Fluid Kayaks Team

Hi all,

So finally the long-awaited Detox has reached Europe and the US and is shipping to dealers all over the paddling galaxy. Since we unveiled it at the Kanu Messe last october, the Detox has caught a lot of attention. The drawings and CAD views looked very promising, a few pics of the proto were shown here and there on the web, but would the actual boat live up to these expectations? the answer is a big YES!

Fluid Detox Video from Fluid-Junction on Vimeo.

So where does that boat fit in the Fluid line-up exactly? Basically, it's somewhere between the Spice and the Solo. Meaning, you can take the Detox down a class IV/IV+ rapid without a problem, yet still enjoy the occasional surf on your way down. You want to run rapids but you find creekboats to be a bit too "bulky" and not playful enough, then the Detox is there for you.

It's now available in size M. Size S and L will follow later in the year.

Detox M has the following specs:

• Length: 230cm /7’6”
• Width: 64cm /25.25”
• Volume: 250l /66gal

While it can take larger paddlers up to 90/95 kg, I think the full potential of the Detox is somewhere between 55-60 and 85 kgs. I'm 76 kgs and I found it perfectly suited to me.

The Detox was designed with the "average" paddler in mind. Not average in the sense of mediocre skills. Average in the sense that, unlike what we're used to see in magazines and videos, not everybody is interested in hucking huge waterfalls every week-end or claim first D's on death-defying stunts. For this kind of paddlers willing to push their limits and those of the sport, we have the Solo.

Andrew Pollock testing the prototype

For all the others we created the Detox. The flat hull and edges make it a very enjoyable boat, very precise and responsive. It's a real pleasure to catch eddies, glide accross the river, ferry, accelerate down the current in this boat - and this is 95% of what people do in their kayak. It gives the paddler a lot more sensations than a creekboat. Yet the Detox remains very forgiving, allowing beginners and intermediate paddlers to discover the joys of river running in total confidence.

So who would I recomment this boat to? Basically you MUST try a Detox if your playground includes mostly class II to class IV runs. The skechy, technical, more extreme class 5 stuff should still be approached with a bigger creekboat like the Solo. But for everything that is not class 5, and that is the vast majority of what people actually paddle, the Detox certainly is a great option.

It gives you a greater agility and maneuverability. It accelerates easily, boofs like a champ. Rolling is also especially easy. The Detox is the perfect boat to improve your technique and skills as a kayaker. The Detox has a great potential that can take your paddling skills very far. Yet it won't challenge you with unforgiving edges or an unpredictable behaviour.

But that's enough yada-yada. Have a look at this video of the Team Fluid testing the Detox on a variety of situations and locations. Then get in touch with your dealer and make sure you try one ;-)