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Name: ludakneon
Most Recent Reviews
The description tells you what is needed to know about this canoe. Here are some of my experiences. My friend and I use this canoe to harvest wild rice. I'm 6' tall ~150#s and she is 5'4" tall 120#s. There is enough room for me to stand flat footed behind the rear seat and use a push pole. It's also stable enough (25+ years of experience standing in tiny boats) for me to sit on a mini ice-cube cooler set behind the rear seat (legs over the rear seat) or even right on the stern deck. When propelled in the normal tandem configuration both of our seating positions are comfortable. However, taller folk may have issues with bent legs and high knees. In addition, wider folks may not enjoy the amount of tumblehome.
One major thing to note is the tradeoff you make between maneuverability and tracking with a canoe that has zero rocker. Two experienced paddlers will be able to go down a medium paced winding river with enjoyment but it's still difficult to turn the bow.
There aren't many reviews about the mid "solo" seat being used for a third paddler. I took a float down river with a similar sized adult in the front and a twitchy 8 year old (100+ pounder) in the middle. The lack of rocker was very noticeable paired with their inexperience but we never flipped! Our straight away speed was unmatched. Coordinated stopping, reversing and sharp turning was still relatively easy.
Have yet to take it out solo but I can only imagine with the proper trim it will maneuver well down river from the stern and track beautifully when desired.
Aramid is light and easy to load for me alone.
The Solo Plus is in a category that is hard to compare with other canoes. So I give it a 5 out of 5 for the versatility category. However, it's more like a 3 out of 5 if you try and compare it to a similar design. Just needs a little rocker...