Crossfire

I had my Crossfire for more than 20 YEARS and only recently reluctantly sold it as I am getting older and have osteoarthritis in my hip which has resulted in decreased mobility and challenges getting in and out of it. This boat was GREAT and I spent many many hours in it paddling both rivers and lakes. After 20 years the boat is still in fantastic condition and I have no doubt the next owner will enjoy it as much as I have.

I bought this old white water kayak last year through Craig's List and it was a very interesting purchase. I happen to see the boat on line and scored the boat for $275- including a Werner Carbon Fiber paddle and a neoprene spray skirt. I had a lot of fun with the boat last season paddling it on local rivers. When I first got the boat I thought that there was something wrong with it, as it would spin very easily, but this turns out to be a characteristic of all older long and narrow white water boats (11'-0" long and 24" wide) to varying degrees. This boat will exaggerate any imperfections in your paddling technique. The boat will reward you for correct technique while punishing you for poor technique by spinning. Needless to say, the boat taught me bullet proof technique and I am a better paddler for it. I gave the boat a 7 on here, because of the lack of comfort. The seat and backstrap offer little support and my feet were cramped in the low volume nose. I bought a new white water boat this Spring to replace this old soldier. I gave this boat to my son and we have paddled together on White Water this Spring on local rivers. He also had to learn bulletproof paddling technique on flat water. The Dagger Crossfire is quite a bit faster than the newer, shorter boats and is a champ getting into eddys and punching through waves. My son loves the performance, but hates the lack of comfort. On a recent river paddle, he was in the boat over 2 hours and his feet began going to sleep. We both love the boat's performance, but hated the boat's uncomfortable nature.

This is one of the best creek boats you can find! Initial and secondary stability are remarkable. It is the easiest boat to roll I have ever paddled. If you have a good hip snap you don't need a paddle or even your hands! Is super responsive and has a comfortable seat so you can paddle this thing all day long. Even it's flat water speed is good for those pesky sections of the river between the fun spots.

Highly highly recommend this boat for any one at any time on any river.

I've just been re-introduced to kayaking with my dagger... which I found for a steal at $150... The kayak is super stable and very fun. Only downside is its' desire to go where it wants...very hard at first to keep it going straight on larger rivers... and lakes.

This boat is so stable its almost impossible to flip, but if you do, the roll is so simple you will think the boat rolled itself. I learned my hand roll in this boat and could not believe how easy it was. If you are a beginner boater this is a great boat to start but after about 2 or 3 times down the river you will get bored with it.

I paddled a Crossfire for several years and really enjoyed it. I found the cockpit a bit cramped for my size. It has good hull speed up and down river and rolls more easily than any other kayak I have paddled. It is a great wave surfing boat and enders very well. For me the main drawback was its relatively low volume and somewhat edgy stern which made for unexpected flips on powerful eddy lines if I didn't keep my weight forward and dropped the upstream edge a little. This same trait made for some unintentional backenders when trying to jump over big holes at the bottom of drops (eg, "Sock-em-Dog"). I could almost always roll up in this boat on the first attempt, however, so it was a fair trade off. I do frequently miss the boat. (Maybe I shouldn't have sold it.)

When I started paddling more than a decade ago, Dagger's Crossfire was one of the coolest kayaks around. I still believe it is the best beginner boat available, but I'm old school enough to think newcomers don't need and shouldn't buy a tiny playboat at first, but instead a boat which allows real downriver skill development. When you start playing, you can surf the Crossfire if you have technique, and your enders will mock all the hotshots who can roll but otherwise whose playboats compensate for their lack of basic skills. I've kept mine around in addition to my playboats--it's a great boat with which to teach someone to paddle, a fast downriver boat, and anyone who mocks it ought to get off the river and start snowboarding.

I've been paddling for about a year now and started off in a dagger cross fire. I'm 5'6" 140 pounds and with a little out fitting I fit it great. This is the only boat I have owned but am getting ready to buy something more playful. I am not going to sell my cross fire! I can use it to put friends in on easy white water and they feel safe thanks to its stability. This is a great boat for begginers or big water paddlers. this boat is effortless to roll and can do enders with no problem. you can pick one of these up for around $300 in good condition which is good for the beggener on a budget. I highly reccomend it!

I have owned a Crossfire for two years. It was my first boat and I have enjoyed it. However, if you want to play and you have been kayaking for awhile, this probably isn't your boat. For beginners, I highly recommend it especially if you are a little timid about boating. It is fairly stable, rolls easy and has volume so you can do enders if you want. Overall, good boat just not for experiences user who really want to have a good time staying in a rapid.