Solo Whitewater

[Nofia]

Hi there
I'm looking to move from tripping into mostly solo whitewater paddling and need to change boats to suit. I am looking for a general purpose open boat though...not a specialist whitewater canoe such as an Outrage. What do you think of the Novacraft Supernova, Wenonah Argosy, MR Freedom Solo or other similar boats?

Thank you

[Scots_Charles_River]

I would suggest my boat, an Old Town Charles River. Big enough for tripping and solo tripping down WW. Spins easy solo and with just day kit. I have done some bigger volume grd 3, solo. Quite dry. I tracks well in winds and flatter sections.

Smaller boats spin easy in eddy lines etc but have chines which can predict performance.

Nick

[Adrian Cooper]

The Supernova and the Freedom Solo both get good feedback from owners. A couple of friends of mine have Solos and it handles well on whitewater; less so on open water if you want to keep a boat which will do both.

I picked a Legend for 'mostly solo whitewater' but I wanted to have the option of taking a tandem on occasion so went away from a dedicated solo boat.

[TheKrikkitWars]

There is a WW boat from Wenonah (the Recon) which has been released to bridge the gap between Traditional and Spec boats... the idea being that it's more capable in whitewater than a traditional boat, whilst retaining the tracking, glide and carrying capacity for extended trips involving significant flat-moving or open water. Depending on how white you like your water, it might be a good option.

Also the XL15 from Mohawk (available through Brookbank) has recieved some praise as a whitewater oriented do-it all boat; and at it's size is better set up with traditional seats rather than a saddle.

Finally the Esquif Pocket Canyon is considered to be amongst the best of the traditional type canoes for solo whitewater tripping, it is however (like all esquif boats) hard to get hold of in the uk.

[Adrian Cooper]

The Recon looks quite like the Outrage.

XL15 a good call. A friend has one of these and is well pleased with it. It is heavily rockered like a specialist boat.

[W5RAY]

The best IMHO solo/tandem whitewater/flat water/do anything including poling boat has to be the Esquif Prospecteur 15'11" with 4.5" rocker at both ends.
Stays dry, looks good, turns well and is very, very fast in red!
This boat will sail, paddle on lakes, isn't badly affected with wind, makes whitewater upto G3 a doddle (have paddled Bala Mills a subjective grade above 3) whether tandem or solo or with my 7.5 stone dog in it - it will make you look a better paddler and will look after you when the going gets tough!
Yup - I've got one - hard to get hold off but worth the effort and the money!

Ray

[Mark Steel]

Anyone tried the Gatz Racoon, looks like it could be a good river runner.

[TheKrikkitWars]

The Recon looks quite like the Outrage.

Not sure I'd agree there,





The outrage has an awful lot more rocker and that strange, unappealingly squared off profile.

[Adrian Cooper]

Well, I can see you're right but that picture doesn't look like my old Outrage as I remember it. Maybe mine was bent a bit. :-)

[TheKrikkitWars]

Well, I can see you're right but that picture doesn't look like my old Outrage as I remember it. Maybe mine was bent a bit. :-)

Curious, was it yours from new?
If there were multiple owners it's possible that someone had pulled the gunnels in the past, which can do all kinds of things. (That link is not really relevant to the thread, but is interesting, and might even be useful.)

[Adrian Cooper]

It might have had more to do with my memory. Yes, it had several owners before me and I guess a few since.

[TheKrikkitWars]

It might have had more to do with my memory. Yes, it had several owners before me and I guess a few since.

I paddled an Outrage down the teifi this weekend (thankyou Llandysul Paddlers), whilst it was rather heavily rockered, it didn't look anything like the one pictured... Odd. Fun boat though.

[Nofia]

Thank you all
I am looking at a Freedom Solo to paddle until an Esquif Prospecteur comes up. I saw two of these on top of a car at Morrisons and they do have a great hull shape. 15'11" is big for a solo boat though...I'm not sure I could manage it by myself.

[Green.media]

We have a few members of our club who paddle the esquire prospectors solo, tandem or one with his springer spaniel. They manage perfectly fine on Scottish rivers' dart loop walk ham and plenty of other rivers.

I would discourage the charles river having one my self that I'm trying to sell at the moment (if you are tempted drop me a PM) as they do not have enough rocker in my eyes you will find your self struggling if you have to make fast spins to dodge rocks. also they are Very wide and this makes off side strokes nearly impossible without shuffling across on your knees if kneeling.

Cheers
Rich

[Adrian Cooper]

esquire prospectors solo

Only bought for the articles, you realise.

[Scots_Charles_River]

We have a few members of our club who paddle the esquire prospectors solo, tandem or one with his springer spaniel. They manage perfectly fine on Scottish rivers' dart loop walk ham and plenty of other rivers.

I would discourage the charles river having one my self that I'm trying to sell at the moment (if you are tempted drop me a PM) as they do not have enough rocker in my eyes you will find your self struggling if you have to make fast spins to dodge rocks. also they are Very wide and this makes off side strokes nearly impossible without shuffling across on your knees if kneeling.

Cheers
Rich

Interesting, I find grade 3 fine. Although being 6ft I have the reach.

Nick

[Colin C]

I have paddled a Supernova and it was a lovely boat for solo whitewater and ok for flat water. It was a very poor boat for poleing, so as that had to be covered I tried a prospector 16 which was too big for what I wanted as I ended up mainly solo, I have now found the best all-round boat for me, that is a Dagger Reflection 15. This can be paddled tandem but is very good solo and is stable enough to pole. I have paddled it on G-4 and it handles well.You do need to choose your line as it can be a wet boat,so just not a point and shoot boat.It reacts well to being set, but can be paddled dynamically like a kayak, but likes being carved, It is good on the flat, so for me covers all the bases. I would suggest that is on your list to try.

Colin

[unknownpaddler]

what do we all think about the Ocoee bell? or mohawk viper 11?

[Sickboy]

what do we all think about the Ocoee bell? or mohawk viper 11?

Another step along the path, fantastic on the bumpy stuff and if you want to work the eddies and waves hard, they'll pay dividends, but their shorter length and lack of seating make long sections of flat water pretty grim.
Great fun though......