• Happy Weed Appreciation Day! 🌱🌿🌻

Old Town Discovery Sportsman vs Old Town Next?

Joined
May 21, 2023
Messages
54
Reaction score
27
Location
Maine
My local sport shop has both of these canoes and I have been trying to choose between the two. They have the Discovery Sportsman 119 for $850 abd the Next 130 for $900.

I plan to use it for mostly fishing but also just paddling and maybe some solo multiday trips. I know the Discovery is geared more towards fishing but which is the overall better canoe? I’m thinking the Next is the better canoe/value at $900, am I wrong?

Thanks!
 
My usual advice in situations like this is to go try each of them out and see which one feels better to you. Bart Hauthaway used to say that "You don't get in and out of small boats, you wear them." Good luck,

Benson
 
Thanks Benson! Not sure I’d have a chance to try them both out before I buy. I wish that were an option! I’m leaning towards the Discovery since I’ll be car topping it, the lighter weight and shorter length would be nice.

Have read that the seat in the Next is extremely comfy though which I could use with my lower back problems. The Discovery seat is padded and looks comfortable as well as the padded armrests…. Hmmm
 
I was in the market for a solo canoe last summer and after a lot of research had narrowed by choices down between a Hornbeck and a
Old Town NEXT. Having had two back surgeries and multiple surgeries on both legs, I went with the NEXT because of the seat and being able to get in and out easily. After several canoe camping trips to the Adirondacks I found the NEXT to be the perfect rig for me. I was able to paddle for hours without any discomfort to my back or legs. For car topping you can remove the seat by simply pulling 4 pins and lifting the seat out. Removing the seat will get the weight down to around 50 pounds. The NEXT is very stable, tracks well and should be great to fish out of. 20221001_094601.jpg
 
Excellent, thanks! I was concerned about the extra 15” of the Next while car topping as well but after laying a tape measure out next to my car, they are both short enough to fit easily.

Glad to hear about your experience with it. I’ve already had one surgery for a herniated disc and I have 3 more bulging discs in my lower back and one in my neck. It is fine most of the time but if I can get a canoe that I can paddle in without causing me any extra grief than all the better!

I had read a few negative reviews about the seat falling out of the tracks while paddling the Next. Has this happened to you and did you find a solution or has Old Town remedied this completely? Being able to take the seat out before loading would be very nice too!

The NEXT seat has a sort of recliner look to it which would probably be better for me. Any chair with a vertical back seems to give my back problems but if I can recline just a few degrees I think it helps my spine not to compress as much….

Thanks for the input!
 
I read those remarks about the seat falling out of the tracks before buying and that was one of the first things I took a closer look at. After paddling a few hours, I really don't see any problem under normal conditions. It seems to me that you would have to work at it to make it fall out.
The back of the seat can be adjusted to recline to what every position is most comfortable. Also, the seat will move frontward and backward to trim the canoe. I also found the adjustable foot pegs really helps with the back.
 
My local sport shop has both of these canoes and I have been trying to choose between the two. They have the Discovery Sportsman 119 for $850 abd the Next 130 for $900.

I plan to use it for mostly fishing but also just paddling and maybe some solo multiday trips. I know the Discovery is geared more towards fishing but which is the overall better canoe? I’m thinking the Next is the better canoe/value at $900, am I wrong?

Thanks!
Length is critical for canoes. My hunch is you'll be faster, float higher, and have more space the Next.

Good luck
 
JJ, welcome to site membership! Feel free to ask any questions and to post messages, photos and videos in our many forums. Please read Welcome to CanoeTripping and Site Rules! Also, please add your location to your profile, which will cause it to show under your avatar, as this is a geographic sport. We look forward to your participation in our canoe community.

I haven't paddled either canoe but here is a video that compares them:


If you can't test paddle them, you should at least sit in them at the dealer to see which seat seems more comfortable for your bad back.

Based on specs and shape, I'd likely prefer the Next because it is more capacious, and hence can hold more gear with more freeboard, and is likely to be a faster canoe on lakes and flat water. The weights are comparable, so that wouldn't be a deciding factor. I also like the movability and removability of the Next's seat, which you can probably use on land as a camp chair too.

Of course, in a boat that length I'd most prefer a 15-25 lb. composite canoe, but they would cost a lot more than $900.
 
Thanks guys! I will ask to sit in each of them before I buy but now the NEXT is looking better and better to me. More space and higher load capacity for basically the same weight. I know its a few pounds heavier which would only matter if I loaded it onto my car without removing the seat. Like Penns suggested, I would most likely remove the seat during transport anyway…

I will update my profile and read the rules. When I joined I was a little overexcited to get some opinions on which boat to buy!
 
What size kayak paddle would you guys recommend? I’m 6’ tall…. A 260cm?
Most mass manufacturers don't go above 240. I have an Aleut one piece paddle made by a friend that I no longer use ..It is 260 cm or thereabouts..Too big for me. For fishing you might find it just getting in your way. It is wood but not clunky.
Whereabouts in Maine are you? I looked at the Shaw and Tenney site and their doubles go for almost 500! I would like 125 and no I can't mail it.. I will be going Greenville way in a couple of weeks.
 
Hey yellow, thanks for the offer! I live near Bangor so I am not too far from Greenville. I just picked up a $50 adjustable paddle today that goes from 210-240cm I think. I figure I can use that to gauge what size I want before I buy something nice to use. I’m a complete novice so using a cheap paddle won’t bother me if I’ve never used a nice one haha. If it turns out that I do need something in the 260cm range I am def. interested. Yours is a kayak paddle right?

Well, I ended up with the sportsman discovery. I sat in one at Dicks Sporting Goods and the seat was not as comfy as the NEXT seat but I don’t think either seat will hurt my back any more than the other. Something about the smaller discovery just spoke to me I guess so I went with it. I hope I didn’t make the wrong choice but we don’t know what we don’t know. Actually now that I have lifted this canoe at 56lbs, I’m thinking if ever I do upgrade I want something lighter lol. 50lbs is no problem for me to lift (most days) but I see why you guys value lightweight canoes so much. I was thinking “What’s the big deal, it’s only 50lbs” but it is an akward 50lbs lol. I’m going to hawkeye the local classifieds and maybe get my hands on an elusive Old Town Pack or something lighter…

Here she is…

I need a longer rope for my seat though. The one I tried in Dicks reclined all the way as the rope was long enough. The rope on mine is too short so the seat will not recline all the way or fall all the way forward… I wonder If Old Town would sell me a length of it??
IMG_1773.jpeg
 
Enjoy your new canoe, JJ. Here is a short thread from last August on double paddle length. I'm sure there are others that can be found via our search function.

 
Glad you found the canoe that's right for you. Looking forward to seeing your posts and pics out on the water.
 
..

I need a longer rope for my seat though. The one I tried in Dicks reclined all the way as the rope was long enough. The rope on mine is too short so the seat will not recline all the way or fall all the way forward… I wonder If Old Town would sell me a length of it??

They might give you one if you call. If it's not the same as the one on the floor then it's really their error, however small. In the good ole days you could just go up to the factory store in Old Town for spares, but I don't think it ever reopened after covid.
 
In the good ole days you could just go up to the factory store in Old Town for spares, but I don't think it ever reopened after covid.

The old store has been converted to office space so will probably never open again, unfortunately.

Benson
 
Well, I found out pretty quick that the Discovery Sportsman wasn’t going to for for me. I ended up landing on the Discovery 119 because I thought it’s shorter length and being more compact would make it easier to lift and load but after thinking about it and the way I load it onto my car the extra 15” of the Next would actually help me. And the fact that there are no arm rests sticking up over the gunnels means I can slide it easily up onto the racks.

Also I prefer the more open style of the Next. The Discovery has too much going on for me in too small a space and felt cramped. I’m sure its great if that’s what your looking for and I know I didn’t really give it a fair shake but since buying it I could not help thinking that I made the wrong choice.

So……. I swapped it for the Next which I took out fishing and paddling this morning and had a great time. I’m a novice so I can’t speak to it’s performance or anything but I liked it and it seemed pretty darn stable for such a thin short boat. I’ve seen pictures of people standing up fishing in it, I’ll never try that lol. I love the “shelf” under the seat, it fots a couple bottles of water perfectly. And Penn was right, this seat is very nice!

Can’t wait to get a lot more time in it and happy I made the swap!IMG_1781.jpegIMG_1786.jpeg
 
They might give you one if you call. If it's not the same as the one on the floor then it's really their error, however small. In the good ole days you could just go up to the factory store in Old Town for spares, but I don't think it ever reopened after covid.
Sorry I did not see the last few posts! I did call and they sent me a longer rope no problem at all!
 
I think I for sure need a longer paddle as well. I had to be extra careful and paddle awkwardly w/ the 240cm so as not to get wet. I’m going to go pick up a 260cm.

Yellow, I will pass on the paddle but I do appreciate your offer. I think a 2 piece paddle with the adjustable angle will suit me better.

Are Carlisle paddles good quality? I assume they are since they are made by Old Town. I want something good quality for not much money (don’t we all lol).
 
Back
Top