Hi, I’m new to the forum so I apologize if this topic is covered elsewhere (I have not found it yet).
I am interested in comparison of 3 boats:
Sawyer DY Special
Bell Magic
Wenonah Advantage
I am interested in comparison of hull design only, not finish details etc. I suspect that they are very similar boats but wanted to get other perspectives. I have a DY Special and am looking for another boat to be very much like it. The Magic and Advantage seem pretty close so I’m wondering what others have experienced.
I’ve looked at the manufactures sites for my info to date.
I have not found a magazine that has head to head comparisons. If anyone knows of a good article comparing these boats, I’d like to know about it.
Thanks
DY vs Advantage vs Magic
I recall the DY Special having a rounder bottom (so more secondary stability) than the Advantage but also being a bit slower than the Advantage, especially in shallow water. I thought the DY was a bit wet compared to me Mad River Tempest, a rough water version of a J-boat.
Never paddled the Bell Magic, though one racer said it oil canned when he did. Most of the solo paddlers around me prefer the Grasse River Boatworks Classic XL which was faster and more seaworthy than any of the above three boats.
– Andrew
A couple of comments
I paddled both the Advantage and DY a number of years ago. I was younger,fitter,leaner and on the up side of a promising career. At that time I had been doing a lot of racing and I favored the Advantage over the DY mostly based on speed more then anything else.
Flash foward a number of years and I am older,heavier, and on the down side of a mediocre career and I am looking for a boat I can paddle for fitness on those days when the water is too nervous for my J200. I try an Advantage and although I like it I find it to be to close to the J200 to make a huge difference. At the same time I had a chance to pick up a DY at a good price. I like the DY now as it feels more stable in choppy water and the fact that I can load up with lunch and a few things a go out for a long paddle, and I can still use it for a good workout.
my $.02
I own a DY and have paddled both the Advantage and Magic. In my humble opinion, the DY and Advantage are very similar. The DY is more stable. The speed/efficiency is very close. Both are fine cruisers. I love the adjustible 4-way seat on Sawyer solos. The Magic is also plenty efficient but lacks the top end speed of the other two. The Magic is fuller throughout with more room for gear. I haven’t paddled it in a chop, but would expect it to have a drier ride.