you aren't "running the sh*t" you can't determine if it's right for you.
Bullsh*t.
That said, yeah- if you really are a die hard creeker, yeah you should put it to the test, but then to make it worthwhile you gotta try another boat so you can compare- on the same run in the same day.
I only paddled my creekboat in the lake before commiting to a purchase, and it was enough for me to determine it was the right boat for me. I still paddle it, got over 260 trips on it, and my satisfaction deepens the more I paddle it. But then again, I've seen lots of boat designs come and go over the decades. When I see a boat, looking at it's linesand overall shape is enough for me to roughly determine if it'll suit me.
All that said, each person is unique, and there may be unique reasons why a boat will or won't work for a paddler- trying out boats is obviously good. ------------- 🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋 |
Posted By: James
Date Posted: 24 Feb 2011 at 1:27pm
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My grandpa once asked me, Jimmers what do you want to do when you grow up, I responded, well grandpa I don't really know. So he gave me a shovel and made me dig his drainage ditches in the backyard. A few days later he asked me how I liked digging and I told him I wasn't so keen on it. He laughed and then gave me a bunch of PVC and had me put together the drain & sprinkler lines. A couple days later he asked me how I liked doing that and I told him It was better then digging but again it was not exactly enjoyable, he chuckled and showed me a few pallets of shingles in the driveway and told me to get busy on the roof. 1 week later he asked me how I liked doing roofing and I told him, I just want to go home grandpa. He laughed and told me that you can't live at home forever and the first step to enjoying life was finding out what you do and don't want to do with your hands, but no matter what you need to keep your hands busy. While I was waiting for my dad to pick me up, quietly trying to avoid my grandpa I realized something. My grandpa might have wanted to teach me a thing or two about life but to this day I am pretty sure he was using me as cheap labor at my dads recommendation. Moral of the story? Lesson 1. Sometimes you have to find out what you like by experiencing what you don't like. Lesson 2. If someone asks you what you like and not even you know, your probably going to get a run down on lesson #1. Lesson 3. As good as Grandma's Apple pie might be, don't let grandpa talk you into a summer vacation when his house is falling apart. I am not sure what thread this should go into but it works here, so N'Joy. |
Posted By: water wacko
Date Posted: 24 Feb 2011 at 1:59pm
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Originally posted by jP
Well, you know Bret is gonna speak highly of any Jackson boat- they cut him some kinda deals on boats. And jp talks sh*t cuz nobody gives him deals. jp, i paddle jackson because i like them and think they are the best. that's it. ------------- "Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive." ~Howard Thurman |
Posted By: Liz
Date Posted: 28 Feb 2011 at 6:25pm
| Thanks, friends, for the advice. I went ahead and got the boat, and I'm psyched about it. Hopefully I can paddle it with you soon! |
Posted By: dave
Date Posted: 28 Feb 2011 at 6:37pm
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I have been really happy with Jackson boats. I have cracked a few, but they always come through with the warranty and just sold me a brand new 4 Fun for $700 shipped to my house. That was with some warranty left on my old boat, but none the less impressive.
We should definetly get out and break that new boat in Liz. I may be around this weekend, but not sure yet, may still go to the Truss on Saturday. ------------- Nomad |
Posted By: jP
Date Posted: 01 Mar 2011 at 11:20am
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Originally posted by water wacko
Originally posted by jP
Well, you know Bret is gonna speak highly of any Jackson boat- they cut him some kinda deals on boats. And jp talks sh*t cuz nobody gives him deals. jp, i paddle jackson because i like them and think they are the best. that's it. no dude, that's not why I talk sh*t. I was born to talk sh*t. Besides, I was agreeing with you... ------------- 🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋 |
Posted By: Travisimo
Date Posted: 02 Mar 2011 at 10:43pm
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The "Y" is the most awesomest boat ever... Everybody has their personal choice and some change... some don't  Paddling in a pool has shown me many boat designs that I personally didn't like though... Because I am so used to a pretty unique style of boat perhaps. (planing hull with strong secondary stability...) ------------- H2O please |