A license to Roam
While I still like having specialized gear—a freestyle kayak for park and play, my creeker for class IV-V—lately I’ve been mixing things together. Wanting to fish but run a bit of whitewater too. Going on an overnight camp trip with my dogs on some offshore islands. And it’s this kind of paddling that Dagger‘s Roam is truly designed for.
Storage to spare
The Roam comes in two sizes, 9.5 and 11.5, and both are kitted out with some pretty nifty features. A large waterproof hatch in the bow can handle enough gear for a few nights out in the woods or pretty much any of the luxury items you might want on a day trip—food, beverages, waterproof radio and selfie stick. It also opens up into the hull so longer items like your fishing rod can slide in there easily too.
In the stern is a smaller hatch that, while not as big as the bow hatch, still has enough volume for gear and allows you to shift things around to trim the boat out how you want it.
Cargo net positive
Above the stern hatch is a clever dual-purpose cargo net. It’s great for storing snacks and loose things you want easy access to while paddling but the coolest part is that it quickly releases and, with the thigh braces, turns into a backpack for day hikes.
Aside from transforming the cargo net into a backpack, the thigh braces are a very key component in what Dagger calls its Contour Surround Seating System. They can be easily clipped in or out using small carabineers and are clearly labeled so that even a confused raft guide like me was able to figure it out and adjust them quickly.
Roam into the rapids
If you are going to be getting into rougher water, they are key to keeping you locked in and allowing you some edge control. The rest of the outfitting includes easy-to-adjust foot pegs, a high, wide and plush back band, comfortable hip hugging pads and a leg lifter to lock you in as good as any whitewater boat.
We interviewed the Roam designer Mark “Snowy” Robertson at Outdoor Retailer and while he said the Roam could be rolled I personally didn’t have much luck—I did get it halfway several times.