Whitewater Canoes

Featured review by Deplorable

Now discontinued for some time, this was Dagger's original whitewater Royalex boat. If you are able to locate a used one, I would encourage you to purchase this fine piece of a legendary canoe maker's history and use it!

I've owned my Dagger Caper for over ten years now and couldn't be happier with it. I am not an expert paddler and have only used this boat on up to Class III+ whitewater. I frequently paddle this boat on mild whitewater and it is a joy. I paddle mainly on the Hiwassee River, Nantahala River, Little River, Citico Creek, and sections of the Tellico River. I also use this canoe in slack waters on local lakes and ponds. It has been used for overnight 20-mile trips on the Caney Fork River. Dagger Caper shown here exiting Devil's Shoals on the Hiwassee River The Caper was Joe Pulliam's first Royalex whiterwater canoe.

Read more: Dagger Caper T reviews (2)

Reviewed by Glenn Rose

When I first saw this boat I thought it was about as ugly as a playboat could be. It's asymmetrical, with the stern being blunt and blimp shaped — almost a square stern. The bow is less so, but still hardly the lines I've paddled for years, Probe 11s and Probe 12s. Paddling it was a completely different thing, though! This boat is faster than my Probes, surfs and ferries better, and just seems to glide across the current. It offers no surprises that the edgier boats do. The idea that it is only a beginner's boat is just not so. I was on the river, class II-III, with a Viper 11, Probe 12, and an Ocoee (11 ft.). They were not doing anything I couldn't do. This is a great boat. I can't wait to get it on some good water.

When I first saw this boat (the Esquif Raven) I thought it was the ugliest playboat I'd ever seen. It's asymmetrical, with the stern being blunt and blimp shaped - almost a square stern.  The bow is less so, but still hardly the lines I've paddled for years, Probe 11s and Probe 12s.  I wasn't expecting to enjoy paddling it. Paddling it was a completely different thing, though! This boat is faster than my Probes, surfs and ferries - forward and backward - better, and just seems to glide across the current.

Read more: Esquif Raven review (1)

Reviewed by Erich

It is faster than some others and with the soft chines very forgiving for beginning and intermediate paddlers. Larger than its younger cousin the Outrage, it is capable of self supported trips and is better than others for those big water runs like the Grand Canyon.

Background: In 1971, canoeist Jim Henry won the National Downriver Championships in a boat he built himself, and the Malecite and Mad River Canoes were born. A couple of decades later, Henry and fellow paddler Tom Foster designed the Outrage and a bigger cousin, the Outrage X as high performance solo playboats. Like most other canoes designed for rugged use, they were and are available in Royalex, a durable plastic made from a sandwich of vinyl, foam and ABS.When they were designed, they were smaller than most solo playboats at 12 feet and 13 feet in length.

Read more: Mad River Outrage X review (1)