Jackson Kayak Antix 3.0: Bestselling Half-Slice Whitewater Kayak Gets Major Update

JT Crenshaw2 weeks ago

0 490 2 minutes read

Jackson Kayak Antix 3.0: Bestselling Half-Slice Whitewater Kayak Gets Major Update

The latest from JK just debuted over the weekend at the annual Gauley Fest. The Gauley is a perfect playground for the Antix 3.0-style kayak. Let’s dive into what this new-generation boat is all about.

Jackson Kayak Antix 3.0

“Trying to improve upon one of my favorite boats of all time was a tall order, but I couldn’t be more stoked on where we ended up. We brought a modern feel with its more confidence-inspiring bow, increased speed, and a higher floating design, but maintained the nimbleness and playfulness I loved with the Antix 2.

“But my favorite part is we added our Rockstar double rail turning it into a loose, epic surfing machine no matter what size wave you’re on,” said Dane Jackson, Jackson Kayak owner, team paddler, member of the design team, and one of the very best whitewater kayakers of all time.

The latest JK whitewater kayak is an update of the top-selling half-slice out there, the Antix. The first-gen boat hit the market in 2016, with the gen-two design coming out in 2020. For 2025, it gets some major design tweaks, which combined should make it more stable, better surfing, easier to squirt, and more comfortable to paddle.

New, More Playful Design

The new boat was designed by the self-proclaimed “Herding Cats” group of Dane Jackson, Stephen Wright, Clay Wright, Nick Troutman, and Alec Voorhees, with Tad Dennis leading the CAD work. The boat keeps a lot of the looks and general concepts as the previous generation that so many people love about the Antix 2.0, but dials in the rocker profile, volume distribution, and adds a double rail hull.

The design team at JK says the “added surface area on the bow combined with more volume and rocker gives you a much higher and drier ride. When paired with the wider hull, this boat carries speed through and over features.” The lower volume stern should also make squirting and splatting much easier.

The big update, besides the volume redistribution, is the double rail hull that is borrowed from the Rockstar V playboat. This should equate to sharper carving — on waves and across eddy lines — easier spins, and overall more fun surfing every wave you come across as you travel down a river.

“With the Antix 3.0, we set out to make a kayak that feels even more playful and intuitive. It’s looser on a wave, easier to stern-squirt, and handles better downriver, all while keeping the confidence and safety paddlers expect. Working with the design team to bring this vision from paper to production has been an amazing experience,” said Tad Dennis, CAD designer and newest member of the Jackson Kayak design team.