Dagger Meridian SKS

 Could anyone share thier experiances with this boat? Is $1,600 a reasonable price for a 2001 in good comdidion? I am a newbie to kayaks but have many years in canoes and don't want to get stuck with some heavy barge to learn in.<br />

Thanks, Chris

if it’s in very good condition
it’s a reasonable price, it’s not made anymore and some folks like it a lot.

Be certain
to have the chance to check for leaks. The construction of the dagger composite boats went south for a while…many had leak issues around skeg box.

Jamie

Good boat…
inspired by the NDK Romany. Bigger cockpit, higher decked, wider, flatter hull than the Romany.



Many like the Meridian. The SKS is particularly sweet.

Yeah - inspect first
The boat is great. I think it’s the best all around non-white water kayak ever designed by a North American company. They kinda borrowed from the brits on this one, but did a good job of it. But we did see one that was just terribly made, so you should make sure that it floats and stays dry.

It’s a great design!
I have a 2002 Meridian for sale. It’s fiberglass, skeg free, in excellent condition for 1475. I live in central California and can email pictures if anyone is interested.



Bob

Well-liked boat

– Last Updated: Oct-03-05 12:29 PM EST –

Cathy, one of the owners of H2Outfitters (a touring and teaching company that has been around a while) loves this boat. It would be a good day boat and would work fine for multiday camping.

Oh, and while Cathy is an expert, don't be put off the Meridian by that. Unless you are very unsure of your self, you won't have any problems with this boat and you won't need to get rid of it when you get more experience (That is, it should be a good boat to start out with and you'll be able to use it, happily, for a long time).

Nice boat
One of my favorite kayaks of all time. I’d buy it. Seems to me though, I saw one at the kayak store in Cedar Rapids, IA for less than that brand new. You may want to google and see if you can find the place.

Meridian
A couple of the instructors at Calif Canoe and Kayak in Half Moon Bay also have this boat and swear by them.

Curious, how does it compare
to a Poseiden (now called Romany HV) or the Romany itself in terms of performance and handling on the water since it is suppose to be very close to them in hull design? Seen one with and one without a skeg. Does it need one?

Black River Outfitters in Georgetown,
SC has a new one for that price. It has a purple deck.

Meridian - Romany

– Last Updated: Oct-05-05 12:28 PM EST –

I own a Romany and have paddled a Meridian.

The Romany seems more playful and does not share the Meridian's tendency to crab.

I also prefer the snugger fit and lower decks of the Romany. I am 6' 165-170, a larger person may feel differently.

crab?
I’m probably going to sound like an idiot here, but I’ve never heard this term applied to kayaks. What do you mean by a tendency to crab?



Thanks,

Bryan

new to me

Crab
Yaw???

me thinks
crab maybe the tendency for the hull to sideslip whist underway. The Meridian is a loose, balanced hull and has a tendency to wander around a bit. This, of course, could be callled ‘spirited’ or ‘sporty’ and it DOES make for a real fun ride in surf/ swell.



I just had one out at Pillar point (Maverick’s Neighborhood) in a 4-5’ swell and it was quite fun. returning back to the harbor was a challenge w/o a skeg to help the tracking. You had to paddle on one side only to go straight.



steve

Meridian
I have paddled a Meridian SK for four years. It is an agile boat that is a lot of fun to paddle. It turns easily with edging, and is very easy to learn to roll with. It holds enough gear for a week-long camping trip if you pack carefully. The only bad behavior is that it tends to turn sideways when caught by waves from the rear, even with a skeg.



You don’t mention your size. The Meridian is a smaller boat. I am 6’ and 180 lbs, and the SK fits me well. However, size 12 or larger feet would be a tight fit in the cockpit. The SKS has a cut-down deck that makes it even smaller.

that makes sense
it’s a good thing in bumpy stuff