Just curious about how the maneuverability and handling are in relation to other boats you might have paddled.
It’s heavy compared to the composite offerings in the pack boat genre, but similar in weight to poly kayaks in the same length range and much lighter than most poly SOTs in the same length range.
I would get the green color, if I were to get one.
This appears to be a much more paddler friendly boat than the Discovery 119 or the Pack, with the feature of tumblehome that the other two don’t have.
October release
According to their promo stuff, these are not supposed to hit the stores until October (probably hoping to get the Christmas biz.) Apparently they have been hauling a set of the fruit flavors to the boat shows, but other than the square-jawed Ken and Barbie models in the glitzy print ads and the bunch of good ole’ boys paddling in the videos, I have yet to hear of anyone encountering a Next in the flesh.
I’d be more tempted if it was 10 lbs lighter, but you can’t have everything. I do like the purty kellers…
if it’s true to it’s model name…
…then it’ll never be released!
Anybody paddled or seen one yet?
Not yet.
But I do think they’re missing out by not offering it in camo.
LOL
Free beer tomorrow!
I haven’t paddled one first!
wonder where
We have so few outfitters in SW Pennsylvania now and virtually none that offer on-the-water testing anymore. October has seemed an odd time to release a new boat, unless they are banking on selling them for Christmas gifts. I’d love to check one out but have no clue where to see them. Instead of recycling the flashy ads it would be more useful if Old Town would publish a list of who actually put them into stock this month.
Hey Floridians!
Chime in…
I have seen some on the trailer leaving Old Town Maine… not prime time for testing here in Maine.
Next time I visit St. Pete…
I’ll ask at Canoe Country. They handle OT, and they have a 'yak I want to try. Maybe in a couple of weeks, I’ll have an answer.
T
Big box item?
Aren’t these things more likely to show up at a big box store rather than an outfitter? Regardless, they look kinda fun.
Its length, width, weight, and rocker
are similar to the 50 pound FG Mad River Compatriot that was my first solo canoe in 1973. I think the NEXT is more flat-bottomed, whereas my Compatriot was strongly V-bottomed.
In ‘73 I weighed about 200, and both the Compatriot and the NEXT are too small for that weight, especially on wavy lakes and river haystacks. I used to bail a lot, in spite of anticipatory evasive action.
53 pounds isn’t light for a 13’ solo. Our ~17 Bluewater weighs 48 pounds.
Anyway, I think the NEXT will be a fairly big hit, and a lot of newbies will end up with a boat that’s a bit too small. That’s what the Compatriot was for me. Now I have a MR Guide Solo, 14.5 feet, good capacity, that sits high on the water and spins and planes. No more overloaded bitsy boat.
Ho hum…
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
BOB
Sleeps in class.
That’s OK, we weren’t trying to teach you anything.
Until…
Until such time as Old Town gets the Next into the hands of competent, experienced paddlers; all is conjecture & speculation, in my opinion.
Back to my nap ZZZZZZZZZZZZ
:^/
BOB
Pack Tumblehome
Tumblehome in pack canoes is helpful, the narrowed paddling station improving reach to the water, allowing more vertical strokes, and the higher cadence that comes with shorter paddles.
Most Pack Canoes are flared hulls coming from one piece molds as per Adk C & K, GRE, Hemlock, Hornbeck, NorthStar, Savage, Slipstream and Wenonah. Tumblehome costs more to strip, tool, mold and manufacture. The few tumblehomes pack’s; Mad River’s Serenade, Placid’s entire line and Swift’s Kee 14 are now joined by OT’s Element/Kayu/Next.
Placid and Swift infuse in two piece molds using carbon, Kevlar and Innegra, the hulls coming in at 19-25 lbs, superbly outfitted, and priced at the top of the market.
Mad River, after a year of 45 lb fiberglass boats options a 30 lb Kevlar hull for 2015. Still 20% heavy for the genre due to outfitting, it represents an MRC entry for discerning paddlers
Enter OT with a tumblehomed, triple dump made unit priced near the pack canoe market’s bottom. Most folks toting pack canoes across multiple portages, will not be enamored of hefting 50 lbs when alternatives can be had under 20.
Next may put pressure on mid level pack canoes for more ergometric designs; how embarrassing to find your successive, 30 lb mid-level pack doesn’t paddle as well as your entry level unit? It’ll be interesting on the beaches this spring.
what fun would it be otherwise?
heavy!!!
– Last Updated: Oct-28-14 7:11 AM EST –
Hi!
My local dealer here in Germany weighed the OT Next. The result was 64 lbs!
http://helmi-sport.eshop.t-online.de/epages/Shop40733.sf/de_DE/?ObjectPath=/Shops/Shop40733/Products/03351003
Dang! It’s supposed to be 55 lbs
with the seat.
heavy!!!
Of course with seat! Or does anybody weigh his car without seat?
Old Town announced 49 lbs for the Next. Later they corrected to 53 lbs. Now the truth is 64.
I have two canoes from Old Town (Penobscot 16 and Disco 119) and I like them. Their weigh is a little bit higher than announced. Ok, a little bit, no worries! But now the difference in weigh is 20% and I’m a little bit astonished. I thought about purchasing a next but now I think I will save much money (price in Europe is 1350 € = 1700 Dollar).