I am thinking of upgrading my boat, and have found a used DAGGER ANIMAS for sale. I am very interested in this kayak, but it is difficult to find information about it, due to the fact that it is no longer in production. I would welcome all opinions and advice about this kayak. I currently own an OT Sport boat (recreational kayak), and I know that my kayak has many limitations. I just ran my first river in it last weekend (Chestatee River in Dahlonega, GA), and it did well in Class I rapids, but I am looking to move onto Class III and IV rapids in the future. I have heard that the ANIMAS is the swiss-army knife of kayaks, but I have also heard that it’s design is old and out dated. Thank you for the help.
HAPPY PADDLIN,
cgbjdc77
Look here on paddling.net
in the product review section under Dagger. Also Boatertalk.com has a few reviews, look in resources, reviews, playboat section (although not a playboat). There is a single review at kayaknews.ca, choose from comparison engine. It is “old school” and long by today’s standards
Animas Owner Here
I bought this same boat in January of this year. I have had it on a couple of class II rivers so far. If you are wanting to spin and do enders and stearn squirts, this is not the boat for you. However, if you want to hone your whitewater skills and down river skills, this is a very comfortable forgiving boat. I have added a new backband and some foam blocks to rest my knees on. It is supposed to be very easy to learn to roll in, though I personally have not mastered this as of yet. The tail sits pretty flat in the water and can window shade ya crossing a strong eddie line. This can be countered with good technique. Remember, this review is coming from a beginner too and should be taken with a grain of salt. This advise and $4.50 will get ya a cup of coffee at Starbucks.
Good Luck,
Jay
Dagger Animus
I’m primarily a canoeist so my opinion may not be the most useful. I have an Animus and would think it would be a step up from the boat you are referring to. It is not a play boat. I bought it to do a class II down river races that is part of a triathlon and found that it competed well in terms of hull speed. I hope to get comfortable enough in it to compete in some slalom races. A slalom kayaker was jealous that I got hold of it. It’s previous owner has done class III(the Ocoee)in it. I find it to be a nice, forgiving hull and comfortable sized cockpit.
yes
Tremendous flotation and room to be comfy for big man who wants foot room. Very practical all round.
Former Animas owner
I do not recommend the Animas. There are all kinds of better boats out there, especially for someone starting out. Because of its length it is harder to control in ferries and eddy turns and because of its shape it is more likely to dump you over on a ferry. Boat designers/builders have learned a lot since the Animas was built. Take advantage of that.
Just call me BIGFOOT
I do understand that the Animas is a longer WW kayak. But that is exactly what type of boat I need in order to be able to fit my large frame. At 6’3 235lbs, with a size 16 shoe I won’t be able to fit into a tiny playboat. I believe that the DAGGER ANIMAS is the best choice for someone my size wanting a WW kayak.
HAPPY PADDLIN,
cgbjdc77
Have you tried it?
You may be surprised. The Animas is long, but it is not particularly large. When our club was looking for a boat for larger students we rejected the Animas on the grounds it was too small. If you fit in comfortably, fine. But be sure.
Have not tried it yet
My current boat is an OT sport with very tight dimensions; cockpit: 33" x 17" …9’6" length. I think the DAGGER ANIMAS will fit my frame just fine. It is very hard to locate this style kayak because it was last made in 2001. I have been looking for one in the Atlanta area. If you have some advice on where I could find one for sale at a decent price I would welcome your help.
Good Boat for Big Water
– Last Updated: Jun-04-05 10:15 PM EST –
I have a Dagger Animas and a Dagger Outlaw which is more of a playboat. I would buy the Animas and use it for a big water boat when you get better. I would also buy a "playboat" for playing. You can buy used kayaks for a few hundered dollars and just swap your gear over. The Animas isn't a "playboat" but a great boat to run big water. It has the lenght to punch holes and the speed to make difficult ferrys. If you start running real class IV water the ten foot Animas doesn't seem so big. Be Safe.
Peter
I like the Animas
because I find it easy to roll and I fit in it, 6’2" ~200 lbs. I had an RPM Max before the Animas and I found the Max to be less fun for rolling (which is how I use the WW kayak, pool rolling in the winter).
My sea kayak is a Nigel Dennis Explorer which almost rolls itself, so having a ww kayak that rolls nicely too is important to me.
I know of two for sale in my area.
One is my old Animas that I sold to a friend who now wants to sell it himself. Another is a friend in the area whose boat is shown on:
http://www.geocities.com/redlegendwhitehull/dagger.html
I don’t know what either is asking but they are both in good shape. It would cost about $50 to ship a boat from mid Michigan where I am to Atlanta. I know that both people are eager to sell so it probably would be a good idea to offer what you want to pay. If they say no, nothing lost. Personally I don’t think anyone should pay more than $300 for an Animas in excellent condition. The market rate is closer to $200 to $250.
LETS MAKE A DEAL!!!
Hey Dr. Disco, Thank you for all your help and advice. I was wondering if you could give me some info or send me some pics of your former boat. I would like to talk to your friend about buying his DAGGER ANIMAS KAYAK. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter, please feel free to e-mail me with any questions or comments: cgbjdc77@yahoo.com
HAPPY PADDLIN,
JEFF