I decided the other day to run the North Fork of the Payette with the SCUD. I was a little worried about the way it would handle with it being such a small boat and the North Fork was running around 1800 cfs so I decided to run a "Lower 5" to try it out and see how it would handle before taking it to the upper stuff.

Right off the bat I was impressed with the way it handled the big waves and chaos of the river and was feeling pretty stable in the boat. It did take a little getting use to though but by the time the run was finished I was stoked on the boat and couldn't wait to take it out again on something a little more challenging.

A few days later I got another chance to go boating and decided to take the SCUD again. This time I decided to run a "Lower 7" which includes the rapids Jaws 1, 2, and 3 as well as several others. The boat was amazing. I couldn't believe the way it handled in the big, heavy water of the North Fork. It rode on top of the water quite well. It was amazingly fast and tracked better than my MAC1.

Another thing I love about the boat is it will not pearl the bow unless you want it to and the stern does not squirt nearly as easy as in a longer creek boat in big sloppy water. Holes that I normally had to watch out for I was punching through with ease and as I got more comfortable as the run went on, I started playing in holes I wouldn't even try to punch in my MAC. It was AMAZING!

I decided right then and there that the SCUD is my new North Fork boat! I had never felt that stable or in control on that section of river, playing in stuff that normally at this flow I'm just trying to make it down without getting hammered. I was able to catch the smallest eddies with the boat that normally in a full length creek boat would just cause the boat to spin a bit and flush through. In the SCUD I was catching them with ease and hitting ferries I'd never dreamt of before.

Yesterday I took it out again for a quick after work "Lower 5" run and played my whole way down hitting wave wheels, kick flips, splats, and huge boofs and surfing every hole I could find all the way down. The boat is amazing. I can't wait to try some self support out of it and take it on some more big water runs.

The SCUD is the perfect boat for me. I have no desire to boat in anything else on big water or steep creeks. It is so playable but stable in everything I've dropped into that I am truly impressed and have to say the SCUD is the best boat on the market, hands down.

I just want to say that I am proud to say that I paddle Bliss-Stick boats, and with boats like these in the stable, so will everyone else that sits in one just once. Truly amazing and revolutionary designs!

Keep up the good work on designing the boats!  Mike Copeland

Here are a few more pictures to enjoy form the trip

Our own Man Terry bustin out !