Description The Blackwater is a quick recreational kayak featuring a unique, drop-down skeg for better tracking and performance. Excellent on lakes and reservoirs and stable enough to ride out the chop. Full-size stern hatch provides room to store your day-tripping gear; the stern bulkhead keeps it dry. The skeg poises inside the hull for maneuvering through twisty, tree-choked backwaters or rocky areas and readily delivers arrow-straight tracking. Features seat with adjustable backrest, adjustable footbraces, security bar, carrying toggles and molded-in graphics. Made of durable, recyclable and repairable EXL(TM) superlinear polyethylene. Features built-in drop skeg, stern access hatch with one-piece Sure-seal molded rubber hatch cover and recessed deck fittings. .
Summary: Ok first I must say that Campmor (NJ) is the place to go, it's worth the trip. I bought a Blackwater and a Catalyst there two years ago. Fully outfitted for two paddlers at about $1,700...this included life vest, paddles, boats and and few other minor things. The Blackwater is excatly like they decribe it very stable easy to manuver but slow when compared to the Catalyst. The front sits up a little high and can be pushed by a strong wind. However, it still is a great boat but if you will be more on big water and less on winding rivers I would suggest the Catalyst. My 6 year old nephew went in the blackwater and did not tip it over to show how stable that boat is. Yes, he was closely supervised but did not come close tipping it.
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Review Date June 6, 2007
Overall Rating 4 of 5
Value Rating 4 of 5
Visitors rate this review 5.00 of 5,
1.00 votes
Reviewed by: Kurt Schlunegger(Unregistered User)
,
Skier
Summary: I bought the black water because I thought it would suit the river that I lived on. Lots of twisty cyprus choked turns with drop pools, then stretches of flat, then shallow wide spots. It has worked out great. It is not as fast as my old town on the flats, but the added safety of "must have" quick turns is such a fair trade!!
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Summary: I bought the 11.5 Blackwater last summer and paddled it about 15 times last season, mostly on local creeks and a reservoir. The seat isn't that comfortable, however this year's model has an inflatable lumbar support. I'm going to try an inflatable lumbar cushion I saw in a catalog this year. The rear storage bulkhead leaks a little. The hull seems a little flimsy especially compared to my wife's Wilderness System Pamlico although the Dagger is a few pounds lighter in weight, and was a bit cheaper. The tracking of this boat is terrible with the skeg up, much better with it down. The bow seems to plow water making it a comparitively slow boat. The boat turns easily and is better suited for narrow twisting streams than flatwater. I'm going to give it another season but I'm thinking about upgrading. I'll probably keep the boat as a third kayak for friends and family to use when necessary. If most of your paddling is going to be on flatwater, try another model. I love my wife's 12' Pamlico the Wilderness System boats have the most comfortable seat available.
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Review Date July 13, 2003
Overall Rating 3 of 5
Value Rating 3 of 5
Visitors rate this review 1.00 of 5,
2.00 votes
Reviewed by: bob (Unregistered User)
,
Paddler
, from st.louis, mo
Summary: Had the Blackwater out on the Jack Fork. It performed well in the shollow waters. A couple of idems that need refinement. The skeg was hanging upwhen retracked.. removed the velcrow and it drops fine now. Also... the placement of the eyes for the skeg draw string was not good.. I scraped my elbow on it several time and will need to be relocated.. seat needs some padding... sat on a cushon
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Review Date November 28, 2002
Overall Rating 5 of 5
Value Rating 5 of 5
Visitors rate this review 5.00 of 5,
3.00 votes
Reviewed by: Anthony (Unregistered User)
,
Paddler
, from Minneapolis
Summary: This past summer I convinced 3 fellow friends to purchase the Dagger Blackwaters, and have not had a single complaint about them, So away we went. Rivers, rapid creeks, and huges lakes are perfect for these 'yaks'. Very stable in design and comfortable cockpits. Foot pegs are very easy to adjust, even when seated in the cockpit. Skeg is great for tracking and can easily be dropped. Highly recomended to anybody whose getting in to kayaking.
Customer Service: No need
Similar Products Used: Dagger Zydeco
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