Dagger Capri

patterbear · Post by **patterbear** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 4:33 pm

Is there anybody out there who can give me a review/history on a Dagger Capri OC-2? I'm looking for a canoe to take out with my daughter (who is getting bored with flatwater and wants to do what Daddy does

), and one of these is on sale on eBay...

the great gonzo · Post by **the great gonzo** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 5:02 pm

Do you mean the Dagger Caper? I never paddled one , but I ve seen it and, as far as I know, it was the precursor to the Caption.

Here is what's written up about it on Dagger's website:

http://www.dagger.com/product.asp?BoatT ... BoatID=239

martin a.k.a. the great gonzo!

patterbear · Post by **patterbear** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 5:14 pm

Thanks! The listing says Capri, but on looking at the images more closely, it does say Caper....

Alan B · Post by **Alan B** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 7:19 pm

My first true whitewater canoe was a Caper... I bought it with the intention of using it for solo and tandem but for most of it's history with me, it was only rigged solo. After buying a Millbrook Defiant, I rigged the Caper with 2 Mohawk saddles after tearing out the solo saddle. I paddled it tandem quite a lot the last 2 years I owned it and it was such an improvement over a Old Town Tripper. I thought it couldn't get any better than that. Until a stumbled on a used Caption. I sold the Caper to a freind and have enjoyed my Caption since 2000. Whenever I get in my old Caper it seems like wide, slow pig. Not that I would talk you out of buying a used one. It really isn't that bad.... actually it would be a good boat for tandeming with your daughter. My daughter (now 18) spent many hours in the Caper kneeling in front of me on a temp. saddle. It would be a vast improvement over a more traditional tandem boat like an Explorer, etc. One more thing to look for.... the Caper had a design improvement (more rocker, deeper ends) part way through it's run in the Dagger line up. Sorry, I can't tell you when that happened but I would guess the change was around '92? I would not be so excited about the older style. What is the price? If it is in fairly good shape with no outfitting, I would not pay more than 400. preferably less... and 100. to 150. more if it has decent outfitting. Captions are getting hard to find but I would spend a little time looking for one, as you won't outgrow that boat. But the Caper would work fine for your current needs. Good luck.

Alan B · Post by **Alan B** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 7:22 pm

i don't do smiley faces.... that was my daughter (now 18).....

Alan B · Post by **Alan B** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 7:24 pm

last try... she is 18 not 10....

patterbear · Post by **patterbear** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 7:29 pm

I personally paddle a Rodeo, and hopefully, as my daughter gets bigger, I'll be looking for a solo boat for her (instant paddling partner!). It's on eBay, so who knows how much it'll go for, but I wasn't planning on paying much more than $500 for a boat that'll only be used on II+-III water...

Tiggy · Post by **Tiggy** » Wed Jan 18, 2006 3:36 pm

Capers are OK. Ive paddled them Tandem and , ughhhh, SOLO. They are the old roylex sheets Dagger used to put out, so its a much heavier boat.

They are pretty dry and quite manuverable though. Have you looked for a Dimension, 16 ft vs the 14 ft Caper? I prefer this to a Caption or a Caper. Like the caption alot but its FREAKIN WET, lol.

RodS · Post by **RodS** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 6:40 pm

I saw that on ebay also.

I love my Caper! Paddled it tandem and solo for years.

Mine came with the Dagger triple position pedestal, which made it *really* heavy. It looks like kneeling thwarts on the ebay item, which would certainly be lighter, but perhaps wouldn't be everyone's preference. I've never paddled in that kind of set up.

patterbear · Post by **patterbear** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 8:05 pm

If I end up getting this boat, I'd be ripping the thwarts out, and putting in some decent seating. It's hard to maintain good lateral boat control if your rear end is sliding back and forth...