Best kids Canoe?

[chriscanoe]

I am ready to move my Daughter into a solo canoe. She is4'8 80lbs 11year. What would yall suggest for a kid to paddle. I was thinking about maybe a Rodeo. Any other ideas?

[canotrouge]

Composite Creation Splash...http://www.compositecreations.ca/Splash.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Sir Adam]

I'll second the Splash. it's a great boat - I suspect that as more are seen some lighter paddlers (under 110 or 115 lbs) regardless of age might start picking them up.

For flatwater Hornbeck boats has several models for kids now... and a buyback policy for when they grow out of them!

[Mr Marc]

I just bought a Dagger Phantom for my 10 years old son. I tried it, he did not tried it yet.
It is very small, light and fast.

[Bob Wiggins]

ION!!!!!!!!!

[PAC]

Mikey B has some plans for a Mini Stink Eye. Guess you'd call it a "Stye Eye". LOL SHould be interesting. Waiting on details.

[chriscanoe]

I was wondering about the Ion. I was kind of hopeing to find something used.
I like the looks of the splash, not too deep. Just dont know if it would be the right boat around Georgia.

[Bob Wiggins]

Chris- if youre up near asheville, shes welcome to try out my ion. they do come up used on occasion- just put it out there that youre looking. heck, if Jeremy ever came out with mixed color boats, MINE might even be for sale if the right person asked. let me know if you (she) wants to try it out.

[canotrouge]

Get in contact with Andy, the owner of composite creation, he might know of a used one for sale!!
Cheers
David

[Mikey B]

I am presently mocking up the boat to make sure I like the lines...hope to have some pics this week. It is 7'-6"x 26 1/2". It's like a smaller Stinkeye with less aggressive chines. Looks promising so far...of course one would have to be willing to build it
Mikey B

[Creeker]

personally I think the Ion is a horrible kids canoe. its easy to see the ion's shortness as a match but its not even the first or second dimention I'm concerned with to put my 10 year old into a canoe. even if you did cut the gunnel off and fabricate a custom lower gunnel it would still be too wide....when we talk kid I'm thinking someone smaller than a woman that wears XS.

My daughter tried a splash and it was a perfect choice. To date Katelyn paddles a C1 Jackson 1.5 w/o a skirt and it works well maybe even better developing the anticipation to pull a stroke, cross or wait on stroke. Its cheap too

[chriscanoe]

Mikey, sell me a line drawing and i will build it.

[kmcinturff]

I have a seven year old son and he has an Esquif Taureau. To be fair, he is a really big seven year old, the tallest in the second grade. He does really well with the boat - it is not too deep like most other boats including my Prelude. It is also really light - he can actually carry it. He does great in the boat once he learned to paddle it straight. It took him a couple of trips to learn to paddle it without spinning - the boat really spins quick. He regularly does the Hiwassee, Tuckaseegee, upper hooch, Cartecay and other similay class 2 runs. I tried to find a splash but they were too much $ for my budget. Also i was concerned that a composite boat might not be the best choice for the southeast shallow rocky rivers that we frequent. You are welcome to come with us sometime and let her try it out.

Kevin

[chriscanoe]

Kevin, I heard he did the Ocoee the other day. I would love to get together with you and paddle. Did you get a used
Taureau? If so where did you find it?

[kmcinturff]

Yes - used. I got a really good deal on it. Can't remember if I found it on here, or on the GDI Facebook page, but I met the seller up in Tennessee to pick it up. I think it was 350 with airbags and it is in really good shape. The thigh hooks are not glued in yet, but I think he is now ready for me to glue them in.

He and I did the Olympic course at the Ocoee....at really low water, maybe 200 cfs or so as they were letting the water down. It was a blast.

Kevin