Liquid Logic Stomper 90 Review

I'm just gonna go ahead and say it right off the bat. I LOVE this boat. I loved it the first time I paddled it and I love it that much more everytime I take it out. Why you ask? Let me explain... 

First of all, yes it has the Bad-Ass outfitting (actual name). It is just as good as it has been. Think lazyboy for the river. LL has made it even better now because you can easily get to the stern.  Just undo the velcro and you can swivel the backband up. Perfect for taking advantage of all the volume in the stern for storage on overnighters, etc. 

Speaking of volume in the stern, the Stomper definitely has one big booty. All that volume back there helps the Stomper explode out of holes with less threat of being sucked back in and unintentional enders. 

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As far as the rest of the boat, there is a huge rocker profile that helps with a variety of things. It greatly increases its' ability to resurface after hucking your favorite waterfall or ledge. In addition this helps the Stomper paddle a lot smaller than it's 8'5" length suggests. Only a relatively small area of the hull is actually in the water at any given time, which helps it feel smaller and turn on a dime. That plus the planning hull and you can actually do spins in a wave or hole very easily. I entertained myself for a good 15 minutes doing just that in a small hole on the Ocoee. 

Another thing that crazy rocker helps with is, of course, boofing. You've probably heard or read somewhere that the Stomper auto-boofs. That's not an exaggeration. It really does. You can amuse yourself for hours boofing every rock and ledge you can find. Get ready for some serious hang time and killer fade boofs. 

Speed is another big plus with the Stomper. The hull really lifts out of the water and allows you accelerate quickly in order to make a move. There have been quite a few Stompers winning races lately and there is a reason why. 

Just to top everything off, the Stomper makes me feel safe. Safer than any other boat and it just makes me feel invincible. Part of this is the amazing primary and secondary stability combined with the high volume. You can literally paddle it down the river on it's side, no problem. Oh and add the fact that it is insanely easy to roll. Small channels on the sides of the cockpit let it shed water while rolling. Definitely one of the easiest rolling boats I've ever been in. 

I know you're probably thinking to yourself at this point, this guy must be paid by Liquid Logic. Rest assured, that's not the case and I just really do like it that much. Only a couple of cons I've been able to find so far. The fact that you have to get pretty aggresive with it when eddying out, carving, etc due to it's soft edges and that you have to pay a bit of attention when boofing so that the crazy low speed turning ability doesn't cause you to get sideways. Those are really small cons though and you get used to it quickly.

Anyway, I highly suggest checking out the Stomper. What size depends on your personal preference. I'm at the low end of the weight range for the 90 at 175-180 but I wanted some extra volume for those really challenging creeks and some storage for overnighters.

Check out http://liquidlogickayaks.com/stomper_90.cfm and the video below for more information and specs. See you on the river!