# L Burn or Riot Magnum



## lotsawater (Nov 18, 2003)

Have you tried the Habitat? 

THE BOMB!!!

just ask Joe Keck


----------



## David Spiegel (Sep 26, 2007)

I would recommend the Magnum for sure.

The tapered edges on it (they really start right behind the seat) give you more steering control than any other boat. Basically, stay forward, go straight. Shift your weight back, turn like a dream.

In addition, the back band easily folds down and is made for doing overnighters or even just storing a break down for a run.

Although my opinion cannot be taken as completely unbiased, I can assure you that I truly do think that the Magnum tops any other creek boat I've paddled.

D


----------



## eljim (Sep 19, 2007)

*riot plastic=butter*

I have owned two riot play boats, a trickster and an air 55. I loved them, I even paddled the air off a 34 footer. The plastic sucks! PE, they tried to call it Zytec for awhile it isn't even cross linked. The Corp. that bought Wavesport, then Dagger, and Perception also use polyethene (PE). I had a long talk with one of the former owners about the [email protected]##y plastic. The Riots seem even more like butter. I wouldn't want a creek boat made of that somewhere you needed it. LL, Pyranha, Bliss-stick, Jackson, and of course the Germans are the only ones (I know, I'm missing someone) making boats with worth while plastic. 

Nostrovia!


----------



## Schizzle (Mar 26, 2004)

Magnum, awesome hull & outfitting, but short lifespan. Don't drag it and avoid low water abuse. Search previous threads for more info.

I have a habitat now, but I really miss the magnum and I'll be surprised if the habitat lasts much longer than any other non-german boat.


----------



## David Spiegel (Sep 26, 2007)

The bad plastic argument can be used on any boat.

I dented a habitat on a light hit, first use. I have seen rockers basically collapse from cracking. I only know a few people that haven't cracked burns they bought in the past year.

Basically, cooking boats is tough, plastic weakens depending on the temp it is cooked at and speed it is cooled at etc. This, combined with inherent structural weaknesses in all the hulls makes a truly strong boat difficult to find from ay company. 

Also, keep in mind that boat companies are trying to make light boats because consumers don't want to carry something that weighs a ton. 

Combine this with the fact that we take these boats on difficult, steep runs, means that any boat you buy is likely to have a short life span. 

That said, my Magnum has held up better than my Habitat or my Rocker did.

Eljim- I believe that both of the Riot models you mentioned are from several years ago, right before/during the time when the company changed hands.

David


----------



## caspermike (Mar 9, 2007)

David Spiegel said:


> The bad plastic argument can be used on any boat.
> 
> I dented a habitat on a light hit, first use. I have seen rockers basically collapse from cracking. I only know a few people that haven't cracked burns they bought in the past year.
> 
> ...


good thing i bought a jefe........


----------



## Gilby (Mar 24, 2007)

*Magnum*

Last summer I narrowed my list down to those two exact boats--that's kinda strange, really. I took out the medium burn and really liked it because I'm genrally familiar with the hull design (I have the 420 and I3). However, I wanted a boat with more volume (I'm 6'1 ~ 210 lbs). So, naturally I thought the large burn would be great for me. I was totally wrong--I found it was way to cumbersome and I felt it was like rolling a pool table. I love Pyranha but the large burn was a pain. I then took out the Magum a few times on Bear Creek and Baileys and really loved it. In my opinion it's a great boat for CO--it punches holes easily, is fast, tracks nicely and surfaces quickly--and it's a relatively nimble boat for our low water creeks. I have had good luck with the plastic (knock on wook) Also, I have the 73 and I've heard they now offer the 82 gallon--I'm curious to see if it performs the same way. 

Cheers,

Craig


----------



## BAER (Nov 28, 2007)

check out the magnum 80, riot has them available to ship NOW


----------



## ACC (Oct 30, 2003)

I have paddled the large burn for the last year. It is a really nice design that makes cross-current moves super fun. The boat glides over the surface of holes and allows you to make ferries with ease. It also has enough of a rounded edge that it works well for bony creeking. I cannot say much of anything negative about the boat unless you simply do not want a planning hull. The boat balances tracking and last minute adjustments well. And, honestly, sometimes its relatively wide flat hull makes things seem too easy. You just have to be mindful of the edge. Rolling is cake, as with any creekboat. Try them both, but I had to chime in on the burn since this thread mostly has comments on the magnum.


----------



## gh (Oct 13, 2003)

ditto on the burn


----------



## COUNT (Jul 5, 2005)

I'll throw another vote in for the Burn. It's sick.


----------



## cdw (Mar 28, 2005)

Ve lahf der Germans

Ich liebe mein Rockit

and all the non-HochleitungsThermoPlasik is for sucks, 'cuz low water abuse is what front range creeking is all about


----------



## Paul (Oct 11, 2003)

I'd also recommend the Burn. Try a medium before you commit to a large. I fluctuate between 188 and 192 lbs and find it to have ample volume for my needs. Before I bought it, I wanted to demo a large, but couldn't find any shops that had a demo. But since I bought the medium, I haven't regretted it.


----------



## eljim (Sep 19, 2007)

True my riots where older, my CFS oil canned on its first trip on OBJ, running where your suppose to be. They all still use the crappy PE plastic, the Pyranhas use harder plastic, which is why they have cracked since the Blade. I always liked Riots designs, Necky uses a good plastic, sadly you can't find a Blunt any more.


----------



## idayak (Apr 8, 2008)

Thanks for all the imput. I tried the jefe and the habitat, but i learned to paddle in a riot disco and have never quite figured out the displacement hull. Plus i live in idaho where big water is much more common than low water rock slides. What about loading the boats with gear? How does the magnum do loaded for overnighters?


----------



## BKC (Apr 18, 2004)

*Both are good boats*

I just purchased a magnum and really like it. Here is a link to the Riot blogspot, with some information on using it for an overnighter. I had demoed both boats as they were my top choices also. Here is more info on both of them. Chose the magnum for how it fit my style of paddling and liked that is was slightly shorter, had some edges and still have the same volume or more as the burn, jefe, etc. I liked how the back can be removed to get into the back of the boat easily and the volume in the bow and stern. It has alot of speed, holds a great line and turns easily. I think either way you can't go wrong.


----------



## David Spiegel (Sep 26, 2007)

For overnights, the back band folds down entirely to make it super easy to fit stuff in the back. I have not had any problems with back-endering a loaded boat or anything.


----------



## craven_morhead (Feb 20, 2007)

Have you tried them both? I demoed a magnum for a bit and felt like it was too turney for my preferences; I had the same issues with the Huka. I paddle a Nomad now and like it, for what it's worth. Don't know much about the burn.


----------



## BAER (Nov 28, 2007)

just holler at me i will gladly let you borrow one of my two 72 gal magnums and have a 80 gal on the way


----------



## idayak (Apr 8, 2008)

BAER said:


> just holler at me i will gladly let you borrow one of my two 72 gal magnums and have a 80 gal on the way


Thanks but i live in boise idaho. I have actualy tried them both, but coming out of a Y everything else feels wierd. I was just looking for some feed back from people who own them and have been paddling them for a while.


----------



## COUNT (Jul 5, 2005)

Can't speak for the Riot but my Burn paddles amazingly well when loaded down (admittedly, this is probably partly because I'm at the bottom of the weight range to start). I actually think it paddles better loaded than empty.


----------

