I wish Wenonah would make a model of prism with less bow and stern height like the advantage for instance, because it really is a wonderful canoe otherwise, every thing else about it is just fine. Sign up. I've never once accidentally capsized my Prism in 20 years of real-world use. T-Formex is a stiff, durable material consisting of distinct layers. For any thing other than lakes and even then I would go with a DY (David Yost) that Northstar uses over a Wenona design. All the gear for 2 weeks in this boat? I've had mine for 5 years, I beat the hell out of it and it only has one small piece of duct tape on it. We support this high volume of visitors It paddles efficiently, portages easily, carries plenty of gear for extended trips, and grants a dry ride in rough waters. My one complaint has been a lack of stability. . Thanks, Rick. How durable is ultralight Kevlar? Composite canoes are finished with a gelcoat or a clearcoat to protect the resin and cloth. I've seen a few comments that the canoe is "tippy" and I have to disagree. Its a good material for building canoes that are easy to carry. It would not have been my first choice if other boats had still been available, but I wanted a brand new Royalex boat and the Wilderness was the best of what I was finding and I'm glad i pulled the trigger. Great boat. Wenonahs Flexcore canoes weave a core into the laminate, adding durability to the performance of a composite. 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. Kayaking the Mouth of the Columbia River's Tidal Influences, When Cities Meet The Water: Americas Top Urban Paddling Destinations, Paddling At Night - Tips and Safety Recommendations. I raised the back of the tractor seat about an inch to make it easier to kneel in, which helps the lower back. It does not require nearly the effort that it does to solo a tandem canoe. Also included in this category is the Backwater square-stern canoe. Or maybe the Polaris rigged for solo. ESCAPE PERFORMANCE 17`6 . They provide tons of initial stability for anglers, hunters or families paddling casually. This is my go to canoe for paddling solo, and I use it at least twice per week. If you plan to travel in rivers, consider models in the Expedition or Downriver categories. Sports and Leisure canoes would be called recreational canoes by other companies. 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. Blending efficiency, stability, capacity, and finesse, it's ideal for cruising with a light load, but also has the volume needed for medium-length trips.Canoe & Kayak Magazine said it well when they wrote, " The Prism is all about glide and speed. $5 and under ; $500 and over ; Selected Items . Aramid, the fiber used for aerospace, body armor and bulletproof vests, is amazingly light and strong. The cost of a Wenonah canoe varies by the model, materials and upgrade options chosen for it. They are some of the longest and highest-volume canoes Wenonah builds. It carries a large load or a small load fast enough for me to keep up with any tandem and that includes a Minnesota II. In our Ultra-light construction a structural-foam core and ribs are laminated into the hull and sides. The only reason I'd use anything else would be take my partner and/or our dog. But in the flatwater swamps and large shallow lakes and medium rivers I paddle it's great. I've fished in it extensively. It's an awesome canoe. There are also links to find the nearest dealer to buy Wenonah canoes. With the rowing rig and 80-100 pounds of gear I can usually smoke the tandem paddlers, averaging 3.5-4 mph, even with a quartering wind. Again, I'm only 160 pounds, so your body weight may be more of a factor when adding gear. I was with two other tandem canoes and was able to keep pace with them reasonably well. The Prism may be better for you if you want it for wildlife viewing and tootling around, carrying gear, etc., but if you want a fast and fun boat the Advantage is much better in my opinion. If I buy another solo, which is likely. Compare. The gunwales are stronger; its better to rest the canoes weight on them. It's not that Wenonah's quality is poor - my canoe has lasted 20 years without a single problem. Generally, longer boats with ultralight materials will be more expensive than shorter boats that are built with T-Formex or Flexcore. Portaging them is great. We've used it for more than 30 years to construct extremely light and tough canoes. and found the boat to be extremely steady and seaworthy. First off some background. Interestingly, initial stability actually seems to improve when I've got gear in the boat. I love the Wenonah company. Contact Our Canoe Specialists Today: Email Us (800) 223-6565 Buy Online The Advantage is a joy to paddle for exercise and rewards your . I agree with bowler 1. This boat is FAST! For a hit and switch paddler there is nothing better, beginner or expert. Most beginner paddlers will find a model in this category that matches their paddling style. Have had 17 other canoes so can look back on some experience. The blunt entry pushes water, and the fixed seat makes adjusting trim difficult. After a few measurements the seat placement was identified as the culprit. I'm so anal retentive about weight that I had mine made without the sealed air flotation tanks at the bow and stern, alleviating approx. Wanted a solo boat at a weight I could manhandle myself, in Royalex so as to take normal river abuse, and be comfortable in class II water. Models in this line include tandem canoes from 14 to 17 feet long like the Fisherman, Kingfisher or Boundary Waters, as well as the square-stern Backwater. I have the Flexcore version in Tuf-weave. visitors a day during peak season. I have a Voyager in ultra light kevlar. You can start looking for a used canoe right now from your computer or smartphone. Now though I really love this boat for the weight - it is so easy to carry and even though I am a retired woman of 61, I have no trouble getting it up on top of my high top camper van on my own. Wilderness has same bow and stern depth as prism and is two inches deeper mid-ships- So it presents slightly more freeboard to the wind albeit less overall length exposure (much greater width though). T-Formex outperforms single or triple-layer polyethylene plastics as it is stiffer and lighter. Show more Wenonah Ultra Light Kevlar Prism Solo Canoe. I am in my late 60's and the kneeling thing doesn't work for me any more except for brief periods. 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. Seats, footbraces, and all hardware is then riveted into these plates. I use a bending branches 240 cm wood paddle which is very light weight and has that small amount of give that is so nice about wood plus it's warmer in the winter to hold onto than aluminum or composite would be. The Wilderness is a great all-around solo hull. Owner and founder Mike Cichanowski first fell in love with making cedarstrip canoes, which grew into a small business. Both options have their merits, and accomplished paddlers sit or kneel on either side of thedebate. Many companies have their own takes on the Prospector model, but Wenonahs particularly sharp entry lines lend the canoe better glide. Forgot your password? Choose one of these if you need the high storage capacity that comes with deep wells. Wenonah Canoe Canak 16' Canak (Retired) With a hull shape similar to that of our most popular solo canoe the Prism, the Wenonah Canak is great for solo lake camping when the capacity and portability of a canoe is needed, and the touring ability of a kayak is desired. Heeling over will allow a quicker turn though. Combination of both? After discovering the ideal design, the next step is to choose which material you want for your canoe. I like the Advantage a lot. I personally own a Wilderness in Rx and a Northwind solo in starlite, The two boats have similar specks but are completely different in the water. The solo canoe Wenonah Prism in ultralight Kevlar weighs just 34-lb. This may not be a concern to most people, but if youd like to kneel and paddle a Canoe heeled over, this isnt the boat for you. This boat rewards good technique and a bent shaft paddle. Wenonah assured me that it will still float. I loved it; so did the Ms. It doesn't take long in this type of paddling before you'll find yourself playing bumper pool off the banks or doing alot of back-paddling to keep the canoe pointed in the direction you want to go.". It may not display this or other websites correctly. Graphite transfers energy better than any of our other materials, which makes these the most crisp paddling canoes. Overall, it's a good flat water boat, especially if you like to hit and switch. Or whatever the current Northstar equivalant of the Merlin II is. You should probably not take her in any real whitewater, and she is stable enough seated, so why would you ever want to kneel? My experience is like AndySG's - I prefer a Wilderness to a Prism. I have been satisfied with the turning even without heeling over. Their high weight capacities accommodate the extra gear that usually accompanies these endeavors. The performance is so good that I doubt you will be disappointed. The bucket seats are lower than bench seats, bringing the paddlers center of gravity down. We sell their factory second quality canoes, factory demo's and previous year's overstock. Wenonah Canoe is the worlds largest maker of canoes using Aramid. The Merlin II was OK with little wind but with dog in bow and stern wind the boat was not easily controllable. Recently I've been using it with a 240cm carbon Werner kayak paddle, and it works well with that also. 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. 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. It is comfortable to paddle, fast enough, turns nicely when heeled, has plenty of capacity, and is a stable platform for all my activities on the water. Can't have everything which is why I keep trying out new canoes. They dont require much maintenance, and can withstand impacts and abrasions impressively. The aluminum gunwales are very well done - smooth, nicely rounded, and no screw heads sticking up. Stability, wind resistance, and tracking even seem to improve with the extra weight. I do have some gripes, but it's difficult to complain about a product that has performed so well for so long. 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. 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!) Some Wenonah canoes are among the lightest on the market, thanks to the use of ultralight materials. I would get a lighter layup but this was my first solo and I'm quite attatched to it. I decided to look for a boat that was light weight, strong and had good carrying capacity. Other than Factory Demo's, these are brand-new canoes. Renting canoes gives you a chance to take a trial run, helping you understand how some of the differences in specifications and design that you read about affect how the canoe behaves on the water. On the other hand I wanted a canoe without rocker and Bell doesn't make one. We've used it for more than 30 years to construct extremely light and tough canoes. The boat was light to portage. I'm sure a Prism would work too. Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association, The Great Canadian Kayak Challenge & Festival, Best Canoe Brands For Tripping, Whitewater, Fishing & More, Wenonah Canoe Review: Wee Lassie Solo Canoe, The Perfect DIY First Aid Kit For Paddlers. During my training sessions on Emigrant Lake nearby my home, on the Klamath River with somewhat faster water then I thought a novice should be paddling and on the Willamette River I found that the Prism quickly inspired confidence. I test paddled two Wenonahs last year, a Prism and an Encounter, and bought the Encounter in Kevlar flex-core. Handles well in all conditions. Most composite canoes have float tanks; sealed compartments in the bow and stern of the canoe to give it buoyancy. I bought one of the first Prism's about 1993. As for speed, my Etrex indicates that it does about 3 mph. Bigsilver could you take pictures of your two boats from the end at ground level? T-Formex or older Royalex canoes can withstand repeated impacts without much damage. All in all I have been very satisfied with this canoe. 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 boat will take them at any angle. Great stability, tracks extremely well, and handles waves very well. Read reviews for the Prism by Wenonah Canoe, Inc. as submitted by your fellow paddlers. Any scrapes or gouges penetrating the outer coloured layer and revealing the pale ABS plastic beneath should be refinished. At 47 lbs, its definitely a breeze to get up on the roof of the car and if I ever had to portage (not likely) I'm sure that it would be very simple as it seems very balanced. I customised the seat a little so I can kneel also. Now that all the remodeling is done, the boat is a pleasure to paddle. I have paddled the Prism for two years. Access is limited so I usually have the loch to myself. Its working. Don't get me wrong, the Wilderness glides, but on a 4-5 hour day trip it feels like a bit more work than perhaps it should. They have a range of composites available, varying in price, weight and durability. pblanc February 5, 2013, 1:07am #4. It's a great canoe, but it isn't for somebody who thinks it's an unneccessary hassel to switch sides every five or ten strokes. One great thing about Prospector canoes is that they all have symmetrical hulls. If I had only one canoe to choose from, weighing all factors, it would be my Prism. Well give an overview of the types of canoes available, as well as some tips for buying new and used models. Any high performance hull will tend to have quirks when things are not in trim. At 6'4" and 240 the boat as it came from the factory was definitely running bow down, so the seat and rear thwart went back 5 inches. Wenonah has more canoe models for backcountry tripping or paddling with more than two paddlers. A little more care is required if you want to keep your boat bottom looking good. Capacity - This canoe can handle a load very well. If you have trouble getting this canoe to turn try contacting Wennonah. I have not paddled a Prism, however the longer length would appear to make it track better, and possibly have more capacity. To further save weight, gelcoat is not typically applied to the whole canoe, giving these canoes a signature clear coated look. This is my own personal subjective opinion after 20 years of ownership and use of the Wenonah Prism. If you're on the fence about buying one, buy it. I have a Wilderness in Royalex and love it. Thanks, that is the type of input I am looking for. I recently acquired a Wenonah Prism in ultra-light Kevlar. They have a combination of primary and secondary stability, so the canoeist will feel reasonably comfortable no matter if the hull is flat or on edge. However, it is a lovely looking boat, it gets lots of comments, and the colour blends very well with the reeds around my local waterways. Also what about paddling options. Bucket seats restrict the paddler to sittingwhich may be the more comfortable option on longer trips. They are ideal for speed and distance paddling and for all people or conditions that demand the lightest gear. Unless you plan to really bang the canoe around, this shouldnt be an issue. The Prism is a great boat but it's limited to open water and larger rivers. Wilderness 15' 4" Solo Tripper Model + Weight Tuf. 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. Follow the "Live Social Media" Feed from This boat is designed to track extremely well, which means that it is definitely NOT suited for whitewater use as it cannot be turned quickly enough to be safe in a rock-strewn rapid, especially when loaded. It's a lean boat that tracks the best of those reviewed, yet will turn quickly enough, and returns to a stable position more readily than other fast canoes.". Specifications. Are there any quality differences between the Northstar and the Wenonah? The seat is placed too close to the center at the factory. I can tell you that I took some advice from every review below. 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. Wenonah Prism Solo Canoe at The Boundary Waters Catalog An all-purpose solo with a good blend of stability, efficiency and capacity. 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. Aluminum plates are strategically laminated into the hull. I had to work a bit harder to make her go straight, but I expected that. Although it can get overwhelming making the "right" choice when picking a canoe, I appreciate all your opinions and advice and finally bit the bullet on a Wilderness. (FYI the Prism and Keewaydin are two VERY different canoes). Or an old Merlin II. This is a new model for Wenonah. I plan to sell her only because I have a fear of commitment (or so they say) and just want to try out a different design. These canoes are maneuverable, being all less than 17 feet long. Help keep the flying moose flying and I can deal with the slight weight penalty. Especially if you use a kayak paddle you can scoot right along in a straight line without having to make any corrections. Composite material is an all-encompassing term describing canoes made with woven fabrics and resins. It is qiute stable but with considerable tumblehome I dont lean it too far over. If you're looking for a smooth ride this is it. This boat is designed to be equipped with a small two-to-three-horsepower motor. If price is more important than weight, get an Old Town. I guess to summarize this boat I would say that she is a sweet boat that paddles very well light and loaded. But only, only, because of the wind problem I give it a 9 because I can't use it in places I would like to other wise. Composite materials are lighter than T-Formex, but cannot match its durability. Fast upstream. An advantage of these canoes is that more significant deformities will often pop back into shape, but they might be weak spots in the future. I'd give it a 10 except nothing in this world is perfect. Read the Wenonah Canoe Buying Advice below for an overview of their canoe materials. It adds a bit of weight, but also, with the extra durability, youll worry less about damaging the canoe when youre out paddling. Carl Yost DY's son designs for Ted Bell. Glide-Wenonah glides farther and smoother with each stroke-SR slows if not being paddled. This makes the canoe stronger than it would be with pure aramid, but also more expensive. Wish I'd bought this year's ago. Champlain 18' Tripper . Composite canoes can wear out faster than plastic ones. Maine-based Old Town is another storied American canoe builder. Along with it's inherent stabillity it has the ability handle waves without any problem, in fact waves are fun in this boat, you don't feel like you are about to go over at any time and in big power boat wakes that is very re-assuring. Their composite canoes are lighter, making them easier on portages. So far, my only concern is getting in and out of the canoe. It's ideal for paddlers desiring more stiffness in their composite canoe. I give it a 9 considering its a glass boat that weighs 50 lbs. Some models have the option to have the hull gelcoated for extra resilience. Inspiring paddlesports participation through quality coverage of the people, places, adventures, boats and gear, trends and events that make paddling something you'll do for the rest of your life. I wanted an easily transportable solo that would paddle efficiently on flat water and still accommodate occasional Class I-II, especially when burdened with a large paddler like myself (6'2" 260lbs). A Wenonah canoe is a significant investment, but youre purchasing a high-quality craft.