C-Forum

I am looking for a new canoe to fit me better than my Rival. I am 5'2" and about 115 lbs. I have tried a Zoom very briefly which seemed Ok but I am not sure if my skill level is up to it. (intermediate) I paddled a Phantom which I liked but the boat is now unavailable. I got into a Prelude but the outfitting is definitely for a bigger person. Has anyone tried the Maxim? Are there any other smaller paddlers out there and what are you paddling?

I tried a Maxim right after they came out. I was 180lbs. at the time & had been paddling a Probe 11 (I was not used to edgy boats ). As I recall, I thought it was a touchy little sucker. I felt that I needed to keep my blade in the water. It would spin on a dime though. I think it would be a fun park & play boat. You get used to tippy boats with time.

Check with Mohawk & see when they're going to have a demo day in your area.

I spent coupe of hours on class 2/3 in a Maxim and 10 minutes or so in a Zoom. IMHO the Maxim is more squirrley than the Zoom. A friend who bought a Zoom also paddled a Maxim for a day and agrees with me. When he got his Zoom he swam some (previous boat was Probe 12II) but is now getting used to the handling of the Zoom, as you would grow to the Zoom also. If you really don't want that much response in a boat, look at the Detonator, may be what you want.

Gudday

You may be able to find a Phantom on the used market. My wife has one and she loves it - she's only about 100lbs too. Definitely a good boat for lighter paddlers.

Matt

Saw a Rodeo on eBay the other day.

I'm definitely not a big guy and I paddle a Prelude, you can customize the outfitting adding some foam, no problem...

Li'l D, if you are interested in a Phantom, I noticed that NOC had a new one for sale. I think their price was $799.

Maxiim is a *squirrelly* boat. I had the prototype for about 6 months. It sucked. It was my first boat. I'm a big guy (230 lbs) and the learning curve was more like a learning wall. Primary instability was non-existent for someone my size.

I spoke w/ the designer Maxwell Johnston (aka Climax paddles), he said the boat was a great choice for a small group of West Virginia creekers. Other than that he felt it had limited use.

You might really enjoy the Prelude/Zoom if you can get used to the primary instability. I dont think it's as bad a s the maxim, but it's certainly up there.

Definitely try the Ocoee. For lighter (and heavier) paddlers it's a *really* nice boat compared to the rival. Since you're lighter, it wont be as edgy as you're not as submerged, but definitely more responsive than the rival.

M.

Aren't there any other lightweights out there, who paddle open boats? Or do people just settle for canoes because they are too big for most C-1's and kayaks?
So far most responses to this subject have been from larger paddlers. I bet a tiny 8'10" long X 25 1/8" wide, open boat would feel pretty "squirrelly" to someone over 200 lbs.
LEW

For lightweights paddlers, go small and light.

Any small boat in glass weights less than plastic/ABS/etc. and responds very well. I have paddled a glass Ocoee as well as glass probes, and vipers. see http://www.clippercanoes.com for glass canoes, they make the mohawk canoes in different tough glass layups.

Paddle Power, or anyone that knows...

Who makes the Ocoee in glass?

Li'l D - I took an open canoe class this past weekend, and one of the other students was a woman that paddled an Ocoee. She moved the boat around quite well, and seemed to like it. I can't say how much she weighs, but she was around 5'6" tall and appeared to be reasonably slender.

I was also in an Ocoee for the weekend, and liked it much more than a Rival that I started out in 3-4 years ago. That said, I would try to demo a Prelude before I purchased a boat if I weighed 115lbs.

Lew, at 144 lb I'm actually non a big person. I paddle C1 (paddled a swich for two years and it has a very narrow cokpit), sometime kayak, and open boat cause I like it.

Looking for a small boat or suggestion?

I'm 5'7 and I am selling my Dagger Quake. I think tyhis boat sits your requirements very well. It's short at 8'10", and has a kayak style planing hull that makes it very stable. It carves like a dream because of the hard chines.

I have been able to do bow and stern enders in it in a hole, as well as spins in a hole and on a glassy wave.

While this boat takes learning to get it to track well with speed (river running), it is super agile and has made a great creeker as well.

I weigh 190, and all of the above has been more true for my 140 pound friends that also paddle open boats.

The Savage Skeeter has a similar hull design, though it is glass. For more info on my Quake, check out my "save the knees" boat sale post on the gear swap. Happy hunting!

Logan
lkidwell@hyde.edu

I have to agree with Logan that a Quake would be worth checking out. I would think it is a better choice than a Maxim as it is almost certainly going to be more stable. A Skeeter might be worth having a look at (mine certainly isn't glass).

I'm not sure what kind of paddling you do. The Quake/Skeeter are great river runners/hole players. The Prelude is a good all around boat (the outfitting is adjustable, chaeck Craig Smerda's website). The ???Flys are maybe more creeker/rodeo boats. If you really like the Rival but find it just too big, you might want to check out Bob Foote's Bell boat. I think he designed it for smaller paddlers who like Rivals. As a result, larger paddlers who don't like Rivals don't like it. I understand they raised the gunnels to make it a bit drier for bigger paddlers in 2004 but a 2003 boat might be a good choice if you like the Rival's speed and ability to hold angles.

A big concern I have heard raised by smaller paddlers is that the boats are too $#&%$ heavy. My Prelude certainly isn't light.

I'd say paddle as many boats as you can, if you like the Rival, you may like the Phantom or Bob boat, otherwise, I don't think you can go wrong with a Quake.

Martyn

I have an esquif Detonator - a fun 10' flat planning hull, with double chines. Stable, quick into the eddies, surfs, nimble and just plain fun to paddle.
My other boat is a Mad River Outrage - nice and stable displacement hull does not feel as nimble after the Detonator. But a very nice boat at 12'.

Also Bell Canoe is now making the Ocoee.

But I think the Detonator is good in big water and for creeks.