WHICH MODEL SHOULD I CHOOSE?
We hope the information below helps you narrow down your search for the boat of your dreams. As a general rule of thumb, the longer the boat the better it tracks in open water. The shorter the boat the easier it is to maneuver in tight, curvy streams. But there are several variables like shear, flare, tumblehome, and rocker that also impact the performance of a boat. For this reason, we encourage you to test paddle our various models. You’ll surely find a boat that fits you perfectly.
WHICH LAMINATE SHOULD I CHOOSE?
The Ultra laminate is by far our most popular lay-up – a nice balance of strength, durability, and light portage weight. It has interior and exterior graphite blankets oriented at +45/-45 degrees and 0/90 degrees. In between those blankets are layers of double-weight aramid and graphite. A number of graphite and aramid end pieces add strength and durability.
The Xpedition laminate replaces the inner graphite blanket of the Ultra laminate with a double-weight aramid interior; the remainder of the lay-up is identical. This strengthens the quarters above waterline at the price of a few pounds of extra portage weight. Good for people who aren’t necessarily easy on their gear or are doing expedition stuff.
The MavLam, named after our beloved sweet and gentle spokesdog, Maverick, is full Max5 camo fabric inside and out, including fully wrapped rails and thwarts. It is a completely different laminate, containing primarily aramid and some graphite. Due to the extra camo veil layers, it weighs a bit more than our two more common laminates. Ideal for the waterfowler as well as photographers and those wanting to get closer to wildlife.
The MavLam camo pattern helps you disappear in wetland and woodland settings
New for 2024! The Eclipse laminate. This is our minimalist offering – essentially an Ultra laminate without gel coat above waterline. The Eclipse is available with no gel coat on bottom as well for ultimate lightweight, but the bottom gel coat is highly recommended for long-term durability and abrasion resistance. Other weight saving options include carbon end caps and minimalist footpegs. (Requires sun protection when not in use such as a storage cover or periodic application of 303 Aerospace Protectant)
WHICH SEAT SHOULD I CHOOSE?
Our carbon molded pedestal seats have undergone several iterations of R&D to come up with the most comfortable pack canoe seats available.
Although there is a slight difference in sit-bone-height-from-floor height between our seats (1.625” between the lowest and highest), “seat height” is a actually bit of a misnomer. What is really noticeable between them is the backangle when measured from the forward edge of the seat to the sitbone “pocket.”
You’ll find all of our seats comfortable and stable. The higher the seat, the less backangle there is, putting you in a more upright position. This allows you to engage your core more in your paddle stroke. More core equals a more powerful forward stroke. Fishermen and taller paddlers generally gravitate to the low or medium seat while smaller paddlers, fitness paddlers, and canoe racers often choose the high seat.
If you order a boat before you have a chance to demo seats, we do offer seat selection and installation on the day of pickup (but we really appreciate knowing ahead of time, if at all possible). You can simply paddle our demo model of the boat you’re getting on the pond outside of our shop with each seat and select the one that works best for you. All seats come with the popular NSI PADZ closed mini cell foam pad adhered directly to the seat.
Our seats are stackable; any of our higher seats will stack on top of any of our lower seats, leaving you different seat options for, say, another paddler using the boat or for paddling with a single blade paddle (a higher seat is nice). Stacked seats are held in place during portages with a simple lasso system.
CHOOSE YOUR WOOD END DECKS
We consider the Placid Boatworks signature wooden end decks as the cherry on top. As a finishing touch you can choose from these 6 options to make your boat uniquely yours:
Ebony
Golden Oak
Green Mountain Camo
Midnight Camo
Old School Placid
White Oak