swift kevlar canoe
Some of the waves were actually breakers curling over top with a crashing sound. Kevlar canoes are significantly lighter and perform much better than aluminum, but at a higher price. In contrast the Tripper is a classically conventional design not surprising since it has been produced for well over 20 years. In today's world, you NEVER ignore a customer-initiated safety request that is genuine and demonstrable. I have the basic Boy Scout/Canoeing Merit Badge background - i.e. Bought my glass Kipawa and have never regretted it. Often the 5 year old granddaughter joins the dog and I. The last lake was another story; directly into a strong wind with at least 2 foot rollers and white caps. Nevertheless we had lots of freeboard and the boat was surprisingly quick. Colour Kevlar canoes are some of the most expensive canoes on the market because of the cost of the materials and time it takes to build them. Kevlar canoe reviews S it at the access point of any lake in canoe country on a summer afternoon and you'll watch a steady stream of Kevlar canoes being effortlessly unloaded and placed on the water. Material In previous years, prices have ranged from $1600 to $2400, depending on the model, construction and condition. Weight around 38 pounds. Weight is supposed to be in the mid 30s, and it feels like it, but I haven't weighed it. Guide Fusion 48 lbs. by Swift Canoe & Kayak 16' 8" Length 37" Width (in) 37-48 Weight (lb) $3,595 Base MSRP Read Dumoine Reviews (8) or Submit Your Review Dumoine Options Carbon Fusion 37 lb Carbon Composite MSRP $3,895 Expedition Kevlar 48 lb Kevlar/aramid Composite MSRP $3,595 Kevlar Fusion 40 lb Kevlar/aramid Composite MSRP $3,595 Dumoine Description Sale Price I have owned a Swift since 1997 and use it almost exclusively even though I also own a Gypsy and an Impulse. If you have landed here and are not seeing what you are looking for, please sign up for our mailing list and well notify you when boats are added to the clearance list. If youre reading this page, youve been intrigued by the possibilities of a Kevlar canoe. Construction quality: Pretty darned good; the kevlar and epoxy layup looks very well done and the trimwork (anodized gunwales, plastic "decks", thwarts & seats were all solidly and neatly applied. That was a great canoe for when the kids were young and we needed stability. Waiting until the end of the season will mean that people may be selling boats they didnt paddle that summer, or outfitters are clearing out stock. I also own a rather battered, nearly 20 year old Old Town Tripper that I have used in whitewater for years. is_redirect && ! They are some of the more expensive canoes on the market due to the materials and time it takes to make the boats. If there is a local canoe manufacturer, they will have tweaked their boats to the local waters. The fit & finish of this boat are generally good. 55 lbs. Swift Canoe Company wins this because of its use of a proprietary "thin coat" gel system which is thinner than most canoe makers' gel coats, while at the same time being so tough it won't crack while being stressed or bent up to 10 times more than a thick gel coat. Not what we expected for a high end canoe retailer. It handled to his liking, especially in the notoriously windy Brown's Tract Inlet, a stretch. If the canoe takes a hard impact, the epoxy will crack, exposing the woven cloth underneath. If you arent sure where to start, keep scrolling through this article. The Kipawa behaved almost like a solo boat, and I never doubted I could just point it towards my camp and go. For paddling solo whitewater, the Dumoine is a very pleasant boat to paddle. Ideal for paddlers that demand a high strength, lightweight boat for day paddling and touring. I paddle interior trips of several days duration, as well as day trips. Canoes with little rocker travel straight exceptionally well, but dont turn as readily. Kevlar is more expensive than fiberglass, but with the extra cost comes a reduction in weight and increase in performance. If you do a little river playing from time to time but spend a little more time on lakes than buy an expedition Kevlar Dumoine. Please call Swift Algonquin at 705-635-1167 if you have any questions. I believe that front rocker acts as a sort of brake, once you stop paddling. But I have always pulled through high and dry with my Kipawa. If you wish additional info on my Kipawa, please feel free to contact me at the address above. Love this boat and I am not a Swift rep. Or a Langford rep for that matter. Algonquin Outfitters - Outdoor Adventure Store, Skid plates, contour yoke, web seats, aluminum gunwales. We use epoxy resin, which is many times stronger than the polyester and vinylester resins used by our competitors. (An off-boat break and stretch probably would have helped.). The boat is a John Winters design asymmetrical Royalex with a high bow and low stern. This is Swift's most popular canoe laminate, with the highest strength-to-weight ratio. Gold Fusion 56 lbs. Carbon fiber canoes are a price tier up from Kevlar canoes and weigh less. It is too easy to blame the company if you kill yourself canoeing (or doing anything else). Using the Kipawa primarily to solo, I placed permanent kneeling pads forward of the gluteal thwart and find I can go for hours in this position in spite of my 63 years. If youve been canoe tripping for years, youve seen canoes evolve from wood canvas to aluminum, to fiberglass and eventually the Kevlar canoes that are so common today. I've taken three week long trips with it since. A 16-foot Royalex/plastic canoe weighs up to 85 lbs/38 kg compared to 45 lbs/20.4 kg for a 16-foot Kevlar canoe. Kevlar Fusion canoes are built with an outside layer of a clear marine-grade gel coat with polyester, S-glass and Kevlar cloth layers sandwiching a durable foam core and rib system. Prospector 15. Unique to Swift canoes is its Carbon Kevlar Trim (CKT), where gunwales and hull are fused together as a single piece, adding stiffness and structural . Kayaking the Mouth of the Columbia River's Tidal Influences, When Cities Meet The Water: Americas Top Urban Paddling Destinations, Paddling At Night - Tips and Safety Recommendations. The only comment I have is there is a little flex in the bottom of the boat, which I have been told is normal. I tried Kipawa models in Kevlar and in glass, along with its big brother the Quetico, seeing if I could persuade myself to buy. It was interesting to compare the performance of the two boats. Another potential issue is buying a Kevlar canoe that doesnt meet your needs, just because it looks like a good deal. We quartered into them and rode over them with no problem. It has the removable 3rd seat and the reinforced gunwales. Good combo. It's probably most at home on lakes, where it tracks smoothly and steadily. The paddling mechanics between the Kippawa and Mattawa are the same and are the same with as the Shearwater also. It settles down very nicely when loaded for tripping. Designed by New York's David Yost, the boat features a straight keel and very fine entry and exit lines. Comparing Kevlar and aluminum canoes is like comparing a sports car to a minivan. Two adult men with a weekend worth of gear only reduces the freeboard about an inch! The Composite Dumoine is one of the favorite boats of Swift staff members to paddle and to trip with. They can tolerate minor scrapes and bumps, but high-force collisions like running into a rock in current, or dropping the canoe, will likely do some damage. (The angled seats and asymmetric hull preclude using it backwards from the bow seat. The boat responded perfectly. Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association, The Great Canadian Kayak Challenge & Festival, Mad River Malecite Ultralite Canoe Review, Walton-Owned Firm Invests in Eddyline Kayaks. If youre on the fence about buying a Kevlar canoe, consider the following pieces of general canoe buying advice. Colour Con: Aluminum canoes are heavy, clunky, and quite difficult to find now that plastic canoes are widely available. Sale Price Join our newsletter for the latest updates and news! Upon returning from the trip I washed the hull down and waxed her; there were some pretty good scratches, but none seemed to have penetrated the gelcoat. Any canoe can go down whitewater if you have the skills. Industry Capacity ~ 850 lbs. 281 Highway 124 Features Handles beautifully as this video will show. The front webbed seat slides for optimum positioning depending on the load. Canoes can be as short as 12 feet or as long as 20. If you already know Kevlar is the way to go, scroll down to our Kevlar Canoe Buying Guide, as well as our picks of this years best canoes. Not retailers boat builders. Ultraviolet light from sun exposure can do serious damage to a canoes hull. Like Kevlar, they can be repaired fairly easily. Learned how to paddle in a Muskoka 16. I am very satisfied with the canoe throughout many trips since purchasing. This is the second spring whitewater season for my Royalex Swift Dumoine. By the way the Bell Magic and Merlin boats paddling mechanics are also the same as the other boats mentioned above. I'm very pleased with the Dumoine. paddler. Pro: Indestructible, unless wrapped around a mid-river rock. Kids Seat04733-G122Demo$7295$6795South RiverDetailsSwiftKeewaydin 1717'Carbon FusionBlack Carbon/Champagne(42 lbs) Carbon Kevlar Trim, Carbon Yoke & Thwarts, Skids10699-617Used$6795$5395AlgonquinDetailsSwiftKeewaydin 1717'Carbon FusionCarbon Innegra Textreme/Champagne(42 lbs.) Spots where the hull has browned may indicate some UVdamage. With lots of rocker, less of the canoe engages with the water, allowing it to pivot and turn easily. I have had the Kipawa for 2 years now and feel I can now comment on the boats performance. Condition ), I have spent time on my technique, always feathering the paddle and cutting far under the boat to minimize the need for hard J action (I have very long arms). In the end, I would buy another Swift canoe and I would recommend to my friends to shop at Swift Canoe and Kayak for a quality Canadian canoe - you can count on. A Swift Osprey for river paddling and day trips. The canoe should be upside down and resting on the gunwales. 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