Favorite Boats

[Sir Adam]

As I've seen a lot of posts lately about getting new boats, and asking for boat recommendations, I thought it might be fun to start a post on "Favorite Boats". If you contribute to this thread, please include the following:

Height
Weight
What type of water you paddle (and class)
Favorite boats
If you could only own one boat...what would it be...

For instance:
I'm 5'9"
About 155 usually

I paddle what most consider "bigger" water, like the Hudson gorge, Kennebec, but also enjoy rivers like the Schroon, Salmon, Sacandaga, James, and even REALLY BIG water like the ottawa. The Potomac is fun too (I've only run the NB and little falls). I like running class II and III in squirt boats, but am confortable in class IV, and occasionlly in V (Bottom Moose).

I enjoy squirtboating the most, usually in my Master Cut Acrobat, Standard cut acrobat (a bit more speed), of if I'm really trying for DT the Maven (and, hopefully next year the Mentor:) ). Part of my reason for squirt boating is it gives you the ability to "take the river up a class" if you wish, and most of my friends are class III paddlers (not to mention that is what is closest to me, other then steep creeks).

For bigger water I really like my Viper. Fast, and very stable. I've just purchased a Sith, and anxiously await it's arrival. I suspect it will become one of my more used boats, as it does a lot of what I like to do well (stern or bow squirt, surf), and is exceptionally comfortable and stable. I also like my Fanatic II slalom boat for bigger water (not to mention gates:) ).

Right now, if I could only own one boat (and not having paddled a finished Mentor yet), it would be a Sith. .

As some of you know, I'm "north country frugal" (aka CHEAP), and typically purchase used boats. Of the 29 or so boats I have right now, 4 (soon to be 5) were purchased new. So a boat has to be VERY, VERY good (the Sith) for me to purchase one new:)

For the curious, the other new boats:

Atom - sold my Cascade and Slasher to buy one...only CBoating a few years at that point, and no clue what else was out there. At least I got a 'VIP' deal on it

Groove - THE hot boat at the time...and a far better boat than I was paddler (still is, too). Fun though!

Tomcat (yes, a ducky) - for AdkSara and i to paddle together

Wheelboy - truly a great boat, especially for rodeo type paddlers. After paddling it a bit, I decided I really do prefer longer, slicy boats. Just a personal preference!

[billcanoes]

5' 6" 195 class III maybe some class IV

Sith
i3 223
Fluid Solo L-class IV low water creeking

those 3 boats encompass most of my paddling I like technical not pushy water

if I were 25lbs lighter or so I'd be paddling the wheelboy instead of the I3 as my river runner playboat

[Nate]

5'11'' 140 lbs. Class III and some IV. and a fair amount of (so far) easy water slalom racing. Prefer creeky type stuff like Tohickon, Brodhead, etc. But have paddled a fair amount on higher volume rivers like Hudson and Kennebec.

Esquif Spark
Vajda Lizard

Both excellent boats, but the Spark is an excellent all around performer. Will run gates well, run rivers well, play, attain, do whatever is needed.

Nate

[cheajack]

5'8" 175#. I paddle technical Class III/IV southeastern streams. I currently have an Ocoee and (very recently) a Finkenmeister (paddle tandem with my 9 yo in a Caption). If I had only one boat it would be a wood gunnel Dagger Ocoee w/ Mike Yee outfitting.

[bearboater]

189 lbs
6'2"
sick point sick-nine on the sickster scale
regardless of what it is, or what the flows are...
Loco. it's also the only boat I have at the moment, but I run everything from the upper yough to the upper gauley to ASCI or charlotte, it does what ever you want it to, plus you can do stern squirts. this is a relatively un-helpful post to the thread. but what I mean by this post is that everyone should at least try a slalom boat kayak canoe, C1 or C2 just to feel the speed, and acceleration you can acheive with them. plus pivot turns are my life. that and sprint intervals.
cheers (running the upper Yough tomorrow... YAY. even better part is that it will be like 5 slalom boats... YAY.)
-isaac

[milkman]

5'11"
165 pounds
Paddle class III to IV rivers in the Pacific Northwest

Favorite solo canoe is the Dagger Phantom. I also have an Ocoee, Outrage, Solito and Ovation, and have tried the Zoom and Zephyr, but the Phantom is the best for surfing, sidesurfing, catching small eddies, running big water. It's also the most stable boat when filled full of water. It's the boat I take out 95% of the time and would be the one boat I'd choose if I could only have one.

For tandem tripping in up to Class IV water, nothing compares to the Dagger Dimension. In August though, I ran the Tatshenshini in my Dagger Legend and was quite impressed with that boat through the Class III+ canyon stretch that first day and later in the big water of the Alsek. Remarkably stable boat, though a pig to turn.

[pdown2]

6' 3"
190ish lbs

Class III-IV......creeky, tight water.

Favorite boat hands down is a Dagger Quake! You just can't beat a bathtub boat.

Also do like the Probe 12 (now Probe 13), great big boat that doesn't require much attention to paddle.

[Kelly-Rand]

6'4"
170 lbs

I paddle a full cut Frachella Viper for most of the summer as long as there is enough flow to cover the rocks and the trip is no more than 4 hours. Class II/IV. It is fast and surfs and attains well. It is unforgiving if you are not on your game, as its sharp edges will be grabbed and sunk in strong currents. This can be fun as long as you are up for it. I have tried other glass boats both traditional slalom and Adam's Maven. Most traditional slalom boats are too tight at the front coaming or rear deck for me to get in. I wish I had tried one of the 3.65 M boats at the ASCI championship to see if I could fit.
I also paddle an Atom. This is my go to boat for long river trips or where I am unfamiliar with the river or have not been paddling for a while. It is a quick maneuverable boat that I can place where I want to be in tight situations. If I should have to bail it is the one boat that I can climb back in while in moving current and continue paddling.
I also like to paddle C-2, and have paddled an ArgueMax and own and paddle a Patriot. The ArgueMax is my favorite due to its lower volume and ease of rolling. Have yet to paddle the Patriot with someone who is a experienced C boater. My C-2 experience 3 or 4 years ago with a compatible partner was one of the most satisfying experiences I have had in a C boat.
To some it up, the viper is my favorite boat to paddle because I learn the most from it and it is comfortable. The Atom is a good all around boat to have.

Jim

[noobopenboater]

6'- 190'ish
class II-III

Im kinda noobish, so not paddled alot of boats. But after paddlin an impulse for a year, then borrowing an outrage for a while. I liked it so much I got impatient searching for used one and bought a brand new one last month. Had to send it back due to defect but they sent me another one. Love it, amazed at the speed. So, as of now its my fav boat. I did try a zephyr, and ocoee. Im keeping the Impulse for some trippin I hope to do.

[kneeler]

Height: 6'1" (185cm)
Weight: 185 lbs (13 stones / 84 kg)
What type of water you paddle (and class): Northeast (lower volume) class III/IV
Favorite boats: Dragorossi Fish, Riot Disco, Perception Slasher
If you could only own one boat: 200ft+ mega yacht (with heli pad)

[Motoari]

6' 185lbs
Paddle Class II-III rivers near the Tokyo city in Japan

I like my RUMBA.
[img]http://www002.upp.so-net.ne.jp/ebara/canoe/rumba.jpg[/img]
---------------------
Motoari EBARA

[sbroam]

I'm 5'11" and about 220#. I've decided that I'm "easy" when it comes to boats - there are a lot of them I've loved and they don't necessarily have a lot in common. Boats that I have at one time or another (maybe still do) *loved* include - the ME, a converted Whiplash, a Viper 12, a converted Score, a Spark (though only for a day - I demoed it), a Slasher (I've bought 2 of them), a Viper C-1 (need one that fits!), a Rockit conversion, a Cascade (the love was short lived, though), and my current love, a Zephyr. I like my Maverick slalom boat, but would probably like several other designs even more.

Boats I didn't get along so well with are fewer in number -

The Ultraclean conversion was fun but too daggum slow. The Cascade was a boat I had to have after demoing but never really fell in love with (slow, blown around as badly as an open boat). A Wenonah Edge made from "Toughweave" that weighed about 150 pounds - I think I would have loved a lighter one. And the Atom - it looks great on paper for me, but it's just never clicked.


Hard to say what I would own if I could only have one - today it might be the Zephyr. Or the ME - I can paddle it solo or take one of the kids along.

[CosmikDebris]

What a great question, favorite boats. My favorite boats change usually depending on what I am paddling at the time, but here are a few. I'm about 5'9", ~155lbs and my favorite color is blue...

Dagger Cascade - Awesome boat, fast, long, and paddles itself. You could sit back and read a book while flying down some huge rapid and not even get your hips wet. Well, maybe not that good, but it's awesome, everyone should have one.

Necky Blunt - The best conversion creeker I've ever paddled, although I have a Burn now that I'm liking a lot. It's stable and stays on line, not to mention it has saved my butt many, many times.

I wish I had some more glass to add to the mix, but I have only ever paddled an Aerobat on the Upper Gauley and it was more of a pain in the butt than it was fun. I'd like to try a good master cut Acro at a good seam, but I have a "sneaking suspicion" there's some new glass squirters in the works.

Some other notable mentions are the XXX because it's long and stable on end. Savage Fury because it surfs like a mofo and squirts like one too. Probe 14 seems like a good tandem boat to me as well, that's about my only open boat experience. Oh yeah, the Necky Switch/Witch were both killer playboats, and still good.

I was paddling the Fury on the Gauley this year and people kept coming up to me and asking, "why are you paddling such an old, outdated boat?" My only response was, just cause it's old doesn't mean it doesn't work any more. Furthermore, how can you say it's outdated? I've never paddled any boat that surfed a wave like the Fury. I don't really like any of the new short playboats, I'd rather have a 8' long boat that will squirt, surf, and cartwheel than a short little tumbler.

[Jim Michaud]

5' 11", 185#.

I like class IV the best but class III or V are also OK. I paddle a Mad River Outrage almost exclusively on everything from the local steep creeks in the northeast to the Grand Canyon. I own a dozen boats but the other ones are mostly dust collectors.

I use to love paddling Whitesells but they're no longer available.

Jim

[bathtuboy]

5'9" about 155

Paddle III-IV occasionally V. Most rivers I paddle are low volume so plastic is good.

After breaking my last prelude I had no intention of replacing it with anything except a new one. This is me within 100yards of my first run in the new boat.

What you can't see is that I'm going backwards having messed up the entry.