Liquidlogic Stinger XP

Size, weight, capacity

The Stinger XP is an enormous 12’5” (379cm) long and just 24.25” (62cm) wide, truly a boat designed for speed.

Unsurprisingly this much kayak doesn’t come light and the Stinger XP weighs in at 55lbs (25kg). Perhaps more surprisingly is how easy it is to balance on your shoulder and carry, that is until you fill it with expedition kit anyway.

Paddler weight on this boat ranges enormously from 120 – 300lbs (54 – 136kg), making it suitable for paddlers of all shapes and sizes.

Features

The Stinger XP has all the white water prowess of the standard Stinger design, but with the expedition capabilities you would expect from one of the largest river kayaks on the market. The enormous amount of space underneath the rear hatch allows you to comfortably store enough kit for long river expeditions.

Coupled with the amount of space is the ability of the Stinger XP to cover great distances with ease. At 12’5” long and with a slow rising stern rocker, this boat has a long enough waterline to carry speed to punch through even the meatiest of features. Couple that with the steady rise on the bow and you have a boat which can negotiate drops and tight turns along with the best. There’s a reason the standard version of this boat is so popular on the Green River!

As usual with Liquidlogic boats, the outfitting is of the highest specifications. The Badass system is extremely comfortable and adjustable, giving you optimal control over the boat while still being able to sit in it for long days on the river.

Long expeditions are unlikely to be high octane white water from start to finish, and the Stinger is equally comfortable on the flatter sections. The spring loaded skeg at the stern makes this boat track perfectly straight, so you can relax and take in your surroundings on the calmer stretches.

Performance

The Stinger has been a popular boat for some time now and the XP version was hotly anticipated. It appears as though by altering so little from the original model, Liquidlogic have kept everyone happy. It’s a kayak with all the white water capabilities of one of the most aggressive and fast river boats on the market, but the expedition outfitting makes it really easy to pack huge amounts of equipment into the kayak and the addition of the skeg means that you can cruise the flat sections without that irritating drift you get in white water boats.

This is not a touring kayak which has some white water capabilities, this is an out-and-out white water machine which is designed for comfort in every environment. There are better beginner kayaks on the market, but if you’re setting your sights on places like the Grand Canyon, the Stinger XP is about as good a boat as you could take with you.