Submitted: 04-07-2005 by WRK
I love this canoe -
**Comfort - This thing is shockingly comfortable to sit in, even long distances - The center seat leaves much to be desired, but when paddling in tandem, the seats are excellent - Surprising as they're plastic and not padded.
**Price - At just over $400.00 you come away with a canoe with a capacity of 900 lbs, yet relatively nimble enough to be used in a variety of situations.
**Stability - Overall the stability of this boat is impressive, it's a wee bit tippy/wobbly like any canoe, but it feels solid when paddling, even in rougher waters.
**Construction - Excellent choice with the material, however the center seat is a bit awkward in its design and doesn’t easily lend itself to adding a typical canoe seat for back support - This is really not a big issue, but worth noting (also, it should be noted that due to the material the boat is made of it would take little effort to add eyelets to secure a seat like you would on a kayak) - One issue with the construction I have is with the carrying handle, after a month of solid use, the bow handle broke - This is more of an annoyance than a complaint, but it did help keep me from giving the 16 a "ten"
**Weight - Eat your Wheaties...You'll get a workout moving this beast about, but it's no worse than any other canoe on the market and actually lighter than SEVERAL tandem kayaks - This is the second area that kept me from giving the MR16 a "ten" - Perhaps I'm being too picky, but my thought it that the easier a boat is to top/portage the more it'll get used...
**Agility - Let's not lose sight of the fact that it's a canoe, being the most nimble creation on water it ain’t, but it's not bad either - In fact, it tracks very well, turns easily and can handle unexpected changes to water conditions easily.
All in all, if you're looking for a canoe that is going to be used for recreational purposes and easy on the wallet you ABSOLUTELY should consider the Mad River Adv 16. |