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My previous boat was a Mad River Fantasy, and in comparison to that, the Encore is very dry and way less tippy. Additionally, it is a bit slower.

I am happy with the Encore. I have also paddled Mohawk Shaman and Probe, and I think the boat compares well to those. It doesn't want to side surf the way a Shaman does, but it will do it if you make it do it. The Shaman sort of volunteers to turn sideways.

The boat has plenty of rocker and can complete eddy turns if you just lean it--a dufec or draw stroke is optional. It easily floats over waves that would swamp the Fantasy. It ferries. It back ferries. I won't say it tracks well, but if you lean it over to the paddle side, it is fairly easy to paddle in a straight line.

The Encore is a pretty decent boat. However, it came in a hideous pink color. I bought it at night. Under the sodium light it looked mango, and I was horrified to see its pinkness in the morning light. What was Dagger thinking with the color scheme?