Recent content by NikonF5user

From what I have read, the T-Formex lite is not only a thinner material, but also lighter parts as well. So it is a full package and not just a difference in layup. Apparently this is why you can only get T-Formex lite in some models, Esquif apparently needs to structure the lighter components...

A complication with rocker is that there is no industry standard for the measurement. Is it the difference in "height" from 12" from the stem, difference from the lowest point on the hull, or difference from some other point? Any of them can count as a rocker measurement - so comparing rocker...

I have strong feelings about this - I think many companies fail to recognize how empowering a productive combination of social media and web presence can be - Bill Swift is pretty good at it - but a coordinated Facebook / YouTube / Instagram / Website presence is lacking for most manufacturers...

I am surprised to see references to a difference in dimensions between Swift and Bell StarFIREs - does anyone know if this holds true for the WildFIRE as well? My Swift WildFIRE feels a bit more playful than did my Bell (but the Bell I had was an early white-gold layup, and from what I have read...

Sounds like you're in the market for a Hornbeck!

Oh man - I was out there this weekend! Just a few miles away. Cool stuff! P.S. AAAAWWWEEEEESSSSOOOOMMMMEEEEE BOAT!!!!

If you watch YouTube videos about the Phoenix, you'll see many paddlers using it with a double-bladed paddle. The WF would be similar. Not something I personally do (mainly because I typically kneel), but I do not see why it wouldn't work. Here is a video of a Phoenix being paddled with a...

One thing about the WildFIRE is that it responds VERY well to corrective strokes. If you are into "hit and switch" paddling, the WildFIRE (or Phoenix for that matter) will likely not be as enjoyable for you. If you enjoy C-strokes and J-strokes and/or maneuvering with "freestyle" techniques...

The WildFIRE is my all-time favorite boat, so I am biased, but here are some thoughts about the two in comparison. First off, I am positive that if you do some searching through the threads on this forum, you will find many comparisons between the two. But here are my $0.02 worth: The WildFIRE...

I think I am wrong about the depth of the Huron - there is a mistake on the Esquif website. It is 12.5" tall (not 14.5 as it says on the Esquif website), so about a half-inch shorter than the Camper and Pathfinder. I personally probably would still use it for backcountry trips, but at that...

Be sure not to mix up the Huron with the Heron - the Huron is the cut-down 15' Prospecteur - a boat I personally have not paddled, but about which I am also very curious. It is a fantastic option to paddle backwards as a solo - MANY do. With two people you will not have a ton of potential for...

I may be making this up, but I believe I have seen (somewhere in my travels) an Esquif Prospecteur 15 set up from the factory as a solo. Not sure if they would draw in the sides a bit for you if so, but that would be a relatively inexpensive solo that cost 2/3 to 1/2 as much as a comparable...

New post to an older thread - just out of curiosity I have been looking at train-in / train-out routes to Wabakimi - can you not take the train with canoe from Toronto or Sudbury Junction (and back)? Guessing Toronto could be an issue dealing with the canoe and parking long-term, but I would...

Oh I very much want to do a train-in / train-out route in Wabakimi - that would be a MAGICAL trip!!!

DCF I am unfamiliar with - I will check them out, thanks! Where do you find their stuff (or do you order direct)?