Soul/Mega Firefly XS Kid's Slalom Kayak

 

 So, we've got out for a little paddle in the Soul/Mega Firefly XS, and here are some first impressions.

It's being marketed as a slalom trainer for kids, but it doesn't look much like a slalom boat. Since Soul also make a plastic kids slalom boat that looks exactly like a slalom boat (the Angel), we asked the designer Corran what his thinking was.

“The Angel, I was still thinking slalom boat, shrunk down. The Firefly I’ve come at from another angle. Make a boat that will allow kids to paddle slalom. Most kids are coming out of modern plastic kayaks and those are all planing hull. So this is a planing hull so it paddles the same way. It’s a familiar feel, making the transition back and forth from plastic to slalom easy. For its width it’s shorter and has more rocker than a normal boat, and ironically that’s what the new rule change coming in 2 years will effectively do. Shorter and more rocker makes it predictable and easy to put where you want it to be.”

So... it doesn't look like a slalom boat and it isn't a slalom boat; it's a whitewater boat that's great for learning slalom skills in, but probably also a bunch of other stuff as well. I thought the Firefly looked very like the Particle Accelerator, a fast adult kayak predominantly designed for kayakcross and extreme racing, but also a super playful and sporty boat for fun that can do freestyle tricks. In fact I confess I tried to get in it myself. Man, if I was a couple inches narrower I would throw this thing around like a rag doll. Anyway...

Soul Particle Accelerator

8yr old Elsa knows nothing of Particle Accelerators. Neither does she need a boat that blunts, cartwheels and spins, but she may come to appreciate that later. For now she thought it looked approachable, and was pleased to discover that it doesn't feel as if flipping over is imminent. These are the priorities of a child. And colour...

Elsa: Why is it orange?

Me: It's a demo boat. They're all orange. My F-Bomb is orange too...

Elsa: That's horrible... Why do they make them like that?

Me: Maybe so they are easy to spot when people are paddling them. Or maybe so no one will steal them...

Elsa: Hmmm... At least the cockpit is blue. But that will be covered up. It's bad thinking.

Me: Just paddle it OK?

The funny flat bit at the front of the cockpit rim caught my eye immediately and I assume it is a cunning design to make it easier for children to pull their deck. For safety we use a ludicrously loose deck; it's literally just draped over the cockpit rim. Its purpose is just to stop water splashing on Elsa's legs, which she hates. If she tips over it will just fall off.

Similarly I thought the seat looked really pro and excellent for being located in the boat, but Elsa didn't like it because she plonks herself down in quite an undisciplined fashion and hurts herself on the pointy bit at the front. I think a foam seat might be better for kids. Or a brain transplant.

On receipt of Elsa's feedback, Mega informed us that they will change out the seat for future boats.

The slalom style flush grab loops look really pro too, but we tied some webbing tails through them because grabbability/krabbability (definitely a word) is more important than not hitting poles or getting hung up in trees, when you are eight. And I will always have to tow her home. Mega tell us that they are bringing a new handle design to the production boats - this will probably address that issue.

So, onto the water. Elsa can paddle her plastic Minime playboat in a straight line without a skeg, so she set off confidently in the Firefly. Only to find that every now and then it kind of veers off into a turn that is clumsy to recover. THIS IS A GOOD THING. I remember my first slalom boat at age 15, and how frustrating it was initially that it did that, but you get over it pretty quickly. It's a function of a boat being good at carving turns. You just have to catch it before it kind of oversteers into a spin. After half an hour (a stressful half hour) of me very gently trying not to let her get annoyed and bail out of the mission to play on the swings, Elsa could keep the boat pointed at a distant landmark, or spin 360 and arrest the spin pointing right back on target. Directional instability = manoeuvrability but requires some paddler ability. OK.

The wobble test was also a success. The boat feels pretty stable (I assume, I can't fit in it), but Elsa happily rocked it from one edge to another which means that when she wants a bit of lean in her transitions she will be able to do it. She doesn't weigh much more than 25kg, so it's hard to get an edge on unless the boat is designed this way.

We crossed some eddylines but actual rapids will have to wait for another day. I was pleased that Elsa didn't get uncomfortable on the journey, and could get out of the boat on her own when we got back. Winning so far.

The boat is made in the UK by Mega Performance Kayaks, and you can get it here...