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09-26-2012
Submitted by: mikeknauf - Rating: 6 of 10
     Tested a KUL (Kevlar UltraLite) Adirondack, did not buy. Here's why...

The good:
1) Fast for a 16' boat.
2) Super light, the lightest of any I tried.
3) Great secondary stability.

The bad:
1) Turning.
2) Initial Stability.

I tested this boat on a windy river with a few open straights in calm conditions. I found the boat to be quick and efficient but had trouble getting it to maneuver on tight stuff. It definitely like to be steered from the bow, but still always felt a bit drifty and not really tracking where I wanted it to. Initial stability is something I didn't like. I almost went in the drink a couple times with this boat, not because it felt twitchy or rolly, but because it has low sides and doesn't give the feeling it is going over. It all seems line until it as at the point where water is starting to come up over and you realize you are in a huge lean. I felt this way about the handling, very disconnected. I'd rather the boat tell me what it is doing, I didn't get that from this boat.

Speed and straight line tracking was great in the spurts I had. Would be a great lake boat although I question how well it would do in rough conditions because of the minimal rocker and low sides.
All in all not for me.

04-13-2012
Submitted by: Damn_True - Rating: 9 of 10
     This is our first Canoe. We acquired it from California Canoe & Kayak at Jack London Sq. in Oakland. Keith Miller - the owner of California Canoe and Kayak is a great guy and was trying to offload this one and a couple of others that were previously sold to the Save The Bay Foundation. Essentially he rented it to us for a pittance and said if I like it I can keep it for $300. Since it was in pretty good condition we took him up on it.

The Adirondack is designed as a medium volume "performance tripping" boat. The boat is light on initial stability particularly unladen which lends to its efficiency and glide. Secondary stability is quite good though and very confidence inspiring. The boat tracks well and glides easily yet it remains relatively agile with two paddlers. I had no trouble handling the boat myself on my first solo experience and first river experience on my 7day Green river trip. The boat will turn well from the middle, and ferrys easily as well. However, with it's minimal rocker and unflared stems it is by no means a whitewater boat. In class I or flat moving water though it is very capable.

To read more, please visit:
http://thedamntrueexperiment.blogspot.com/2011/04/outdoor-gear-review-wenonah-adirondack.html

10-18-2010
Submitted by: Kudy Blodke - Rating: 9 of 10
     Earlier this year I purchased a used tuff-weave Adirondack, and what a joy it has been. My wife and I have been paddling kayaks for a decade, never really thought about a canoe until we had a child. The Adirondack is very versatile, it paddles great solo from the bow seat. It's a great platform for fishing and birding. We've used it all summer on slow moving rivers and creeks, as well as mid-size lakes. I almost feel guilty when paddling it, because of all the gear I can take with me now. This past week, my wife and I took a three day camping trip to a barrier island off the coast of North Carolina. Our Adirondack carried all the gear we needed, and handled great in the intracoastal waterway. The Adirondack negotiated chop/boat wakes with no problem, and had no problem covering ground in a steady headwind. We love this boat and would highly recommend it

07-26-2010
Submitted by: snilloc - Rating: 10 of 10
     An outstanding canoe for older people being light weight but is fast in paddling, turns easily and handles moderate waves and looks beautiful

02-22-2010
Submitted by: EFE - Rating: 8 of 10
     I have two Adirondack canoes, both of them are the royalex. My first is several years old and I have been using it as a tandem paddling canoe. It moves very easily through the water and is a pleasure to paddle on lakes and streams. I have avoided using it as a solo boat in the past because of the different heights of the bow and stern and the seat placements. I have just taken delivery of my new Royalex Adirondack with a solo setup. I had the factory only place one seat on a shortened bracket. This moves me farther ahead from where the stern seat is and allows me to kneel and get my feet under the seat. With no front seat I measures out my trip boxes and had the forward thwart set to make packing easy for long trips. I typically do 4-day to 2-week wilderness trips. By using the seat placement back from center I will be able to stand and poles the loaded canoe very easily, by standing between the seat and the carry yoke. Whereas I guide in the east (Maine and vacinity) I have to deal with low water and rocks. The factory installed skid plates to my specs which is high on the front stem and low on the stern stem. This allows for impact from rock in the rapids and keeps the wear on the stern bottom to a minimum. I have several personal boats for guiding and this one is going to fit right in for certain river trips, where I want an easy paddling boat with light rapids up to easy class 3's. Its not going to be as nimble in the rapids as some of my other boats with more rocker, but its going to make up for it in the flats.

01-05-2010
Submitted by: meyerpflug - Rating: 8 of 10
     I've owned my 16' Kevlar Adirondack for 8 years and have had some great experience with it. I take it mostly into remote lakes and ponds in the Adirondacks and the lightweight kevlar is great with two people. We could usually put the canoe on top of our packs with some obscured vision during the hike in but having a full sized two person canoe on these remote trout ponds is awesome. Going tandem or solo, I've found it easier to sit on the floor of the canoe to increase stability and wind resistance. Even so, it's easy to get blown around a windy lake if you don't have a lot of weight inside the canoe. I'm currently selling my Adirondack, but I would gladly buy one again.

10-09-2009
Submitted by: G Forbes - Rating: 8 of 10
     This is an update to my Jan 2009 posting in which I discussed the extreme oil-canning of the Adirondack.
I have been notified by Wenonah that as of 2008, they have now reinforced the Adirondack with additional strips of Royalex on the bottom to reduce/prevent the oil-canning. Why didn't they figure this out after molding the first one? At least they stepped up to the plate and changed the lay-up.

01-06-2009
Submitted by: gforbes - Rating: 8 of 10
     My only complaint about the Adirondack is that the 16' Royalex layup has a bottom that is way too flexible and it oil cans if a fish burps. I have had this boat in every type of water that one can imagine and the floor visibly flexes when lake waves move under the boat or if you bounce up and down in your seat on a river, you can actually see the bottom roll. This is a problem with most Wenonah Royalex lay-ups. Mohawk and many other manufacturers have the smarts to put several reinforcing strips of Royalex at several points along the boat to stiffen the hull. It costs a few pounds more but you gain efficiency. There is no doubt that the non-rigidity of this hull will cut down on its efficiency on anything other than glass water.

Other than that, nice design. Can be paddled solo by flipping the boat around. I added a center seat (mimics the Wenonah Solo Plus) and it works great. And the good news, it actually is available in something other than green or red.

01-09-2008
Submitted by: haroldpe - Rating: 9 of 10
     Very pleased with the kevlar, purchased 2 years ago. For the past year, have been using a drop-in seat, which greatly improves soloing, but drop in seats are terrible. Just ordered OEM seat and hangar to install at home.

10-05-2007
Submitted by: pastortim - Rating: 10 of 10
     I've owned my Adirondack for a little over three years. It's very versatile and stable. Our kids grew up in this boat and we've never dumped in it. Initial and secondary stability is great. I've used it solo to fish and camp from and can even stand up in it with no problems. It's efficient and easy to paddle and control. My friends who paddle with me have often commented on how well they like this boat.

Recently I took a shake down float in my new vagabond and my buddy paddled my Adirondack solo, from the bow seat. Trimmed properly, he said this was his best canoe fishing/camping experience he'd ever had and he's done a lot. The Adirondack is a great all around boat, efficient, fast and I know I will never get rid of mine. It doesn't have tons of volume, but if you pack reasonably you should be able to carry plenty and still have a great experience.

10-04-2006
Submitted by: ottotel - Rating: 8 of 10
     Mine is a red royalex with gray interior. use it mostly as a solo, paddle it from bow seat facing stern or kneeling behind center yoke. Always wonder if the designer ever considered someone paddling the boat backwards in this way. It moves well on rivers, is stable to fish from, and holds a good bit of gear. I do sometimes use a kayak paddle, especially to windward, and then it moves right along. All round, its a nice versatile canoe, paddles well on streams and lakes, and is ok to carry on portages too. There are faster, lighter, and better handling boats around, but this one strikes a really good overall balance. so unless you want to have 3 or 4 boats, one adirondack might suit you. The clampon yoke pads wenonah sells are comfortable but not too sturdy.

10-12-2005
Submitted by: kinggrey - Rating: 9 of 10
     I have owned a royalex Adirondack for about 8 years already and like it so much that I now want to buy the kevlar ultralight version.

08-08-2005
Submitted by: thepalins - Rating: 10 of 10
     I recently purchased a kevlar light and find it to be fantastic for day outings and narrow rivers which is what it was designed for. Both the bow and the stern are very responsive to strokes yet tracks well. No problems with stability and leans well. Cruises easily at 4.5 mph and is capable up to 6 mph. Best tandem I’ve paddled for narrow waterways Id give it a 10 for its purpose.

08-02-2005
Submitted by: --- - Rating: 8 of 10
     Purchased a new royalex model this spring. We have used it for general lake paddling and a four day BWCA trip. I'm a bigger person, 6'4" 220lbs, and have found the weight of the canoe, 62lbs, to be comfortable to handle. In the water it handles well and is stable both loaded and unloaded. The sides seem stiff and don't flex much, however the bottom will flex in even moderate waves. I would think that this would effect it's handling and efficiency somewhat. It felt like my wife and I hit every rock in the BWCA and the canoe's finish seemed to hold up well, with most of the scratches not seeming to go through the outer coating. If I was going to buy again, I would probably get one of the bigger canoes We-no-nah offers, there by getting increases in stability, efficiency, and space. Which would be worth the couple of extra pounds for me. I give my royalex canoe an 8 and would probably consider a kevlar Adirondack a 9. It is a nice boat that fits a variety of styles and niches, but like most things that kind of do it all, it can come up short compared to more specialized products.

03-30-2005
Submitted by: tstar - Rating: 7 of 10
     I had an Adirondack 16' Royalex for 2 years, and I just sold it. I liked the boat well enough, but some of the tradeoffs in the name of hull efficiency bothered me some. It is quite narrow in front. This was great for speed, but constrained the front paddler more than I liked. I venture into moderate whitewater on occasion, and this canoe is not ideal for that purpose. It is light and easy to paddle -- it covers water quickly for a 16' canoe. My hull did oilcan some on occasion, but I don't really consider that a bad thing. This is a fine canoe, but there probably are better choices unless you put a high priority on hull efficiency.

01-23-2005
Submitted by: Dennis Paine - Rating: 9 of 10
     I bought this canoe for soloing primarily. I have a Mad River for tandem paddling. Solo, this canoe is exactly what I expected. A pleasure to use and easy to control. As would most paddlers, solo requires kneeling or paddling from the bow seat facing towards the stern. I use this canoe for hunting backwaters/rivers and it carried a deer and I just fine. I used it on a remote flyfishing trip with a friend. Loaded with four days of equipment and the both of us, freeboard was extremely limited. Not adequate for the large lake we had to traverse getting to our river. It was necessary to wait for quiet water. For its intended purpose, the Adirondack is superb. The way Wenonah supports the seats is better than most canoe manufactures. I give this canoe a high rating.

12-30-2004
Submitted by: AA - Rating: 3 of 10
     My Royalex Wenonah canoes just haven't held up to river canoeing after 2 years. The bottom layers have separated as the foam core compressed. The outside layer is loose and eventually tears. And then comes the repairs, costly chemical putty rebuilding that requires cutting out several sq. inches of the bottom, which then needs a ridiculous "skid" plate. Support from We-no-nah on problems has been terrible. I would rethink a Wenonah canoe purchase.

08-27-2004
Submitted by: Shawn - Rating: 8 of 10
     The Adirondack is perhaps the most user friendly Royalex sixteen footer I can think of due to it's narrow paddling widths fore and aft. Both the gunwales and seats are strongly constructed (aluminum insert inside the vinyl box gunwales) and the hull seems fairly stiff i.e. not floppy and/or prone to excessive oilcanning. The hull shape is not particularly sexy (no hollow entry curves) but the fairly sleek diamond is moderately fast for a Royalex boat and wide enough at the center for decent initial stability. The bottom profile is a flattish arch with medium chines ... not sharp or super soft. Contrary to the old description stating an inch and a half of rocker, mine shows virtually none except for less than a half inch rise in the final foot before the ends. In fact, it has a slight (1/2 ") hogbacked (negative rocker) fatigue in the center ... but this doesn't seem to present any handling difficulties other than slightly slow manuevering. I thought it would be somewhat faster than it is due to it's lack of rocker, but I guess the width in the middle (34-35" at 4" waterline) and it's blunt bow keep it from achieving higher speeds. Nonetheless, for flatwater and mild river play, this is a fine canoe for it's length and depth. If you're interested in more of a tripper than day tourer, step up to the Spirit II and get it in a composite lay-up for long distance efficiency.

06-28-2004
Submitted by: wildernesswebb - Rating: 8 of 10
     I have owned 3 Adirondacks, two 'glass, and one royalex, with the 'glass being the better layup, in my opinion. I used the Adirondack for both day trips on Ozark streams and wilderness trips in the BWCAW, both solo and tandem and it performed admirably for those applications. The initial stability was very good, in my opinion, but a few novice paddlers I've had in the boats thought it a might "Wiggly" at first. Secondary stability EXCELLENT! Once had my 100+ lb Labrador Retriever unexpectedly vacate the canoe to greet another dog he noticed on a Current River gravel bar. Took the boat to the gunnels and past, spilling a few gallons into the boat, but the Adirondack returned to an upright position readily. Tracking was fair, but this is a 16' boat designed primarily for streams. Turning and responsiveness is very good. Boat can be soloed with the canoe turned arround and sitting in the bow seat faving the stern. Works well, since the stern depth is a few inches less than the bow depth. I have on occasion paddled this boat in extreme conditions. One time on Gunflint Lake (in the BWCAW) it was loaded with a weeks worth of gear and two paddlers and there were 3+ foot rollers following and quartering from the left and except for an occasional splash over the stern, the boat performed like a champ. Bear in mind, I DO NOT encourage one to use this canoe in that scenario, but on this occasion the wind and waves were such that we were able to ride approximately 10-20 offshore, and if swamped would have been pushed towards a gentle shoreline. We were in no danger, but the experience gave us the oppurtunity to see just what this canoe could handle. Needless to say, we were very impressed! As for durability, the 'glass version held up well on boney, rocky Ozark streams, even surviving a nasty broaching on a strainer once. The royalex did oilcan and flex a bit (nowhere near as stiff as Mad Rivers royalex layup) but it also survived a broach on a rock. I would have no qualms, due to the quality and durability of Wenonah's 'glass layup, choosing the 'glass over the royalex. The royalex is noticably slower and less responsive. And, if you would purchase the olive coloration of royalex, be forewarned that it is this color on the outside AND inside of the hull. The reason I mention this is the dark olive royalex has a propensity to absorb sunlight, making the olive royalex very hot and uncomfortable in the summertime. If you could only own one boat, this would be one of the few hulls that would work well in most situations. It is similar in nature to the Souris River Quetico 16, with the Quetico 16 being lighter unless you fork out the extra cash for the kevlar Adirondack. I would give the Souris the "Edge" if primarily paddling lakes, and the Adirondack for rivers. I must note, that my second 'glass Adirondack's yoke was off center, so it balanced poorly. I fixed this by removing it, balanced the canoe on a sawhorse, and riveted in the yoke in a bit different spot. This is the only "Fit and finish" problem I noticed with any of the three. I give this canoe an "8," for performing very good in a variety of situations. If used only on twisty streams, as Wenonah intended, it would probably be a "9."

11-03-2003
Submitted by: MarkK - Rating: 9 of 10
     Well, I've had my Adirondack Royalex (62 pounds) for over a year now. It's a good, well built "all around" canoe. I use it for small lake fishing and rivers up to class 2. No complaints. Well built and stable for me alone or with my wife. I am sure a couple of kids thrown in would be fine. The Adirondack will surfice for week long canoe trips given that I BW canoe trip for a week or more. But, I would prefer a lighter (for portages) and more trip (open large lake water)oriented canoe. I would recommend the Adirondack as a very good general/all purpose canoe. And, do not hesitate using it for longer river trips (as opposed to longer large lake trips). It's a good canoe. I like it.

02-04-2003
Submitted by: billcanoes - Rating: 9 of 10
     This is the ultimate canoe for tandem camping/fishing or solo canoeing with a load. It is very stable and handles class 1-2 rivers with no problems. It turns very quickly for it's length. It paddles great solo with gear. However, I bought a wildfire after a frustrating windy day on the river paddling solo with no gear. Pros: You can pack everything you want in this canoe. Wife child and dog. Even with my son and dog bouncing from side to side there has never been an uneasy moment.

Cons: Not the ideal whitewater or solo canoe.

11-25-2002
Submitted by: --- - Rating: 9 of 10
     I have the Adirondack in tough-weave and am extremely happy with it. I use it for back-country deer hunting, trout fishing and general day use both alone and with my family. I either paddle it from the bow facing the stern or sit on my knees in the middle right side and heel it up when alone. It turns on a dime and I can stand up in it comfortably. My one and only gripe is that the gel-coat is popping which is what happened to my first one (this current boat is a replacement). The boat suffers no real abuse besides honest use which makes me wonder why Wenonah can't put a decent durable gel-coat on their boats. We're not trying to put a man on Mars here guys......

09-24-2002
Submitted by: --- - Rating: 9 of 10
     OK so I've had this canoe for 3 months now and want to buy a second one just like it! I recently put about 700lbs into it and it became rock solid. I was truly impressed. I was able to stand and pole down stream about 5 miles with all the weight inside. This canoe I would say is several steps above a general recreation canoe like the Old Town Camper which I've also owned, and a colman doesnt even began to compare. No oil canning or buckling of anysort in the floor like my Oldtown camper, and it tracks very well on the lakes. Down river with 700lbs its a lil hard to turn as it keeps wanting to go straight which is the only complaint I may have for it. For Wilderness Tripping in moving water I would look around and test a few more canoes. Overall Still impressed and enjoying to the ice sets in.

09-12-2002
Submitted by: Pete - Rating: 9 of 10
     The Adirondack is a great little boat at about 36lbs. at 16 ft. in kevlar, for portaging into ponds and lakes and cartopping. It is surprisingly seaworthy and handles well in a variety of conditions.

08-15-2002
Submitted by: --- - Rating: 8 of 10
     Love it! I use in in Lakes and smaller rivers here in Alaska. It paddles great as a solo. The light weight of the Royalex makes it easy to load on my Jeep roof rack. Great initial stability as well as secondary. I can fly cast standing up in this one which says something about how well balanced it is. I've owned two other canoes one by Old town and the other a coleman. This by far has been the most usefull. Dont know if I'll ever have to buy another canoe!

02-13-2002
Submitted by: Will - Rating: 8 of 10
     I have owned the Kevlar version for two years. It was my second canoe -- my first being a cheap, heavy, plastic monster. I paddle about once a week, normally on quiet water. I usually paddle solo and take along my 5 year old son and sometimes my 9 year old daughter. The weight of the boat is very nice. And, like others have mentioned, this boat is great to turn around backwards for solo use, giving the kid(s) a large play area. The kids in the front trim the boat nicely. With just my son, or solo, I often turn the boat backwards and sit on the floor of the canoe. The boat feels really good sitting on the floor, but shorter people may have trouble. (I am 6-2, 195 lbs.)

Overall, great if you bring small children along, but I'm still searching for the perfect solo canoe that will make it easier to keep up with the kayakers and tandem canoists. The Savage River Otegon has caught my eye, but I have never paddled it. Any reviewers out there?

12-20-2001
Submitted by: --- - Rating: 10 of 10
     After twelve years of aluminum rentals, this year I bought a Royalex Adirondack. It is a total pleasure. For solo trips, I sit backwards in the bow seat and put a six gallon water can in the other end. For tandem paddling, I swear that with two good paddlers, this canoe could pull a skier. It's great!

08-03-2001
Submitted by: --- - Rating: 8 of 10
     We have owned a royalex Adirondack for a year. It is stable, forgiving and manuverable. We can carry 3 days gear and food without trouble. Good construction. It is not a speedster and you may find yourself working very hard (as you would expect!) to keep up with longer and leaner craft. A good compromise for our use.

06-04-2001
Submitted by: Wade - Rating: 9 of 10
     I own a Royalex Adirondack, purchased this spring for lake use and easy river running. I turn it around backwards and put my 8 year old in the front to trim it up square.

I have used this canoe on a very rocky river in north Georgia nearly every weekend in mostly Class I rapids (a couple of class II when the water is high). The rocker makes it very easy to maneuver. We tried a class II-III river, but the canoe wasn't ideally suited for that level of whitewater. All in all though, it's a great boat for the money.

04-06-2001
Submitted by: --- - Rating: 10 of 10
     I've had a Royalex Adirondack for a year and it's been an absolute delight. Has the glide and secondary stability of a Penobscot but with 2" of rocker is extremely manueverable and turns nicely. It's my first Wenonah and am very impressed with their "fit and finish".

10-30-2000
Submitted by: Pam - Rating: 10 of 10
     My Ivory Kevlar Adirondack is my first boat and I love it. A 40+ yr old woman can load, unload and carry it solo. It is so stable that my 5-yr-old son feels confident in it. It heels over beautifully for solo paddling, but you must kneel at the yoke to balance it fore and aft. It paddles better in the wind if you sit forward of the yoke - slightly bow heavy. Very fun!

10-15-2000
Submitted by: VINCENT PENOSO - Rating: 9 of 10
     16' Adirondack by Wenonah. This is my second boat made of fiberglass. The boat is resonably well made and weighs about 65 pounds. It tracks well enough but is alittle more tippy than my Herders lake canoe...I am satisfied with the workmanship and performance charecteristics.

10-03-2000
Submitted by: Bill B - Rating: 19 of 10
     I have a royalex Adirondack and it is a versatile, great handling canoe. We live on L.I. Sound in Connecticut and use it mostly for fishing and day tripping on local rivers,ponds, lakes,harbors and tidal estuaries. The canoe is a pleasure to paddle both tandem or solo. It is quick for 16 foot hull that tracks well and is responsive. The hull is stiff and has a fine entry for a royalex boat and it a paddles with little effort.The boat weighs in at 61 lbs. which is an average weight for a tough 16' royalex boat. If you are car-topping and loading the boat solo consider the kevlar hull at 39 lbs.

02-13-2000
Submitted by: Neil - Rating: 10 of 10
     I've had an ultralight Odyssey for several years now. Its huge flared bow keeps everyone dry in big water. The Odyssey is so fast and tracks so well its substantial freeboard has never caused problems with steerage or making way even in a fresh breeze. The canoe turns, not quite on a dime, with a bit of a lean. We have found it to be a great family tripping boat. It has safely and easily carried our family of four (kids 7 and 5) plus gear for a week in the BWCAW. At less than fifty pounds it is a breeze to portage.

01-20-2000
Submitted by: HN - Rating: 10 of 10
     My Kevlar Adirondack can be cartopped by one person; paddled by one person, but is a tandem; will carry comfortably 2 folks, a kid or two or some camping equipment. I've owned canvas/wood, aluminum, fiberglas; this Kevlar Adirondack is the best yet.

07-11-1999
Submitted by: Mark - Rating: 9 of 10
     I own the Royalex model.It has great stability and handling.I love the canoe. My only gripe is that the seats could be a little more comfortable.

07-01-1999
Submitted by: TucsonDude - Rating: 10 of 10
     I'm in my 70's; am able to get this 39 lb. Kevlar canoe on and off the car single-handed. She paddles best solo with 20-25 lbs weight at stern, paddling from the forward thwart (I kneel). She's great, tandem or solo.

01-18-1999
Submitted by: Brad E. - Rating: 10 of 10
     This was my first canoe. So I am by no means, an expert. But, in the first season I used it, I have had a ball! I use it for fishing, mostly. It solos well from the bow seat. And, I have never been over worked by it! It's made of royalex, and weighs 67lbs. Handles like a dream.

11-27-1998
Submitted by: Dan - Rating: 7 of 10
     Kevlar lightweight layup. Good speed and load capacity for its lenth. Easy to hold a straight line, yet turns very well. Uncomfortable web seats.

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