Prism

First off some background. I’m not a Wenonah fanboy. So often, reviews are just written by groupies of a particular brand that will only view a product through rose colored glasses.

I have been paddling canoes just over 50 years, and currently own four canoes made by four different manufacturers The Prism is my only solo canoe out of the four

I own a Kevlar ultra lite layup. The canoe serves its purpose and is a fast boat

The pros are it’s light weight, and the narrow design make it a speedy boat. It has the ability to be paddled with a kayak paddle or a traditional canoe paddle.

I have seen others comment how easy it is to portage. I actually find my tandem canoes much easier to portage than the prism. Since the seat is in the midpoint of the canoe, it is rather difficult to hold over your head unless you purchase the optional carrying yolk system. Of course that adds a few pounds and it takes up space once you reach the end of your portage

I also disagree that this canoe is a good fishing platform, or used as a stand up option. The prism is a little shaky on primary stability. Especially if sitting still like you would be fishing. The secondary stability is quite good.

Another downside to this design is the tractor seat. (Of course since it’s a sliding seat with an adjustable foot brace, it is very handy for trimming the canoe for a different wind situations) It removes the option of kneeling while paddling. This may not be a concern to most people, but if you’d like to kneel and paddle a Canoe heeled over, this isn’t the boat for you.

I found the boat to track fairly well. Especially if you use a kayak paddle you can scoot right along in a straight line without having to make any corrections.

Typical of most ultralight canoes, maneuvering it can get difficult in the wind. As long as you’re running into or with the waves it performs very well.

This is my go to canoe for paddling solo, and I use it at least twice per week. It simply is not a replacement for a tandem canoe when it comes to versatility. It just does not have the volume to bring gear for a weeklong trip.

After paddling tandem for 18 years the past two years I have been focusing more on solo paddling after buying my first solo, Mad River Guide two years ago and completing a 7 day trip in the BWCA area. The Royalex boat was great and combined with ash Wales she was a real looker. However it never really tracked well and the primary stability was poor. Then I purchased a Wabash Valley C1 or what was an early version of it. This boat was fast, larger, but still lacked the boat ability for fishing and big water. Enter the Wenonah Prism. This boat feels like it was built for me. Great stability, tracks extremely well, and handles waves very well. I am very impressed with the boat and excited to get her on bigger water after paddling her on the St. Croix River today in 2-3 ft pleasure craft swells.

I purchased my Wenonah Prism (with Flex-Core Kevlar hull, gel coat, and aluminum trim all around) brand new in 1998. I will never sell it unless it's to replace it with another Prism with an ultralight Kevlar or carbon/graphite hull. I can honestly say that after 20+ years of ownership, it's been a perfect marriage. I do have some gripes, but it's difficult to complain about a product that has performed so well for so long. My review is not intended to be an objective scientific evaluation of data, efficiency equations, and other measurable values. This is my own personal subjective opinion after 20 years of ownership and use of the Wenonah Prism.

I really do love my Prism, and it's seen a lot of use over two decades. At times I'm a weekend warrior, and other times more than that. I've used it extensively in the backcountry of the Adirondacks - the Saranac Lake chain, the St. Regis Canoe region, the Raquette River, etc. and it has not failed me in any way. Ever. It weighs in at 44 pounds, and my only regret is that I didn't save a little longer as a 20-year-old and buy it with an ultralight hull to keep the weight down on the portages.

My favorite three qualities are:

1. Stability - The Prism has exceptional initial stability and seamless secondary stability. It is a highly effective hull design. I've never felt insecure in wind or waves even when loaded to the brim and on some relatively big water in the Adirondacks. I've also used it quite a bit on the Long Island Sound (during calmer days - I'd never take it into a four or five foot wind swell!) and it's handled the wakes of most of the boats that pass very well (gotta watch the massive wakes thrown by the car ferries though!) Interestingly, initial stability actually seems to improve when I've got gear in the boat. It carries weight very well. This is a very predictable hull design, which is a tremendous comfort when loaded up with gear and on open waters. I've fished in it extensively. I can stand in it and paddle with just a little balancing effort. The bow and stern flare perfectly to deflect waves, and the (12"?) center height with a good amount of tumble home makes for comfortable paddling.

Back at camp, I've played around with it plenty of times in my bathing suit, intentionally flipping it over, and I'll honestly tell you that it takes me a bit of intentional effort to capsize. I've never once accidentally capsized my Prism in 20 years of real-world use. This is in stark contrast to my new Swift Keewaydin 14, which I capsized in the first five minutes of ownership! (FYI the Prism and Keewaydin are two VERY different canoes). I was testing the limits of the Keewaydin, and it turned over a LOT quicker than I thought it would, and not nearly with the effort it takes to intentionally capsize my Prism. But more on that later... Granted I am only 160 pounds, but like I've said, stability seems to improve with weight in the boat. Predictable stability is my favorite feature of the Prism. Any canoe will seem tippy to a novice, but anyone even remotely familiar with performance canoes will appreciate the stability of the Prism.

1. Tracking - This canoe tracks a straight line. If you use a J-stroke, it's so easy to paddle for a mile and not have to switch sides with the paddle. I suppose it should track straight, being that it's 16'6" long and has no rocker, but it definitely does a good job doing what it was designed to do. As a result, maneuverability is the trade-off, but I haven't had any trouble turning. It's only when you compare it to a 14' hull with rocker that you realize what you're giving up in maneuverability, but of course a 14' hull with rocker will generally not track as straight. Doing a 180 in steady wind just takes a little more effort, but that's by fundamental design, so absolutely no complaints from me. I usually use a bent shaft paddle, and it works extremely well with that. Recently I've been using it with a 240cm carbon Werner kayak paddle, and it works well with that also. In retrospect, I probably would have gotten a 260cm Werner (Camano), but the 240 works well using a more horizontal stroke. A shorter paddle would work very well with a vertical stroke if you don't mind getting a little wet.

2. Capacity - This canoe can handle a load very well. I've never thought twice about loading up a week's worth of gear. I can handle that without a sweat. Again, I'm only 160 pounds, so your body weight may be more of a factor when adding gear. Stability, wind resistance, and tracking even seem to improve with the extra weight.

My only issue with this canoe is a feeling I get with Wenonah in general. I'm not a pro or a competitive paddler, but I use my gear. I use it hard, take care of it, and appreciate it. When I look at the new canoes being produced by companies like Swift, I can't help but wonder if Wenonah is stuck in 1978. I recently purchased a second canoe (one that would be more nimble and maneuverable in rivers), and looked hard at all of the Wenonah solo canoes, but ended up buying a Swift Keewaydin 14. The materials and attention to every minuscule detail with Swift is, in my humble opinion, simply better. I hate saying this. I love my Wenonah. I love the Wenonah company. But when it comes to things like rattling seats that seem kinda cheap, yokes getting bent and stuck on pins, footrests that seen kevlar-taped in place vs. being integrated into the hull construction, the Swift wins in every way. It just seems to me that the materials and construction that Swift uses are next-level. Don't take my word for it - go take a look for yourself. With Kevlar or cherry gunnels and thwarts - or both combined, Kevlar seats that are solid and secure including a genius multi-height seat pod system as an option that's built into the hull rather than looking like it's been taped to the hull with kevlar tape, quick-screw yokes that are solid and functional, ridiculously beautiful emerald, ruby, sapphire, or traditional clear kevlar hull options and multiple carbon hull options, it's hard not to look at Wenonah as old-school and Swift as state-of-the-art. It's not that Wenonah's quality is poor - my canoe has lasted 20 years without a single problem. I wanted to buy a new Wenonah but couldn't walk away from the Swift - and I actually felt bad about not buying another Wenonah as if I was buying coffee from a competitor rather than from my best friend's bakery.

If I won a million dollars, I'd ask Swift to build me a replica of the Wenonah Prism using their carbon construction techniques no matter how much it cost. I wish Wenonah would take a few steps forward. The Prism sold today is essentially the same exact canoe and materials as the one I bought 21 years ago. It's hard to argue with "if it ain't broke, don't fix it", but isn't that what Kodak said when digital cameras came out?

I hope this review helps you. I also hope that it reaches the folks at Wenonah, and I would be more than happy to bring both my Prism and new Keewaydin up their headquarters so I could show them what I'm talking about. I'd love to see Wenonah around for another 50 years at least!

All this being said, I think the Prism is the most well-rounded solo canoe that I've ever used when it comes to stability, capacity, tracking, and overall performance. I'd highly recommend it. It's an awesome canoe. After 20 years of use, I'd give it 2 thumbs up to anyone considering acquiring one. If I had only one canoe to choose from, weighing all factors, it would be my Prism. If you're on the fence about buying one, buy it. The performance is so good that I doubt you will be disappointed.

I have the Ultralight Graphite Version.
Pros: the boat glides perfectly in a straight line! load the front and you can punch through big waves, if you load the rear the boat picks up about half a kilometer in speed and is easier to turn. portaging the boat is a dream I was able to pack for a week and portage boat and equipment in one go with 30 plus portages! yes it can be done.
trimming this boat seems to be VERY IMPORTANT ! if the front is loaded and you have a tail wind the boat does not turn easily. The initial stability is very tippy "getting in and out" once you get the first stroke in you'll be flying.

I've had this boat for over a year now and have run multiple flat water trips and many day paddles in it. Overall, it's a good flat water boat, especially if you like to hit and switch. Having no rocker is a boon to me on the flat-water but if you are looking for a decent "all around" boat, this isn't it.

I have it in the tuff-weave layup and it is more than manageable to portage. It is holding up well to the numerous dings and scratches it has earned so far. I am not likely to part with it.

I recently acquired a Wenonah Prism in ultra-light Kevlar. It is 16' 6", and weighs just 34 Lbs!
I have always paddled from a kneel in my solos. This boat has the molded seat on rails. That takes away a bit of stability when sitting versus kneeling IMHO, but some stability is gained back by the addition of a footbrace.

This boat is FAST! I GPS'd a 3 mile paddle last night & I was maintaining 4.5 mph easily with a kayak paddle. My max speed was over 6 mph. I switched to a single blade ottertail paddle, and maintained a 4 mph average speed (though I was working harder)You'll have no trouble keeping up with your kayaking friends!

The boat takes waves nicely at an angle or head-on. Taking waves broadside makes it feel a bit skittish. It turns readily, which was a bit of a surprise considering the speed & great tracking.
It is 4" or so narrower at the gunnels than at it's widest, so you don't have to worry about clunking the rails.

The workmanship on the boat is very good, and I like the fact that I can move the seat to balance the canoe after adding a portage pack or a dog.

As an update to my earlier review, I finally did receive the portage yoke I had ordered when I purchased the boat, six months after I received the boat. The yoke is very lightweight (2.5 pounds), very cleverly designed, and works exactly as advertised. It is made by another manufacturer for Wenonah, which is why it was not shipped with the boat -- it was apparently out of stock at Wenonah and the other manufacturer was behind in fulfilling its orders. The yoke makes the boat extremely easy to carry, but NOTE: you must specify whether you have a floor-mounted seat or a hung seat, as the design of the yoke differs for each, and one will not work on the other!

I have paddled the Prism for two years. A little more expensive to buy it here than in Germany but it’s one of the best solo-canoes for longer trips I think. The workmanship is not high-performance but very good for an industrial crafted boat, especially in big waves (Rhine River). Build by heavy ships, the Prism is very safe. I sit and switch and I also paddle in classic style. In this process I change between straight shaft and bent shaft paddles. Last week I finished a trip for 100 miles in frosty weather conditions on "Main-River" close to Frankfurt. The canoe was very heavy loaded but no problem with it. I customised the seat a little so I can kneel also. All the gear for 2 weeks in this boat? It’s working. Greetings to all paddlers from Germany to US. Sorry about my poor English folks.

I have the Flexcore version in Tuf-weave. It could be a little lighter (mine seems to weigh a touch more than advertised, though my scale may not be entirely accurate), but I ended up paying $700 for a brand new canoe. I can deal with the slight weight penalty.

I took a four day solo trip this past spring. The total load I was carrying was about 340 pounds. That included a 70 pound Chesapeake. I was really happy with the way she handled the wind and waves when loaded, and when empty in the evening while fishing. I was real happy with the speed I was able to maintain. I generally use a bent shaft paddle with the sit-and-switch technique. I switch to a straight shaft when I am fishing (trolling) and paddle with a C-stroke then. Both techniques have their place.

I was most impressed with how she rode out waves. On the last morning of my trip there was a 15-20 mph wind that was kicking up waves that were about 1 foot (I don't believe reports of canoeing in 2-3 footers on small lakes, either dumb or not a good guess on wave height) with whitecaps. Things were a bit ticklish when the waves were directly on the beam, but quartering or heading directly into them was fine. I did slow down going into the waves just so that I wouldn't spear them, with unpleasant results.

In the wind it really helps to be properly trimmed. The sliding seat makes that quicker and easier than without. Any high performance hull will tend to have quirks when things are not in trim. I have had the boat out without cargo (just the dog and a small day pack) in about a 25 mile per hour wind (small bay w/o significant waves) and didn't have any problems with directional control. I had to work a bit harder to make her go straight, but I expected that.

I have been satisfied with the turning even without heeling over. You simply use a sweep stroke. Heeling over will allow a quicker turn though.

When I used her to paddle up a small windy river the Prism was clearly out of her element, even with a lot of heeling. The current just grabbed the bow and I couldn't make some curves w/o a few tries.

I guess to summarize this boat I would say that she is a sweet boat that paddles very well light and loaded. When I went on my solo trip I found that I did a lot more poking around off of my most direct route. The Prism paddles so easily that going off of my most direct path was not an issue.

The prism is incredibly stable in all the conditions that I have paddled. It has good speed and glide. However as a smaller paddler at 150lbs it does require more energy to keep it moving than other boats that Ive paddled. It also requires alot of leaning to make it turn upstream around hairpin turns. Im sure its an outstanding boat for larger paddlers.

My first boat was a SoloPlus and it's great for moderately twisty rivers. The Prism was a close second and I found a used one (44# kevlar composite) two years ago. Talk about a smooth operator! It'll take 3-4 strong strokes or 5-6 easy strokes in hit-and-switch mode, with a boat length or more for each stroke if I let it glide. It will also respond to a well executed C stroke when I want to stay on one side for a while. It's a great tripping boat and tracks even better when loaded. My favorite mode of travel is with a clamp-on rowing rig on big open water - about half the effort of paddling and easily keeping up with fast tandems.

I raised the back of the tractor seat about an inch to make it easier to kneel in, which helps the lower back. If you want to turn on a dime or do whitewater forget the Prism. But if you want a stable, predictable boat you can "cover ground" in and carry a week's or more worth of gear, laughing at the waves, give 'er a try.

Excellent all-around boat. Very fast and tracks well. Maneuverability is decent for a boat this long - not exceptionally quick, but smooth and predictable, and much better than I expected after reading other reviews. Sliding bucket seat is comfortable, and the spring clip that holds it in place can be adjusted quickly with one hand. The footbrace is solid, and, when combined with the bucket seat, keeps you from shifting around so that you get get maximum efficiency out of each stroke. The kneeling position is a bit different than with a bench seat - you have to straddle the seat mount and put your feet on the sides of the seat instead of under it. You can't drop into a kneel quickly, but once you are down, you have a very solid paddling position. The aluminum gunwales are very well done - smooth, nicely rounded, and no screw heads sticking up. Very good initial stability for a solo, and can be comfortably leaned if you want to do so to get faster turns. Great boat!

I bought one of the first Prism's about 1993. It is Tuf-Weave center rib construction with aluminum trim and foot brace. I give it a 9 considering its a glass boat that weighs 50 lbs. The other layups would be better I'm sure. Mine is the least expensive model. But in the flatwater swamps and large shallow lakes and medium rivers I paddle it's great. You can really put some miles behind you. I paddle it sit'n switch with a bent shaft but it's not bad with a J or C stroke either. It tracks very well but with an outside lean will carve a nice although not very sharp curve. Waves or wakes are not a problem. It is qiute stable but with considerable tumblehome I dont lean it too far over. Easy to stand up in. I would get a lighter layup but this was my first solo and I'm quite attatched to it. It's just a little heavy lifting it up to the rafters in my garage, or if you have to carry it very far.

Great boat! Very fast and paddles well with any style, J stroke, C stoke or hit and switch. Above all, it's quiet. Good design with no gurgle when it comes up to speed. I'm not real wild about the tractor seat, but it does slide to help adjust the trim. With no "rocker" the boat doesn't turn as quickly as other designs. It makes up for this minor fault by tracking straight and is very fast. This boat rewards good technique and a bent shaft paddle. I can usually get strokes to side before switching. It also has enough volume for a comfortable week tripping. I recommend this boat for any intermediate paddler and above who wants to go solo! I paddled this boat up the Thoroughfare River in N. Idaho (between Upper and Lower Priest Lake) last Memorial Day against a very strong current from the snowmelt. Loaded with 4 days of supplies, it made it when even tandem canoes were turning back and giving up!

I have owned several We-no-nah canoes and the Prizm (Kevlar std weight) is my third solo from them. I did a lot of research before choosing the Prizm and it paid off in a great boat. It is all We-no-nah states in their catalog. It's greatest charm is it's versatility... paddles well empty or loaded, great flatwater tripper, OK in mild whitewater and very fast! I really don't care much for the tractor seat design, will probably switch to cane seat with backrest.