Magic

I've had the black version since 2005. I took out the seat and installed an old LL Bean canvas one with a backrest and lowered it to almost touching the bottom of the boat. The lower center of gravity and backrest makes it feel like a comfortable kayak but with the added benefit of being able to put your legs and wherever you want, while retaining all the advantages of a canoe. Most of the time I use a double-blade kayak paddle and it's very quick, and when exploring around lake edges, inlets and islands, I use just one of the kayak blades, or I'll switch to a feather light canoe paddle. Best of both worlds!

I recently purchased my Bell Magic which was set up as a kneeler which I'm not so I changed the seat setting height as well as the seat itself from a cane to a web seat. I gave it a good long paddle today and was happy with the performance as well as the stability. Coming from sea kayaking I used both a double bladed paddle as well as a bent shaft and prefer the double for speed when heading upwind. I plan on installing a foot brace soon which will aid in greater power strokes. I do miss however not having a back rest that sea kayaks posess which allows one to employ the legs more in one's paddle stroke. When using the double bladed paddle I felt it compared close to the same speed I'm a custom to when kayaking my 17 foot sea kayaks. I'm looking forward to this year's paddling season which should be Magical!

Great canoe, couldn't recommend it more. very fast, great in the wind, light, (I had the black gold composite and its well worth the extra cost) handles well and looks great. Workmanship is excellent and track like a dream

I have used my Bell Magic for over 7 years. It has become my favorite canoe of the 24 canoes I own, including the Yellowstone Solo by Bell. I have found that the Kevlar Magic is not only light weight at 34 lbs. but it is fast, stable (in secondary stability), predictable in waves and rough waters, turns nicely on it's chine, and does quite well on extended wilderness trips. Mine is the "Black Gold" model with wood trim and a cane seat. I usually kneel on a nice canoe pad while using a 54" bent shaft paddle. For open water I bring a Werner Camano kayak paddle and of course a straight shaft paddle works well when I canoe with my dog as a passenger (for fast and predictable correction strokes and braces) or when I want to just "play" with this canoe.

I purchased a used Magic, and left the next day on a trip in the BWCA. I did the trip with about 275-280 lbs between paddler and gear. My trip included no large lakes, so despite dealing with winds in excess of 20 mph, I didn't have to deal with any large waves. The boat tracks excellently which allowed for good speed and an ability to move upwind without constant correction. I also like that you can paddle with a slight correction stroke while maintaining decent speed.

One of the bigger surprises for me was the maneuverability of the canoe. A slight lean allows a quick turn not enough for whitewater (not enough freeboard anyway), but much better than a Wenonah Voyager or GRB Classic XL.

Overall, a great, solo flatwater touring canoe.

I put in a review after owning a Magic for 6 months in 2003. It was a short great review. After using my Magic for over 8 years, it is still a wonderful canoe and I have no reason to replace, well maybe with another Magic? It tracks straight as an arrow, handles wind and current well, and is stable.

I have a QCC 600 that I also like. When I paddle my Magic with my kayak group they are shocked when I out pace them every time. They are surprised when I take the canoe out of the water using one hand! I am 64.

I read the enthusiastically positive reviews and with equal enthusiasm join the crowd. On my Kevlar Magic maiden excursions on the Connecticut River and on Lake Champlain, it handled beautifully, was very stable, tracked like a compass needle, and is so light I carried it to and from the water on one shoulder--and I'm a 72 year-old non-athletic retired desk worker. That it scratches easily is a trivial price to pay for such a great canoe.

Following are my initial impressions from my maiden voyage in my new-to-me kevlight Magic. I was very impressed with how easily it glides across the water and it tracks even better than I expected. Pleasantly surprised by more than adequate stability, even in an unloaded boat. It is very light and easy to car-top. I did a lot of pre-purchase research, paddled several candidate solos, and am very happy with my selection of this canoe. Kudos to Dave Yost and Bell for designing and manufacturing an elegant craft.

I borrowed a Magic for a 200+ mile solo trip across the Boundary Waters. This boat is incredibly fast! I paddled with a kayak paddle and was able to paddle up to 45 miles in a day. It also handles Lake Superior's big waves wonderfully.

I have had a kevlar crystal Magic for about 4 years now. I love this boat. It does exactly what my dealer said it would do. Don't think for a second I believe this is the only solo there is, because I have several other boats. All of which has it's own purpose. I can do 20 miles of flatwater in a day with this boat. I exercise, trip, and fly fish from this boat. It does not require a bent shaft paddle or a double blade to preform. By the way: I am over 50, 165 lbs, and of average build. There is no such thing as a boat that is perfect for everything, but in the hands of a paddler with a moderate level of experience this boat can seem a little magical.

I own a Bell Magic in black gold. As I'd never done any solo canoeing (at least not with a dedicated solo canoe) before I bought the Magic, I found it hard to manage with a straight paddle - or even a bent paddle. I started using an eight foot double bit paddle and found it to be the best way to propell the Magic. With the double bit paddle, the Magic moves like a dream. There is very little effort to paddling this way. As somewhat of a traditionalist, I found this hard to take at first, but it just works too well to ignore.

I’ve been paddling my Bell Magic, in WhiteGold with wood gunwales, now for about four months. My longest trip to date was a 55 miler called the Hugh Heward Challenge, completed in about twelve and a half hours. Mainly I use the Magic for paddling in nearby small lakes and do take it to Lake Michigan and Lake Superior for coastal canoeing. I purchased her from Carl and Jon’s in Madison, Wisconsin and was very happy with the sales and service received from them. The Magic is a solo canoe but I rarely paddle solo. My Belgian Malinois dog is my paddling partner on almost all my trips. She weighs just less than sixty pounds and rides in the bow. On day paddles without gear, I offset her weight with a 10L MSR Dromedary bag filled with water in the stern. If she gets nervous or lonesome she will crawl under the forward thwart and rest her head on my leg. I kneel in the canoe and have built a kneeling thwart out of walnut. The thwart is placed as high on the gunwale as I could get it to accommodate my size 12 feet-and I feel that the stability is fine with this setup.

My first multi-day trip with the Magic was a recent run to Killarney Provincial Park where we spent four nights out. I had plenty of room for gear and dog and we could have easily accommodated more food for a longer trip. I’m sure I could handle a ten day trip with the Magic no problem.

I have found the Magic very stable with light chop and small waves. I have yet to get into anything big. However, I have had the Magic out in very strong winds and found my control and ability to make forward progress very reasonable. The dog shifting around can be a little concerning at times and I do try to keep her in once place. Once while paddling with two dogs I had a near capsize. Both dogs shifted in the same direction at the same time while I was not paying attention and the near gunwale went down to the water level-below the water level actually. Water was pouring in and the dogs abandoned ship. I was kneeling and was able to flick the boat back up. I paddled to shore with a about 3-4” of water in the boat. The Magic gives you a good chance to save yourself even if the gunwale is on the water. However, if you let too much water pour in over the side it will sink fast and wallow just at water level or an 1” below the surface. I had not intended to test its flooded floatability but did on a recent overnight trip in Lake Michigan. Luckily I sunk her near shore-while exiting.

I use a bent shaft carbon fiber paddle and hit and switch. Prior to the Magic, I paddled “Canadian style” in a tandem canoe. While I like the style and grace of paddling Canadian style I do prefer the hit and switch. I feel that my speed in the Magic is adequate for what I need to do. Really, I could not be happier with this canoe. Prior to buying the Magic I had test paddled a Swift Shearwater which turned out to be my second choice boat. Perhaps someday I will own a Shearwater or Osprey as well. But, I think the Magic is a great all around canoe for solo day and multi-day trips.

Last Saturday I got in touch with Mikey "The Beard" at the Duluth Pack Store to arrange for a paddle in a Bell Magic. We set up Monday morning as a paddle date. I showed up at the store about 9:00 AM Monday, only to find Mikey had no way to get the canoe to water. I'd driven Wing's little Ford into town, and Mikey commutes to work on a bicycle. We made a date for today, (Tuesday) at the same time. This morning, when I awoke, rain was coming down steady. I checked on the Internet for weather and the weatherman said partly sunny by noon. I called Mikey and made a date for 1:00 AM.

At 1:00 AM I rolled in with the pickup and trailer. We picked up the Bell Magic and a Bell Merlin II for a test paddle. As we were strapping the canoes down, I thought, "We're not doing this right." We had one strap over both canoes on the end of the trailer, and two straps, one over each canoe, at the front of the trailer. It should have been exactly opposite. "Oh well," I thought, "We're not that far from water."

Instead of going two blocks to the waterfront, however, Mikey directed me to the end of Park Point, over a mile away. The roadway was rough, and you guessed it - one of the canoes fell off. I've been hauling canoes around for decades and this is the first time I've ever lost a canoe. Fortunately, there wasn't a car behind us, and we were only going about 20 mph. The canoe, which is used by the staff at the canoe store - and is already scratched up every where a canoe could be scratched - showed little sign of its sudden parting from the trailer.

We threw the canoe back on the trailer, rearranged our straps, and continued on our way. I've been hearing good things about the Magic ever since I started thinking about a solo canoe, three or four years ago. The only negative I'd heard was it had some initial stability problems commensurate with its slim design. Everyone advised me it was tender, but that you soon got used to it. Having had a lot of initial stability problems with the We-no-nah Minnesota II, I was not about to pay a lot of money for a canoe I didn't like the feel of. That's why I wanted to try out the Merlin as well.

We put the canoe in the water and put a 40 pound tent in the bow for stability. I asked Mikey to let me get in the canoe by myself. I stepped in and crabbed up to the seat, turned and sat myself down. Hmmm - no stability problem there. I reversed and paddled down along the shoreline. There was a fair chop going, and I decided I should be going against the wind - rather than with it. I turned around. No problem. I went up wind - into the waves. Canoe handled fine. I layed in the trough - just to see how the canoe would handle. I tried ommering - just for the heck of it. Going down wind, I tried quartering, and decided there was no need for it. The Magic went so fast with the wind; there was no point in quartering. I was at shore before I could have made the necessary adjustment. I tried exiting the canoe - without help, and had no problem at all. I kept my feet dry, and did no damage to the canoe.

Superb design that does an excellent job of balancing solid tracking, good initial stability, good maneuverability, and excellent secondary stability. It handles wind, waves, and chop more easily than the vast majority of the other boats I have paddled. Although not as fast as a Wenonah Advantage or Voyager, it accelerates quickly, is easy to hold at cruising speed, and is fast enough to satisfy the vast majority of paddlers. The gunwale width and overall width are narrow enough that the boat is very comfortable to paddle. If I could only have one solo canoe, the Magic would be one of my top choices.

I bought a sea kayak for my solo paddling because I hadn't seen a solo canoe I really liked. Not to slight my kayak...I love it...but I would have bought the Magic if I had seen her first. This boat has it all. She's beautifully made, half the weight of the kayak, tracks and handles like a dream, is FAST and comfortable. There isn't a criticism I would make...except that she is pricey. But you get what you pay for, and she costs no more than the kayak did.Okay, I can't take her off shore like I do with the kayak. But She's better to fish from and will handle a good chop and heavy wind with ease.

I own a Magic, BlackGold, with wood trim. First off, Bell canoes are hard to hide from your wife because they look too darn good not to notice! She said the fit and finish of my Magic made my Daggers look plain. So suffice it to say: this is a beautiful canoe with great lines.

The Magic looks like a really aggressive (tippy) design. But I have never paddled another solo canoe that offers this degree of user-friendliness. I use mine for tripping and lunch workout paddles. Hit-and-switch is a good method with the Magic. The seat drops are long for this reason. (But Bell offers shorter drops, or you can easily trim the stock drops yourself to kneel in the boat.) I found the low seat to offer the ability to stretch on water without losing the stability or control of kneeling.

The canoe hums along. The tracking is wonderful; it corrects effortlessly as well and because of this is a joy in funky, windy chop. The boat is dry in head on and quartering waves. It seems to read my mind when I'm concentrating on holding a line in strong winds and it stays the course. Following seas? No problem, shift the load and enjoy the ride. This canoe surfs boat wake and wind-driven waves with an amazing amount of nimbleness and control.

Face it: would you buy a 16 foot solo and expect it to turn like a fourteen footer? The Magic practically does. I have a 14'9" Dagger Sojourn that will not flat turn and struggles to hold its heel angle for leaned turns. Not only will the Magic flat turn, it does so with a week's worth of gear in the bilge. Heel it and it spins like a 16 foot canoe should not. This is pretty easy too given the exceptional secondary stability in the Magic's design.

Be fair -- if you're shopping short canoes, don't expect the Magic to feel like canoes that aren't in its class. But other comparable designs (e.g. Wenonah Advantage) can't touch the Magic's versatility. It is a great boat the beginner tripper as well as the initiated backcountry traveller can enjoy because it is stable, easy to control, and reassuring in all kinds of water.

Traded a kayak for this boat. I was tired of sitting in one position for hours, and since I don't have the neck of an owl, I could never look behind me. This boat is faster, more comfortable and glides better than the yak. Still has the rock and roll feel of the kayak, without the weight. Only complaint, is the rather sharp inside edge of gunnels.

I have a Bell Magic with the Black gold-Carbon/kevlar material and ash gunwales which is much stiffer than the Kevlar and easier to hold onto and more attactive with wood. I'ts a good fast boat. I don't like the plastic grommets at the bow and stern as these have popped out a few times but intend to replace them later. I also removed the Brand and model labels cause I like the cleaner, less comercial look of it, I hate buying an advertisment LOL. It turns pretty well I, though a lot better when leaned on the tumblehome. You don't need a bent paddle as I read iin these reviews, I often use a traditional or ottertail for canadian strokes or longer distances. I got the optional cantilever portage yoke which works well except it has to be stapped onto the seat or it falls out when loading and unloading, not a big problem but requires some forethought. The standard seat drop is too low for me and it has been difficult (about 3-4 months)trying to get the 2" one I ordered. They sent another 4" one the first time, and the right one is slow in coming. I have been kneeling without a seat in the meantime but that kills the hamstrings after being out all day for a few days. Also if you don't like seeing scratches don't get the Black gold with clear gel coat cause they really stand out. The Clear saves a few pounds so I don't mind but cosmetically it's going to look like hell after awhile if you use it much. Other than that its easy to paddle, stable, track and turns well and lends itself to solo techniques well.

I just spent 11 days in the Boundary Waters with a rented Magic, and was very pleased. To put my comments in perspective, this is the only flatwater solo boat I have paddled any distance. However, using a bent shaft paddle, I was able to keep up with my sons in a We-no-nah Champlain paddling up wind, though not down wind.

Most impressive, was the trim and workmanship in this boat. Before this trip, I would not have considered purchasing such a boat with aluminum gunnels. However this boat had the best aluminum gunnels I have seen on a boat. The pop rivets were concealed and the aluminum was nicely anodized in a light slate gray color.

The hull was Bell's Kev-Crystal, unpigmented. The fabric in this lay-up alternates black strands with natural colored kevlar strands. This provides a much more pleasing look than natural kevlar alone. From a distance it gives the boat a somewhat green color.

All that detracted from the experience were the rather ugly plastic end caps, and a seat which was hung to low (on this particular boat) for me to slide my feet under when kneeling.

This boat repesents the essence of efficient solo canoeing. no it won't turn on a dime but i've run some class II water fully loaded and stayed dry.it excels on lakes & ponds with mild chop.

I don't like it. I had one and traded it. I wanted to like this boat based on it's specs. In reality it does not like to turn, and I'm not impressed with the speed (it may be pretty fast if you whip it hard with a bent shaft, but it just takes much more muscle than it should). As the former owner said, this canoe likes a bent shaft paddle. In retrospect I concluded than any boat that demands a bent shaft paddle, just isn't a boat I'd want....a good boat should respond well to a straight shaft paddle; if it requires a bent shaft that means it's a slug.