Submitted by: Frank
11-04-2009
     I bought this canoe because I am going into retirement within the next 10 years and wanted something with which to fish calm waters...
I bought it at a Dick's outlet and the two guys helped me put it up on top of my jeep on these foam pads. When I got home, it was too much trouble to take it off and store it anywhere, so I just drove around for a couple of days with my new purchase on top of my vehicle. The following Saturday I went to my nearby lake and went fishing. Getting this thing off my jeep was a bit difficult by myself. Afterwards (I had a great time fishing, I might add) getting it on by myself was very difficult. Although they say it is only 75 lbs, it seems like 200!

I think I have have found a way to one-mandedly get that heavy canoe off and back on the top of my jeep. What it involves is ropes inside of fire hoses draped over your front and back windows and around our precious canoe, and one man (or woman) can hoist it up and onto the jeep's roof (or whatever your rooftop carrying vehicle may be!) I am used to a canoe that I can carry with one hand, like the light 16 ft. Grumman aluminum canoes they used to make. Or even Adirondack guide boats that you could carry around with a yoke, but this Adventure 14 is much too cumbersome to carry around with other than being towed on wheels.
I have come up with a system of lifting my A 14 in the rafters of my garage, above my jeep. I have outfitted my A14 with stainless steel Mauri lifting rings on the bow and stern, penetrating both the polypropylent skin and plastic heavy outer skin of the buoyancy blocks.

My Adventure 14 now rests above my jeep, waiting to be taken out soon in this beautiful fall weather, or awaiting spring, or ..... whatever.
I love this boat.
Rating: 10 of 10

Submitted by: PS
09-08-2009
     We bought a used Adventure 14. LOVE IT! No stability issues. Very maneuverable. At 75lbs, it does require two people to load and unload on top of a vehicle.
Love the cup and pole holders. Plenty of room with two or three people.
It's my first canoe, so I can't really compare to others, but I will definitely consider Mad River if I every have to buy another canoe.
Rating: 9 of 10

Submitted by: KELLY
08-31-2009
     I have owned my Adventure 14 for 6 month now, and it was one of the best purchases I've ever made. Bought from Joe's Sports for 625.00. Very stable though it can be tipped if you try. Love the payload capacity and durability. We drag it, bump it and generally abuse it. Keeps on working fine. I wanted a sail kit for it so I contacted Mad River. They responded that they currently had no plans to sell a sail kit. I then did find a excellent kit at sailboatstogo.com for 749.00. With a few minor changes it turned out awesome! Now we paddle the rivers, sail the lakes or either on Puget Sound! The Adventurer 14 makes a stable and fairly fast sailboat. I highly recommend a Mad River canoe!
Rating: 10 of 10

Submitted by: SLQ
06-30-2009
     This boat is beautiful. I did some research & knew I wanted this one. I needed a 3-seater, short, & fairly light. This canoe is all those things. Easy to get on/off the car w/two people. Easy to carry to the shore.

We took it out on a fairly calm lake & shared space with jet-skiers & motorboats so lots of wakes. Easy to paddle, easy to turn, nimble, light, & quick. I stood up, just for fun, no problem, not scary at all. My girls & I took turns jumping out into the water, & then crawling back in, just to see if it would tip. Nope, no tipping. For me, this boat was well worth the investment. Very pleased.
Rating: 10 of 10

Submitted by: R S
06-30-2009
     One word describes this canoe; AWESOME. I love mine. I do not understand the "tippy" comments made by other reviewers. This canoe is stable. We both stood up in it, rocked it, and tipped it until water was about to come over the side. You have to try to tip this canoe.

This is the first canoe I have owned and my 10 yr old son and I use it to fish and paddle lakes and rivers (class 2 rapids max.) and we love it. It is very stable, makes a great family canoe, plenty of room, and works great for over-nighters on the river. If you want more room, get the 16 ft. version.

This canoe is awesome. A little heavy, but my son and I can put it in the bed of my truck easily. The "responsiveness" of the canoe is amazing. It will turn on a dime. Very easy to maneuver. I Love This Canoe.
Rating: 9 of 10

Submitted by: psh
05-18-2009
     Great canoe!!!!!
I have paddled with friends and my girlfriend. Very steady and plenty of room. I paddle the New River and it handles great. Also very good canoe for fishing.
Rating: 10 of 10

Submitted by: AA
04-16-2009
     We saved nickels and dimes for the past two years to purchase a canoe. We bought our Adventure 14 at Dicks. We tried it out for the first time while on a camping trip with friends. My husband and I took it out the first time and he purposely tried to tip the canoe to one side and it just didn't happen. We took out both children and had no problems with stability. Our 15 year old daughter, who is not a swimmer, took it out solo with no problems what so ever.

This is a great purchase for the price and for a family that wants a starter canoe.
Rating: 10 of 10

Submitted by: RT
02-11-2009
     Great Price/ Great Boat.
Very stable, put it to the test floating a few days ago standing up inside the boat in a swift river to show friends (river temp was around 38 degrees by the way).

Plenty of room for canoe camping as long as you realize you can't take the whole house with you. Tracking is good solo with a little weight in front ie. small cooler works for me. I always float solo in mine and it works great.

The only real thing I would think about to tell Mad River about would be to put some form of a grab handle at the center of gravity for those who paddle by themselves to lift and carry easier. Other than that I recommend this craft for most. For the type of paddling this canoe is built for it fits the purpose and the pocket. Since I have purchased mine, 4 of my buddies have bought one as well. We had people thinking on a river one time that we went through an outfitter we had so many of these canoes.
Rating: 10 of 10

Submitted by: MDR
02-05-2009
     Bought this Mad River last year before Labor Day. Took it on a 3 night down the James River. With a Dog and a 200 lb man in the front, 100lbs of gear on the middle, and I weighed 190 Lbs at the time. Encountered some class 2 rapids and a 3 foot drop; it handled well with no spray skirt. It can be tippy with a lot of weight but it’s a canoe. Don’t buy a canoe if you don’t want to get wet; get a john boat. I flipped it once when I was intoxicated. Took it out in the Chesapeake Bay and it handled large wake head on but a good amount of water entered canoe. It tracks like a Mack truck and with 2 paddlers it can go 5 mph with a good stroke maybe even faster if you really push it.

Added a motor mount with salt treated 2x4 + 1/4" bolts with those really big washers so the plastic doesn’t warp and some of those locking nuts with the plastic inside. Small 2 stroke two horse power motor is pretty cool and it weighs about 20 lbs with gas. Also have a 30 Lb electric and that works very well too. Never fished in it but it has built in outriggers on the inside. Wish the design was more intuitive to allow storage under the middle seat. Also went out in a calm lake with 200 Lb man in the front, 200 Lbs man in the middle + deep cycle battery, and 190 Lb man in the back with one of those red Colman that hold 54 beers full of ice and beer. It was tippy but we didn’t fall out. I took out the foam in the front and the rear that is designed to keep the canoe afloat in an emergency so I can store more stuff.

This canoe is a good value when purchased on sale. Would not purchase for 600 dollars. All that being said I really like this Cadillac.
Rating: 8 of 10

Submitted by: jr1053
11-03-2008
     Purchased this in the early fall from Dicks' which was running a special sale for $399. Manager gave me an additional $50 off because I noticed some scratches on the hull and gunwales. Handles wonderfully in the lake we have out back. Appears to be very stable with the wife up front and myself in the rear seat. Also drilled some holes in the middle seat and added a Sitbacker style seat for when I'm in the canoe alone. Handles wonderfully whether solo or tandem. Wife only felt safe in our old Scanoe from Coleman before we bought this for my birthday. Now she loves being in this new one. Is very steady for recreational use on our stillwater. Would definitely purchase this again.
Rating: 10 of 10

Submitted by: nattynat
09-26-2008
     We bought this boat in the spring and have had it out several times with no problem tipping what so ever. I've had this canoe out with my husband, nephews, and friends and it has always been stable...even while fishing. It is a bit heavy, that would be my only complaint. Just this past weekend, we loaded her up and did an overnight camping trip in Mammoth Cave National Park on the Green River in Kentucky. We managed to pack sleeping bags, an air mattress, tent, camping chairs, cooler, fishing poles and tackle, and all of our camping gear with no problem. Space is at a premium in this canoe, so you have to examine every nook and cranny for gear to fit. We were loaded down quite a bit, but the canoe still performed flawlessly! The seat backs and cup holders are always nice and was a big plus for the 20 mile paddle. We always get a lot of comments and compliments on this canoe wherever we take it. This has been one of our best purchases for quite some time!
Rating: 9 of 10

Submitted by: Carl
08-11-2008
     I did a lot or research before buying this canoe, and found a few reviews saying the boat was "tippy". I really have no idea what people are talking about. This boat is rock steady. Haven't even remotely come close to flipping it.

I've paddled it with other people and by myself. Paddling alone in the center seat the boat seems very nimble. With two people is cruises right along. Tracks great.

The backrests are really nice for long days and can be folded down if the person in front wants to turn around. The plastic seems really durable too. I've been using the boat for fishing and have no problem casting from the boat. The rod holders work great for trolling, and the cup holders are nice for a can of my favorite beverage.

The boat is a little heavy to carry around by myself, but I can manage if I have to. At first glance storage looks limited, but there's actually quite a bit of room under the seats. I don't think it would be any problem to load this boat with enough gear for two people to go on a 2-3 day camping trip.

Overall, it's just a great boat and does everything I need it to do and more. Can't imagine how it could be better for the money.
Rating: 10 of 10

Submitted by: Scott
08-04-2008
     This is a great canoe and I would recommend it to others. I do a lot of canoeing and kayaking as I own an outfitter company and do kayak tours. The boat is very stable and turns on a dime. As like all canoes and kayaks it has its place. It works very well on swift moving rivers. Yes it is a little slow and heavy. But me and my 14 year old daughter did real well in it. You can put it up on it's chine and still feel stable. I was even able to stand up in it and not feel like you are going swimming. The plastic seems pretty strong as we bounced off some rocks on our trip. I like it!!!!
Rating: 9 of 10

Submitted by: Wheaton
07-28-2008
     I bought this canoe two days ago. We sell the Adventure 14 and the Adventure 16 at work. I had been looking at both and had heard they were really good canoes and the price was pretty fair. I originally wanted the 16 foot for more room, but we had sold out of them and hadn't received anymore and later learned we wouldn't be getting any more this year. So I settled for the 14 foot.

I really like it. I am glad that I ended up with the smaller of the two. I didn't really feel like paying an extra $200 for only two extra feet anyway. It is easy for me to carry around by myself and get on top of a SUV. Today was the first day I put it on the water. I brought my dad, my younger brother and my dog. I first went out by myself just to see how tippy it was going to be. I was surprised, it was actually more stable than I had originally thought. I was able to sit in the way back seat or in the middle and paddle around and turn on a dime by myself.

I first brought my little brother out and it was great. Then my dad wanted to give it a try, so we went. He is a bigger fellow, 6'2" and about 280 pounds. He sat in back and me in front. I am 6'1" 215 pounds. and it did seem a little more tippy with him in it. I think it was mainly because he was a little scared and stiff because he is big, he thought he might end tipping it. We didn't.

The canoe was great, I especially like taking it out by myself. Next I plan to take it fishing. Overall I am very pleased. Great canoe for the price... plus my employee discount.
Rating: 10 of 10

Submitted by: Bjorn
07-08-2008
     This is my families first canoe. Have taken out on local lakes and is easy to handle. I have gone by myself and with some weight in the front end is great for getting around. There isn't a yoke, but I'm able to handle carrying it around. I really like the backrests. Light, good price, comfortable, good for fishing.
Rating: 10 of 10

Submitted by: JakeP
06-03-2008
     I've had this canoe for a couple of years and taken it on slow rivers, slightly rough rivers and lakes. It's a great canoe for the slow rivers and lakes but on rough waters it is not the right canoe. I've taken it on a few trips but unless it's just you and one other person going on a one day trip you will need to to bring at least one more canoe to hold much of the gear. The room is limited, but what it lacks in storage it makes up in comfort. I love the seats and back rests. One thing I really wish was different on this canoe is the strength. For only having this canoe for a couple of years the bottom is a little rough looking - not like its close to rubbing through but it has more wear than would be expected.
Rating: 8 of 10

Submitted by: DBR
06-02-2008
     You might wonder why I rated this canoe an 8 after what I say about it but there is something I like about it. The first and only time I took it out was by myself which I wouldn't have done except for the fact that my family won't ride in it yet although I think I'll bring them around before long.

I found this canoe to be very tippy if you take it out by yourself. I noticed most of the other reviews don't say that, but I see just about all of them had others with them. I decided it must be tippy due to the fact I had no weight in the front. I believe with a sand bag or a person would reduce this problem a lot. I must admit I had thoughts of selling or returning it to the store after my first voyage, but after I thought about it I didn't want to give up on it.

I am going to purchase a set of canoe stabilizers so that I don't have to worry about taking an unwanted dip in the water. I believe with either the front occupied by weight or a person (or if I have side stabilizers) that I will like this canoe more. I just would not recommend taking out alone.
Rating: 8 of 10

Submitted by: PR
05-28-2008
     Bought this canoe for family use and has done a great job. Great for the backwaters and the swift currents downstream of the the Chattahoochee River. We have used for exploring creeks and it just seems to be able to get into very tight spaces. My oldest son, 17, and I carry it easily. Have had loaded to about 700 lbs with 2 adults, 17 year old and a 10 year old and gear and has done adequate. There are more stable canoes but come on, for the money you can't beat it.
Rating: 9 of 10

Submitted by: RJ
03-18-2008
     I am rating this as a recreational canoe not as a white water canoe or high performance canoe. That is why I am rating it high. It gives you tremendous recreation opportunities for the money.
I am an experienced paddler and have canoed lakes, rivers (including the ice cold Nantahala in a suicidal run in a flat water canoe) and lakes and small ponds. I have four canoes including a 21 ft aluminum, 17 ft Old Town, 12 ft Old Town and 15 ft Bell.

The 14' Adventurer is more affordable yet as versatile as all but the Bell, and much more comfortable to paddle. The seat and seat back are simply awesome. Tracking is exceptional. Stability with the elliptical cross section is absolutely superb.

Don't believe reviews saying this canoe is not stable - while canoeing down the Oconee River in South Georgia today my friend and I experienced 30 mile winds with gusts of ferocious intensity. We were able to keep the boat on track into the face of the wind without too much effort. Advancing in the face of the wind however did take tremendous effort. Were able to keep up enough speed to avoid being swept around or beached on sandbars. At the end of the day we were pretty well shot and attempted to put the canoe on the top of my explorer. The canoe is heavy but hoisting it up is quite doable even for 55 year olds. Did Ok until a burst of wind lifted the canoe off the explorer and on top of me. I was knocked into the river while the canoe bounced off the concrete ramp like a rubber ball. The Adventurer had a good scrape on the rudder but no splits or serious damage. I am worse for wear but am still alive to write this note. This is a tough little canoe.

Two more points about this canoe: I also took it out in a small pond with a skiddish lady friend. She was afraid to move because canoes seem unstable to her compared to the ski boat she is used to but it really paddled well and was quite stable. Finally this canoe is easy to paddle backwards in rivers when un-snagging fishing lines

Major pluses – Comfortable molded Seats, adjustable well positioned seat backs, middle seat for tackle box, soft carrying handles, canoe tracking (thanks to two longitudinal grooves on floor of boat), tying off an anchor from soft handle (center line of boat so no rocking), elliptical canoe cross section so hands don’t scrape on side while paddling, Stability (drove right through white caps, motorized boat wakes didn’t phase us). Part of reason boat is stable is that you sit in center of molded seats so two paddlers can’t shift weight suddenly side to side and rock boat. 14 foot boat fits in pickup with out too much weight overhang (boat does not bounce). "cabin" for front paddler is quite spacious.

Plus – cup holders – (too wide for coke bottle – need koozie or spacer) – rod holder – (not deep enough – need PVC extension ) . Can add tarp around boat lip to keep rain out.

Minus – It is difficult for front paddler to turn around and grab stuff behind him. Not to much of a problem in 14 footer because back paddler can hand it forward. With molded seats aimed forward and the stern rudder shape a solo paddler cannot sit in front seat turned backward to better distribute weight like you can with a canoe with cane seats and two pointy ends. Only choice for a single paddler is sit in back and put a weight on front seat. (Can use two gallon jugs filled with water which is fifteen pounds ). Needs a couple of holes drilled in molded seats pieces for tie downs. There are no thwarts to tie coolers and clothes down in case boat swamps. Forget an overnight campout with a lot of gear. Space is a premium. Canoe will never match three ply polyethelene for toughness – get over it.
Hard to clean out canoe because when it is turned upside down the lip holds water. There is a small drain plug over stern rudder so you can empty water slowly.

Overall the canoe is great. Bought this one at Dicks sporting goods for a friend. It was missing one of the plastic seat hinge pins. Mad River answered phone in person and sent replacement the same day.
Rating: 9 of 10

Submitted by: davisr
03-12-2008
     I have had my Adventure for a couple of years now and love it. Tippy does not mean unstable to me. I think for the money it is a very good canoe. If you are wanting a canoe for white water or touring you need to look elsewhere but for a leisurely day on a lake or neutral river you won't find any better for the money.
Rating: 10 of 10

Submitted by: Rich
12-29-2007
     This is the worse canoe I have ever had. The weight is a big issue but the boat it self has no flex. Maybe good for fishing but anything higher than grade 2 then forget it. If you hit a rock on grade 3 the boat splits or holes far to easily. I have seen this on two occasions. I would rate the plastic as 0 if the web page would allow this. Much better canoes out there.
Rating: 1 of 10

Submitted by: Buckler
11-16-2007
     I wish I could have given the canoe an 8.8 rating. A good B+.
Some of its downfalls are: its weight - you would think 81 lbs is no big deal, but it's weight distribution for its size is awkward. A yoke a some sort would be really nice. The handles are nice to drag the canoe with - just be aware that the bolts holding them on will loosen up over time so tighten them periodically. I have had the canoe tip over on me just once - I was leaning back, and to the side, to miss an overhanging tree branch. If you have someone sitting in the middle seat, they don't need to paddle - their paddle will get in the way of the others because of the canoe's short length.

But, I really like the length of the canoe - it's easy to put in the back of my pickup with the tailgate down. I like the seats a lot. I like how well it tracks. And having a middle seat makes it valuable for families.

I would definitely recommend this canoe to a family that is on a budget, but loves family outings.
Rating: 9 of 10

Submitted by: rebrev
09-10-2007
     Have had this canoe out twice now - once on a small lake and once on a quiet river. We are novices but really like this canoe. It tracks well and turns easily. Seems very stable (we haven't flipped it yet :-)
Seats are very comfortable. Would highly recommend.
Rating: 9 of 10

Submitted by: SteveL
08-28-2007
     I have had my 14' canoe for about a month... nice little boat... easy to handle and fish from... not much room for gear if you have a fishing buddy along... don't like the location of the 2 rod holders in front of the middle seat (too far away from the rear seat and behind the front seat), so they don't get used... other than that I really enjoy it...
Rating: 9 of 10

Submitted by: Rob
07-11-2007
     We love our Adventure 16. We’ve paddled over 5 months now and it is a true all around boat with very comfortable seats. We have had it on the Mulberry River in AR quite a few times and have no trouble in the class 2 rapids as well as out on the flat water. We have a lot of scratches on the hull now, but it seems to be holding up great.
Rating: 9 of 10

Submitted by: Joe
07-09-2007
     Love this little boat. It tracks very nicely, and is stable in even the roughest of wakes with 2 adults, a ten year old, and 2 chihuahuas!
This is not a performance Canoe. It is somewhat slow, and I am not yet sure if it will take a pounding, but if you are not in a hurry and just want to cruise and take in the wildlife, this is the boat for you!
Rating: 8 of 10

Submitted by: postmortemjim
05-22-2007
     I bought the Adventure 14 for fishing. I am tickled to death with it. As a solo canoeist I have found it to track fine even on windy days. For the price it is a steal.
Rating: 10 of 10

Submitted by: kor4pres
05-01-2007
     We absolutely love the little Adventure 14! We haven't had the chance to take it out in anything but very nice weather, so I won't be able to comment about anything other than some power boat wakes (which it handled deftly and easily). I don't know where the tippy impression came from, with the first review--this thing was incredibly stable--maybe they weren't used to the secondary stability (it is somewhat like a kayak on the bottom).

Great tracking, especially for a 14' canoe and was very easy to keep in a straight line. Was easy to turn as well. The seats are a dream. Of course, as it is a 14' boat, you're not going to be getting all that much gear in for extended trips (short ones would be easy), but day trips are a blast. It's making me wonder what the 16' version would be like. I'd recommend it to anyone who wanted a fun little rec or day touring boat--it's easy and fun.
Rating: 10 of 10

Submitted by: JLB
03-19-2007
     I just purchased my Mad River Canoe Adventure 14 and took it out for the first time today. The lake was very choppy to begin with (about 20-25mph winds). The canoe handled this just fine and cut over the waves with little effect on the boat. Later on, the wind calmed down and the canoe handled just as well in the conditions. The seats were comfortable and there was plenty of storage areas. I would recommend this boat to anyone looking for a good family canoe or maybe even as a platform for fishing.
Rating: 10 of 10

Submitted by: focus
03-12-2007
     Second year with our Adventure 14 and we love it. Very comfy, paddles nice, looks great. A flatwater touring canoe it is. Tracks great both up and down the Wisconsin River. The 16 would be much better at carrying more gear if you wanted to do any extended tripping though.
Rating: 10 of 10

Submitted by: SAC
10-10-2006
     This boat is nice for flatwater ponds and mild rivers. Steers with ease, and moves easy in flatwater, slower against a current. Seatbacks are comfortable, with good leg room from both seats, but I wouldn't use the middle seat for a 3rd passenger. It's not too hard/heavy for 2 adults to hoist onto a roof rack. It seems durable, but I haven't had it long enough to bang it into anything.
Rating: 8 of 10

Submitted by: jwoodie
07-21-2006
     We just bought our first canoe, a Mad River Adventure 14, and it is GREAT! A little heavy to lift on top of our car, but very comfortable and esay to keep on course. As to stability, you do have to keep in mind the difference between canoes and Canadians.
Rating: 10 of 10

Submitted by: pmoorhouse
06-19-2006
     My wife and I purchased an Adventure 14 as a family canoe. We bought it because it looked like a fun, sporty boat, which it is. We were totally taken off-guard, however, at the tippiness of this little boat. The initial stability was quite bad - my son turning only his torso to look at something was enough to rock the boat. I thought that perhaps its secondary stability would be good, so I later got in the boat alone to test it. Much to my surprise, I could easily have tipped it. I kept the rating at medium because it may be more stable when loaded with some gear (it was just us), and because the tracking is AWESOME - very nimble to turn, but also easy to keep on a straight line. Fun boat, but I wouldn't recommend it as a family canoe.
Rating: 5 of 10

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