Adventure 14

I bought my Adventure 14 used in June, 2020, and have taken it out multiple times since (but not at all in '21).

I love it. It's a little on the heavy side for a single paddler but I noticed that I can't really control the boat too well in the 3rd seat solo... the best option is sitting on the very-not-comfortable middle seat which is killer on my back and knees. I probably have to work on balancing out the weight better but when you only have yourself and a few cameras and some water there's little you can do to balance out having 200+ in the back and almost nothing in the front.

Would I buy it again if I needed to? Absolutely. It's the perfect canoe for local waters. I do want a wood and a kevlar still to complete my long-term collection but this little thing is perfectly content being hauled around on my '13 Jetta or my partner's '07 Envoy.

It's only Tippy if you have your weight distribution wrong!

I had two entirely different experiences. In one, the situation was extremely stable and in the other I was afraid to move one inch. It took me a little while to figure out what the difference was.

In the first instance I sat in the back at 235 lb with my niece in the front at about a hundred 190 lb this was very stable. The next outing I was with my husband, I sat in the back again at 235 lb and my husband said in the front at 325 lb and this was totally frightening we were both afraid to move it was so Tippy.

Apparently it's extremely important that the heavier person sit in the back. Otherwise, if the heavier person is in the front, that pushes the front of the boat down and causes the back of the boat to ride higher, making the back of the boat essentially hydroplane across the water and be very unstable because there's almost no boat in the water.

Ps. I have sat solo in the back of the boat, which some people have said it was a problem for them, and had no problems even when boat wakes toss me a little bit. I can't explain their experience.

I was looking for a canoe I could take the wife and two kids (2yrs, 5yrs), and the added stability, storage space/seating of the Saranac outweighed the better tracking and speed that the Adventure offers. The Adventure is made out of a hard plastic material vs fiberglass with the Saranac, so I would say the Mad River is more durable. But my Saranac has held up to quite the beating.

With that said it is a little "tippy" it is easy to get close to tipping but it is still hard to roll completely over if you are alert/sober. In fact there was a stretch of a few miles that I stood up and paddled for about a half hour. We encountered a barge and when many got off the river we decided to take on the 4' waves head on and this thing conquered them it was a blast. So I think it is very stable.

The seats are awesome and after a 340mi float my rear end was pain free with a the help of a stadium cushion. This thing is a little heavy and not easy for two of us to load. It also holds a lot of weight, we had 3 guys and gear and it handled well. It is a plow in the water and for the race it was a huge handicap but is great for recreation. I think there is like 6 cup holders for a tandem? Seems excessive. Also didn't get a chance to use the rod holders but they don't seem deep enough.

It seems pretty well made. Some people say it bends in the middle, the only time it would bend is when it was straped/racheted on top of the car unsupported, but it would pop back to normal. Overall I would buy again but now I'm looking for a one person kayak.

This canoe with the back rests is a joy for fishing and just cruising along.
Some other guy rates it low because it won't do level 3 rapids? U serious? It's not that kind of a boat! Class 3 are considered "Moderately difficult". I'm not taking a canoe like this on those....go buy a canoe made for that.

As for the guy who says his is "bowing" in the middle, how is it being stored? The manual specifically states "store it upside down on blocks or sawhorses." How is this guy storing his canoe? Sitting out bottom down on black asphalt in the hot sun all day long? I wonder, but I will sure let you know if mine does that. I follow instructions and store it like they said to store it. I read many reviews of this canoe like 5+ years old. Not one mentioned bowing. Will see.

I love it, I take my 3 sons fishing in it, (tippy, if 3 young boys have yet to tip us all out of this boat, how does one guy manage to do it?)

Its tan color allows us to fish on top of the fish without scaring them as much as my old bright aluminum boat. We could not get near the fish with that bright noisy thing! Wohoo! I smile every time I sit back against my back rest and prop my feet on the sides of the middle seat! AHHHHH! Talk about comfy, no more knees to my chest, prostate crushing, back rest lacking, hard flat-seated torment for me! I'm serious, I smile every time I get in this thing!

My brother came to visit (an avid boater, jet-skier, everything water kind of guy) took it out by himself, came back and stated "Man, you got a winner here, this canoe is just great!"

I rate it an 8 as it could use some better rod holders (if that is even what those holes in front of the seats are) and a built in cooler might be nice, no? Good job mad river, Me LIKE! (and I'm a really picky kind of guy)

Ok enough about that and now about the canoe. I love this boat. I have taken it out at least ten times since purchasing it and most times I take it out on my own. I was also concerned with how I was going to handle getting it up on my jeep by myself. After some research I purchased a single person canoe loader that mounts to your trailer hitch. It's two steel bars that look like a "t" when mounted. The vertical bar is height adjustable so that the top can be flush with the height of your roof. The horizontal bar swings 360 degrees that is the genius of this device. Forget the bungee strap that comes with it because it is not sturdy enough to hold your canoe in place if your on a slant or hill. Get yourself an extra ratchet strap or clip strap to hold one end of the canoe on the swivel bar. Lift one end of the canoe up and place it on the t bar (practice this at home a few times to get used to doing this step yourself) and use the strap to hold the end in place. The one I purchased has guide holes for this purpose. Once the end is secure to the t bar, walk to the other end of the canoe, lift up and walk/swing the canoe around and place on the top of your vehicle. Keep on mind that in this step you will need about 15 feet of clearance on the swinging side so plan ahead. Then go ahead and strap on the adventure 14 with whatever method works best for your vehicle. I highly recommend this process for loading and unloading and it reduces the stress of wondering if your be able to get the canoe on and off your vehicle when you don't have a second set of hands around.

I have so modified the canoe slightly by adding two flush mount rod holders in the stern. About 15 bucks each at dicks and well worth it. It took about an hour to install both but it looks great and keeps your rods behind you and out of the way when not in use. The integrated rod holders work fine but they will be in your way which is why I went ahead and installed the flush mounts. I also installed a small plastic cleat on the inside of the gunwale for the small anchor I purchased. If you are using an anchor, there are not many options to tie onto which is why I installed the cleat. I'll warn potential buyers that this canoe (like most) will swing around even in a slight breeze especially when you have found the perfect fishing spot :-) so buy a small anchor to hold your boat in place. It's made a world of difference for me.

Agree the seats are very comfortable and are a major selling point for this boat. Took a few others out for several hour trips with zero complaints and only praise for the comfort. Be sure to secure the straps before loading on your vehicle or they will flop around on top of your vehicle which to me was a major annoyance. Just stuff them in the seat back and you'll be all set.

Stability is great. I have stood up and fished several times. You do need to get your balance at first but one you realize that it's not going to tip you just get more confident as you go. I have really loaded this boat up!! My wife in the front and me in the back, two kids on the middle seat and even put my youngest on a small stadium seat on the floor in front of me. 5 people no tipping. This was a short ride (45 minutes) but we all had a blast and really had no issues with stability. I don't recommend that setup for long trips for obvious reasons. Next spring I plan to take my dog for his first ride. He's about 70 lbs and should help weigh down the front of the canoe.

Not much more to say about the Adventure 14. It's a great fishing canoe that fits the bill for a reasonably priced boat for fishing solo or with the family. You will be less hesitant to modify it than a boat that you spend 3 or 4 times more for so modify away!! Next year I also plan to install a small trolling motor for times when I feel lazy about paddling!!

Some people say it's "tippy" but I don't agree. Any canoe or kayak is "tippy" to some degree, but I've had a 50 lb dog and a 2 year old moving all about in this thing (my wife was also in the canoe) and it was a great platform to paddle and fish from. Of course, fishing with a dog and a 2 year old (not to mention a wife who's patience was growing slim) did not have the same appeal as just myself and another buddy...what can I say?

Anyhow...I paddle this on lakes and in rivers...rocky rivers...that's why I bought it...I go places where I know I'm going to scrape bottom at times and (not by choice) bounce of the odd rock or two. I wanted a canoe that could take a beating and still survive. I found this canoe to be easy to paddle solo or with another person.

The only reason I gave it a "9" is because of the weight, which is hard to hand solo. I made that tradeoff when I picked a canoe that could take a beating, so I'm NOT complaining.

All in all...this is a great canoe and it'll handle everything you can throw at it.

Just recently we went to Paddle at the point in Downtown Pittsburgh (Breaking a World Record) and saw a Mad River 14ft Adventure. I checked out all of the features and wanted it. I searched the area Sporting good stores and found one at Dicks Sporting Goods. I sold the Pelican and got the Mad River Adventure. Me and my wife have paddled it at several paddling events in all sorts of water conditions and LOVED IT.

We have been paddling in lakes and rivers and it is very Stable and Comfortable. You can do everything from chillin out Floating, Fishing, to Paddling hard and hitting some smaller rapids. We give this canoe a big thumbs up.
Good job Mad River keep making great canoes and kayaks.

I think I have have found a way to one-mandedly get that heavy canoe off and back on the top of my jeep. What it involves is ropes inside of fire hoses draped over your front and back windows and around our precious canoe, and one man (or woman) can hoist it up and onto the jeep's roof (or whatever your rooftop carrying vehicle may be!) I am used to a canoe that I can carry with one hand, like the light 16 ft. Grumman aluminum canoes they used to make. Or even Adirondack guide boats that you could carry around with a yoke, but this Adventure 14 is much too cumbersome to carry around with other than being towed on wheels.
I have come up with a system of lifting my A 14 in the rafters of my garage, above my jeep. I have outfitted my A14 with stainless steel Mauri lifting rings on the bow and stern, penetrating both the polypropylent skin and plastic heavy outer skin of the buoyancy blocks.

My Adventure 14 now rests above my jeep, waiting to be taken out soon in this beautiful fall weather, or awaiting spring, or ..... whatever.
I love this boat.

This is the first canoe I have owned and my 10 yr old son and I use it to fish and paddle lakes and rivers (class 2 rapids max.) and we love it. It is very stable, makes a great family canoe, plenty of room, and works great for over-nighters on the river. If you want more room, get the 16 ft. version.

This canoe is awesome. A little heavy, but my son and I can put it in the bed of my truck easily. The "responsiveness" of the canoe is amazing. It will turn on a dime. Very easy to maneuver. I Love This Canoe.

This is a great purchase for the price and for a family that wants a starter canoe.

Added a motor mount with salt treated 2x4 + 1/4" bolts with those really big washers so the plastic doesn’t warp and some of those locking nuts with the plastic inside. Small 2 stroke two horse power motor is pretty cool and it weighs about 20 lbs with gas. Also have a 30 Lb electric and that works very well too. Never fished in it but it has built in outriggers on the inside. Wish the design was more intuitive to allow storage under the middle seat. Also went out in a calm lake with 200 Lb man in the front, 200 Lbs man in the middle + deep cycle battery, and 190 Lb man in the back with one of those red Colman that hold 54 beers full of ice and beer. It was tippy but we didn’t fall out. I took out the foam in the front and the rear that is designed to keep the canoe afloat in an emergency so I can store more stuff.

This canoe is a good value when purchased on sale. Would not purchase for 600 dollars. All that being said I really like this Cadillac.

I found this canoe to be very tippy if you take it out by yourself. I noticed most of the other reviews don't say that, but I see just about all of them had others with them. I decided it must be tippy due to the fact I had no weight in the front. I believe with a sand bag or a person would reduce this problem a lot. I must admit I had thoughts of selling or returning it to the store after my first voyage, but after I thought about it I didn't want to give up on it.

I am going to purchase a set of canoe stabilizers so that I don't have to worry about taking an unwanted dip in the water. I believe with either the front occupied by weight or a person (or if I have side stabilizers) that I will like this canoe more. I just would not recommend taking out alone.

The 14' Adventurer is more affordable yet as versatile as all but the Bell, and much more comfortable to paddle. The seat and seat back are simply awesome. Tracking is exceptional. Stability with the elliptical cross section is absolutely superb.

Don't believe reviews saying this canoe is not stable - while canoeing down the Oconee River in South Georgia today my friend and I experienced 30 mile winds with gusts of ferocious intensity. We were able to keep the boat on track into the face of the wind without too much effort. Advancing in the face of the wind however did take tremendous effort. Were able to keep up enough speed to avoid being swept around or beached on sandbars. At the end of the day we were pretty well shot and attempted to put the canoe on the top of my explorer. The canoe is heavy but hoisting it up is quite doable even for 55 year olds. Did Ok until a burst of wind lifted the canoe off the explorer and on top of me. I was knocked into the river while the canoe bounced off the concrete ramp like a rubber ball. The Adventurer had a good scrape on the rudder but no splits or serious damage. I am worse for wear but am still alive to write this note. This is a tough little canoe.

Two more points about this canoe: I also took it out in a small pond with a skiddish lady friend. She was afraid to move because canoes seem unstable to her compared to the ski boat she is used to but it really paddled well and was quite stable. Finally this canoe is easy to paddle backwards in rivers when un-snagging fishing lines

Major pluses – Comfortable molded Seats, adjustable well positioned seat backs, middle seat for tackle box, soft carrying handles, canoe tracking (thanks to two longitudinal grooves on floor of boat), tying off an anchor from soft handle (center line of boat so no rocking), elliptical canoe cross section so hands don’t scrape on side while paddling, Stability (drove right through white caps, motorized boat wakes didn’t phase us). Part of reason boat is stable is that you sit in center of molded seats so two paddlers can’t shift weight suddenly side to side and rock boat. 14 foot boat fits in pickup with out too much weight overhang (boat does not bounce). "cabin" for front paddler is quite spacious.

Plus – cup holders – (too wide for coke bottle – need koozie or spacer) – rod holder – (not deep enough – need PVC extension ) . Can add tarp around boat lip to keep rain out.

Minus – It is difficult for front paddler to turn around and grab stuff behind him. Not to much of a problem in 14 footer because back paddler can hand it forward. With molded seats aimed forward and the stern rudder shape a solo paddler cannot sit in front seat turned backward to better distribute weight like you can with a canoe with cane seats and two pointy ends. Only choice for a single paddler is sit in back and put a weight on front seat. (Can use two gallon jugs filled with water which is fifteen pounds ). Needs a couple of holes drilled in molded seats pieces for tie downs. There are no thwarts to tie coolers and clothes down in case boat swamps. Forget an overnight campout with a lot of gear. Space is a premium. Canoe will never match three ply polyethelene for toughness – get over it.
Hard to clean out canoe because when it is turned upside down the lip holds water. There is a small drain plug over stern rudder so you can empty water slowly.

Overall the canoe is great. Bought this one at Dicks sporting goods for a friend. It was missing one of the plastic seat hinge pins. Mad River answered phone in person and sent replacement the same day.