Lettmann The Dude 95

Our new creeker ‘The Dude’.The Dude is definitely a hot contender for this title of a great allrounder! Christian Zicke puts it in a nutshell: “You want to rock? Skipping like the devil and still turn up in a controlled manner? Are you looking for a loyal friend that you can fully rely on in every difficulty range? Here you are!

Christian and Nadja Zicke from Outdoordirekt are among the many paddlers who have tested the Dude prototype on a wide variety of waters over the past 12 months and pushed it to the limit. Speaking of prototypes: we have already revised the first model three times. This was followed by two more prototypes, each of which embodied the latest state of knowledge.

‘The Dude’ craves modern paddling technique, but won’t let you down even if you’re just starting out on your whitewater career.

The result: ‘The Dude’ skips you out of every backwash and lands butter-softly after steps and drops – the ingenious lower hull with the innovative edges makes it possible. It gives the Dude a high level of stability in any water position – and yet it is easier to edge than other kayaks of a similar width. This makes ‘The Dude’ super safe – and yet mega dynamic. We have given the bow of the Dude the perfect rocker. This means that it runs extremely dry over press water and mushrooms and you can easily lift it onto waves, rollers and curls. Thanks to its width and cleverly placed volume, its tail offers enough reserves, even for massive steps and drops, yet the gently rounded edges are easy to sink – this makes ‘The Dude’ even easier to boot and direction changes are also child’s play. The Dude is not even remotely sensitive to side water.

What has always characterised our creekers is the unique combination of very good directional stability and excellent manoeuvrability.

And not just when stationary on the duck pond. Nope, the Dude is following in the footsteps of Granate and co. and can still be corrected at full speed, even if it has already broadsided the current. This is another huge advantage over many other kayaks in its class. We have designed the cockpit of the Dude so that you feel comfortable as a tall person. The leg and knee room is enormous and the large cockpit allows you to get out safely. But even lighter paddlers can customise the Dude to suit themselves and their needs. This is made possible by seats of different widths, various outfitting options and the ability to adjust the seat height. Paddlers between 75 and 110 kilos have already enjoyed paddling our Dude through white water.

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