Delta

I have owned two 12ft Daggar Delts for the past 15 years. Boats are still in great shape and we use them every summer. Very stable, easy to fish out of and paddle. Lots of room for camping equipment for one night trips. Would buy new ones but these are lasting way beyond what I expected.

The dagger is the smallest boat in my fleet and I have only two weeks in it but it has fast bacome a favorite. I know it is only 12 feet long and is shaped more like a piece of tupperware but it perfoms beyond all expectations.

The speed is far more than a boat of this length and width should be capable of. The stability is awsome and the tracking, even in the Gulf of Mexico, is straight and true. I really enjoy this boat a lot and can even stand in it. The large cockpit does allow a good deal of water in in heavy chop in 2-4 foot seas but with a skirt the problem is solved. Love this boat.

I won my Delta in the Canoe/Kayak magazine's national drawing celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the magazine. I orginally had won the Bayou but added some $ and bumped up to the Delta and I must say,it is a wonderful craft. My husband and I owned 2 Loons and a Swify. After several seasons w/ the Delta, I decided to sell my Loon and use the Delta predominatly. I haven't been sorry yet. I like the wide cockpit as we do river water that often times has muddy banks...the wide cockpit is just what is needed to aim your body into or out of on these banks. I see some in the club we paddle in w/ the sea kayaks and the even tighter white water cockpits,silently wishing that they had the wider cockpit when encountering these muddy,or rocky banks. I also like this cockpit as I like to prop my legs over the craft or drag my feet in the water if warm enough. I do want to rig the side of the Delta ,as the Loon, to hold the paddle or a fishing rod. And I do like the newer screw on lid,but the rubber lid is ok and I do add that it is water tight even after 3 or so years of use. I think it the perfect length for general paddling and very good for the clogged rivers of spring. I'd buy this craft if I didn't win it first. I've enjoyed it in all situations.

The Dagger Delta is a boat I'll never sell. I love paddling the thing, even on flat water. Regarding speed, it's fast when compared to other rec boats in its class. If you're comparing it to a touring boat, it is slow. I find that it has a nice glide at an easy pace. If you try to push it beyond its groove, resistance increases dramatically. I have no problem averaging 4 mph down slow rivers.

I have both a Dagger Delta and a Perception Sierra. The Sierra turns a little quicker, and tracks a little better, but the Delta is a little faster and wins a stability contest hands down. I used to own an Old Town Loon 138, which is as stable as my truck, and the Delta is a match for it.

However, I wanted a boat that could handle tight Class II rapids, and the Loon just doesn't like to turn. The Delta turns nicely, and also has a compliant bottom so that when you bump over a rock, it's very gentle. In fact, the Delta is the smoothest Class II ride I've ever had.

I should mention that I'm a 200-pound, very top-heavy paraplegic, and I modify all my boats by installing seats with very high backrests that reach up into my functional musculature (I'm paralyzed from the base of my sternum down). Since I have no trunk control, I have no stability of my own. I get it all from the boat. With the Dagger Delta, I feel confident and comfortable in Class II whitewater and have yet to tip it.

I also own an Ocean Kayak Yahoo for heavier whitewater, up to Class III. I use the Delta for rivers that have a lot of flat water to go with the rapids. The Yahoo in flat water is a chore. It's like pushing a bath tub and it doesn't track at all. I love the boat though, and will never sell it. It's 30 inches wide and usually refuses to tip even when I make a mistake in Class III.

I am selling the Perception Sierra because I do not feel safe in Class II whitewater with it, though I'm sure an able-bodied, normally proportioned person would.

In short, if you're looking for a remarkably stable boat with decent speed for its class, you can't go wrong with the Dagger Delta. As I said, I love paddling the thing.

Did I mention that it goes overland quite well, too? I use carbide-tipped cross country ski poles with racing half baskets to push myself in my kayaks over the land from good wheelchair ground to the water and vice versa. The Delta slides better than my other kayaks. Thank God for plastic.

IT is what it is...a short, wide, very stable, easy to get in and out of kayak that can carry a lot of weight. I'm a big guy too, about 245 lbs, and wanted a multipurpose kayak to do some mild white water and some rathe lengthy weekend paddle/camping trips. The Delta is somewhat slow, with average glide and tracking. My only real complaint is that there is no rudder for the Delta.

I purchased a Delta Expedition for general paddling and fishing. This is the perfect yak for this application. It is very stable, roomy in the cockpit and comfortable. The hatch is one of the most useful parts of the boat. It is dry and the lid works great. If there is a flaw with this yak, its the fact that you have to add some bungie to hold your paddle while you fish and rod holders. If Dagger put those on, I would rate this yak a 10. If you want to fish and paddle for exercise, this is the yak to do it in.

I bought a delta due to size considerations im 6' 6' 300lbsThe Delta is the only boat that is not a sit on top that I can fit into comfortably. The Delata is roomy and stable. I installed 2 fishing rod holders just aft of the seat fishing is very doible with a little practice. The boat avarages about 3.5 mph on flat water with no current without wearing yourself out. Tracking is ok but with a stiff cross wind the Delta can be a bear. I have had my delta in creeks and bays and rivers, a choppy 2 ft sea has been no problem and I have never flipped or had to struggle to remain cockpit side up. Overall the delta is a great value and very versatile kayak, suitable for the cretin to expert for fun on the water.

I am using a Dagger Delta which a friend bought over a year ago. He did not think it was fast enough. A previous reviewer mentioned that it is faster than you would think, and that is true. It also tracks better than you would think. While a rudder is a must on 15-footers, not much double-pumping is required with the Delta. The huge cockpit makes for ease of entry and exit and provides for ready access to your gear. I do miss the attaching eyelets on my sit-on-tops, but a dry butt in January is not a bad trade-off. The cockpit design makes for a dry ride except in large waves. The spray skirt deployment is pretty much a two-person job. The rear hatch is handy, as is the space behind the seat. The cup holder in this one must be for a Stanley mug. It won't keep a water bottle upright. I collect trash floating on San Diego Bay and have put some pretty large items under the deck forward. It is roomy. I have not found a really comfortable set-up for the seat. I am sure I'll get it. It is much harder on my rear than the Surf to Summit in my sit-on-tops.

I received a Delta as a birthday gift 2 weeks ago. It is a nice alternative to my 20 year old Grumman 13' canoe. I took it to a local beach for a roll over test and was impressed how far you had to go to get it to flip. I took it duck hunting twice so far and after some logistical problems I really liked it. Where does one store a dozen decoys in a12 foot kayak? Why on top of course. There is plenty of room to store extra stuff including an extra paddle. The boat is very stable. I do get wetter than when canoeing, probably because I know little about paddling technique. I bought a 7.5 foot Otter kayak paddle that completes the rig. The screws for the Harmony paddle clips are a bit long and I have to reinstall them after trimming them a bit. They damaged my waders. The clips are a great addition. When decoys, coffee, cigar (or ocassionally your gun) is in hand the paddle is easily stored out of the way yet right there when you need it.

That is another thing, there is plenty of room for cold weather paddlers. We wear a lot of stuff when waterfowling and one's butt is appreciably larger than the summer butt. I'll see how the Delta acts with ice later this Fall 2000. Early December in upstate New York is always a good test for you and your boat. My only beef with the boat is with the seat, The single friction strap tends to loosen up as I paddle. I now stick a block of semi hard foam between the seat and the cowling of the boat. That helps me reach the posture I like.

I have the Delta with the camo color molded in and I have to say it is stealthy. The birds do not see you it must be due to the low freeboard and given the molded color. Over all I like the Delta alot. I think this is a fun addition to my fleet of two canoes. My wife likes paddling as well I gues I'll be buying a red one in the spring.

I have a Dagger Delta Expedition. I was a dyed in the wool canoeist, but I was having a hard time finding paddling partners who could meet my eratic schedule. So in looking for a boat I could paddle on my own. I was looking for something that would take someone of my size which is considerable (300lbs). There were plenty of boats available since I mostly daytrip and don't have any need for gear beyond a waterbottle. I tried a few incluiding a Perception Carolina, and my favorite and the one I purchased was the Delta.

It is easy to get in and out of, really stable, while heavy for a boat of its size it is easy to cartop singlehanded. It is rock solid stable, my first test of any boat I own is to flip it, so I know where the point of no return is... this one took a LOT to flip. I haven't tried it in much over a 8" chop as I haven't gotten a spray skirt for it yet. (If the water is that big I take a canoe.)

I like the Delta, it is stable, has a HUGE hatch, a lot of room up front (my beagle now sleeps under the deck while I paddle). So larger people who want to try a boat and are wondering about which one to try...this is an excellent choice. It doesn't track spectacularly, or even very well but it is highly manuverable.

This is a great all around boat. It tracks very well on lakes, and has more speed than you would think. The Delta will also hold its own in moderate whitewater. The oversized cockpit is great for fishing trips, overnight camping trips, or just making a quick exit to take a swim. My only complaint is that the Delta is a little on the heavy side for this size boat. If you can only have one boat, and your tastes run from calm lakes to class II whitewater; the Delta is the kayak for you.