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Name: groovymanatee

Most Recent Reviews

Placids Flashfire is the old Bell Flashfire with a beautiful light layup and all the great paddling characteristics of this David Yost design. I am not a freestyle jockey but for my size (5'6",165lbs) this boat makes a great day paddler for twisty creeks and rivers. I mostly kneel but the boat is plenty stable for sitting with the standard footbraces. The boat is marginally slower than my Hemlock Kestrel but turns on a dime. Tracks fine for me with traditional J. Great small American company to work with.

This is a great solo canoe. It is not a high capacity tripper, but for a smaller paddler and moderate gear this boat will make time. It is mildly rockered so tracking is excellent, yet it turns with a bit of edging. Secondary and primary stability is very good despite its rather narrow waterline width. The boat lends itself to traditional kneeling strokes or with the footbrace sitting is comfortable and hit and switch works well. It is quite wind resistant and is not trim sensitive. Workmanship by Dave Curtis is the best in the industry. The layup is flawless, light and strong. Having owned solos from Bell, Mad River and Swift this is truly the best. Dave will work with you on shipping and the quality product is worth the wait.

Great tandem for a light load. My kids who are seasoned bow paddlers love the differential rocker which affords them lots of control and creative strokes. Fast, great secondary edge and pretty in black gold.

My wifes kayak. Formerly mine but she stole it in a brazen fashion. Beautifully made and flawless as are all Seawards. Performance is good with fair speed, nice carving ability due to multi chine. Similar to Elaho by Necky in many respects. We have had our's for 3 years and it is not babied. It gets wet in the salt at least once a week and has graced seas of up to 5 feet.

Love this boat and I am not a Swift rep. Or a Langford rep for that matter. I have owned tandems by Mad River, Bell, Novacraft and Bluewater. This is truly one of my favorites. It is efficient, has very high secondary stability and carries a good load. I paddle mine with my children who are excellent bow paddlers and they love the nimbleness of this boat. It does not have a flattened bottom like the Langfords or my Wenonah Spirit, but has a nicely rounded arch with considerable flare throughout. You can tuck into the corner and paddle Canadian style but my Mattawa was better for solo at shorter length. This is not a beginner’s boat as the initial stability is low but it is a blast to paddle and develop good skills.