Hey everyone,

I'm 52, 5-11, 250 (for now - working my way down, but as of now, I'm searching with the reality that I'm 250. LOL) ...I've been looking for my first canoe for the past couple of months. Better late than never. :)

I'm more used to kayaks, but want the light portability of a canoe with some light carry capacity for camping gear. I'll spend more time traveling and fishing on lakes than rivers. And if I do paddle a river, it'll be a lazy river. I have no interest in rapids.

I'm looking at short trips for the most part, with a trip to the BW once a year. We visited the Gunflint Trail this past June, and my family is addicted.

I've been drawn to the Swift Prospector 14 Pack for a while - took it for a test paddle at Rutabaga a few weeks ago, and loved it. It was a breezy day, and the boat handled wonderfully with the double paddle.

but...

I just found out about the Placid RapidFire. What a beautiful boat. ...and really, so is the Placid Spitfire13. Not even sure if the latter is doable. So now I'm hemming and hawing. The Prospector 14 Pack and the RapidFire (also a pack) are two wildly different hulls. And at first I didn't think I'd use the boat for much more than fishing and occasional overnighters or a 2-3 nighter. But now... the possibility of using the boat for exercise and just plain efficiency as well as fishing has put it's bug in my ear.

I really want to know more about this boat, but there are little to no reviews anywhere. I would love to test paddle this boat, but being in SE Wisconsin, there isn't much of chance of me making the 15 hour drive to Placid, NY for a test paddle. Just don't have the time this fall.

My biggest concern about the RapidFire is stability - being that it's rather narrow. So if anyone here paddles a RapidFire, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the boat.

If anyone here paddled a Rapidfire and chose a different boat, I'd love to know why you went elsewhere.

I've seen a YouTube video where Cragdwella paddles his Rapidfire into a heavy wind on a big lake with some serious chop. And the boat looked very solid. ...not that I plan on taking on 12" waves often. I've watched quite of CDW's videos now, to see that RapidFire on the water, and the more I see it, the more I like it. But again - it's so different than the Swift Prospector 14 Pack...

- Signed, Conflicted. :)

Thanks,

c

EDIT! To add: I love the thought of carrying a light boat - and the Rapidfire is upwards of 8-10 lbs less than the Swift Prospector 14 Pack. The Prospector is 12" shorter than the Rapidfire. And if I need to bushwhack into remote fishing lake, or walk a long portage, the Rapidfire's weight is very appealing.

Hi - I have only demo'd the rapidfire for about 30-40 min so take this for what it's worth. I tested it on 4th lake in the adirondack fulton chain and that day it was quite windy with 1' + waves and the occasional whitecap. The boat did great - my first time in a pack canoe and the first 5 min or so felt a little wobbly, given the conditions, but after that no problem with stability - learned to kinda roll with it. It paddled well in the waves, went generally where I wanted it to go, did not take on any water over the rails, and did not seem to weathercock with the wind. I really like that boat and the construction was top notch.
If you are used to kayaks this seemed like an open top kayak to some degree.

never was in a Swift canoe of any kind.

I test paddled the Hornbeck Classic and New Tricks. The New Trucks seems similar to the Rapid Fire in dimensions. I found it too unstable for my taste. The much wider Classic was also not comfortable plus sitting on the bottom made getting in and out challenging, but probably would have gotten use to it.

I ended up with a Swift Prospector 14 Pack. Very stable, not sure I could dump if I tried, and their pack seat is maybe 4 or 5 inches high, enough to allow me to tuck my legs back or cross them. Also allows double blade which was not as easy on the Hornbecks. I think quite light at 29 pounds, but not as light as Hornbecks or Placid Boat Works.

6-1, 220, almost 70.

MagicPaddler on this site is not too far from you (N side of Chicago I think) and has a Rapidfire. Not sure if he'd let you paddle it, but you could ask.

I saw one in-person for the first time about 4 weeks ago in the bwca - might even have been MagicPaddler. MP, if you read this - were you on the Kawishiwi River, headed to Malberg, on the 26th of July?

I am following this thread because I am also very interested in the Rapidfire. I ended up buying a used Advantage, but I am still looking for a chance to try a Rapidfire at some point. They are beautiful looking! But I want to put my butt in the seat before I would commit.

The rapid fire was a quick little speedster when I demoed one in Eagan one night. had a blast running around putting down to the rails. A bit too small for tripping in for me I felt. have you looked at Savage Rivers Illusion? It has a lot more freeboard for staying dry in waves.
Very light (16-21lbs) and able to to put a week of gear in it I felt when I had one for a time. For reference I have tripped in a Flashfire in the BWCA for a week in October.

SNS yes.
Scoobs
I have been paddling a Rapidfire for 11 years now. Love it. I still own a Magic and only use it when I need to carry a large load. I am 200 lbs and pack fairly light. Usually for a 2 week trip my gear and food weigh under 65 lbs. I can carry the canoe and a small back pack on one trip across the portages and the big pack on the second carry across the portages. Both times I did the border challenge I got my gear down to where I could single portage.
There are 3 seat options and I have the medium height seat. For a canoe the seat height is low but that makes the canoe stable. Because the seat is low the initial stability is better than the Magic for me. Because of the low seat position I need a back rest. The canoe comes with a padded cloth back rest which I did not like. I made a narrow wood one that I have used for years. The bigger a person is the less stable the canoe is (most of your body weight is above the gunnels). Frequently at bad landings to get in I will pull the canoe between my legs and set down. Cant do that with a wider canoe. I use a double paddle and usually have no trouble keeping pace with tandems in my group. On layover days there will be about 50 lbs less gear in the canoe and that makes a difference in how easy it is to paddle. At 250 lbs + gear you’re going to see a decline in the performance of the canoe although I have talk to others that frequently use the canoe at those loads.
I live in the SW burbs of Chicago and would be willing to let you test paddle the canoe. If interested send me an email.
DanCooke
If you don’t mind me asking what is your tripping weight (you + gear).

DanCooke: "The rapid fire was a quick little speedster when I demoed one in Eagan one night. had a blast running around putting down to the rails. A bit too small for tripping in for me I felt. have you looked at Savage Rivers Illusion?

***It has a lot more freeboard for staying dry in waves***.

Very light (16-21lbs) and able to to put a week of gear in it I felt when I had one for a time. For reference I have tripped in a Flashfire in the BWCA for a week in October. "

I had to mark this quote. The Rapidfire looks fantastically solid and dry in waves...

Starting at the 1 minute mark, and going through the 4 minute mark, you can get a good idea of how well the Rapidfire handles waves up to 12-18"...

Rapidfire in Big Water

Cragdwella, the paddler of the Rapidfire, confirms it "handles Big Water awesome"... :)

After trying to keep up with magicpaddler for a couple weeks a few years back I can say that is a great canoe. I’ve delivered a share of placids and the builder is very passionate about its design. When you see the scratches in magicpaddlers rapid fire you have to wonder if he remembers putting in that first one. Haha!

MagicPaddler: "SNS yes.
Scoobs
I have been paddling a Rapidfire for 11 years now. Love it. I still own a Magic and only use it when I need to carry a large load. I am 200 lbs and pack fairly light. Usually for a 2 week trip my gear and food weigh under 65 lbs. I can carry the canoe and a small back pack on one trip across the portages and the big pack on the second carry across the portages. Both times I did the border challenge I got my gear down to where I could single portage.
There are 3 seat options and I have the medium height seat. For a canoe the seat height is low but that makes the canoe stable. Because the seat is low the initial stability is better than the Magic for me. Because of the low seat position I need a back rest. The canoe comes with a padded cloth back rest which I did not like. I made a narrow wood one that I have used for years. The bigger a person is the less stable the canoe is (most of your body weight is above the gunnels). Frequently at bad landings to get in I will pull the canoe between my legs and set down. Cant do that with a wider canoe. I use a double paddle and usually have no trouble keeping pace with tandems in my group. On layover days there will be about 50 lbs less gear in the canoe and that makes a difference in how easy it is to paddle. At 250 lbs + gear you’re going to see a decline in the performance of the canoe although I have talk to others that frequently use the canoe at those loads.
I live in the SW burbs of Chicago and would be willing to let you test paddle the canoe. If interested send me an email.
DanCooke
If you don’t mind me asking what is your tripping weight (you + gear).

"

I'm literally a 52 year old newb at canoe paddling. I've paddled here and there in the past. Nothing worthy of making me feel like I'm experienced in anyway shape or form. One such time was paddling the Red Cedar River in a tandem canoe race in college, and my roommate dumped us. He loved leaning heavily into his stroke. ...apparently he didn't want to lose. LOL

I've kayaked in the past, more so than canoed, but, again, I wouldn't say I feel like I'm fantastically experienced. But I paddled and fished Parker Lake from a Kayak, and that's kind of what triggered all of this. ...should have started much sooner.

Many thanks for the offer of the test paddle - but the more I've been thinking about this, and I really spent a LOT of time yesterday and last night thinking about every detail of what I want to do, and how I want to use the boat, plus my inexperience, the Prospector 14 Pack is the direction I'm going. I've test paddled it already. In windy conditions no less, and felt perfectly stable. With a double paddle, it was certainly fast enough. Especially compared the Prospector 14 (bench seat) I test paddled with a bent paddle in the same conditions. That was a bear, and really had me deflated until the I tried the Pack with the double paddle.

This is primarily going to be used for fishing. So I do expect there is going to be a lot of idle casting, where I'm not paddling. For that, I want the boat to rock solid. The Prospector 14 Pack had that in spades.

There will be some day trips and a couple of night trips involved along the way. I haven't even begun to think about the gear (Tent, Tarp, air mattress, sleeping bag, dry pack, etc) I want for canoe camping, other than a Jet Stove. I do plan to pack very light. :)

But for now? It's me, my fishing gear, small cooler, and some camera gear with paddling in Wisconsin, and a week along the Gunflint Trail - with day trips into the BWCA.

But - being that there are ZERO reviews out there about the RapidFire (They're tough to find if there are any) - please post more in this thread. It would be much appreciated.

:)

nctry: "After trying to keep up with magicpaddler for a couple weeks a few years back I can say that is a great canoe. I’ve delivered a share of placids and the builder is very passionate about its design. When you see the scratches in magicpaddlers rapid fire you have to wonder if he remembers putting in that first one. Haha!"

He might be passionate about the design of his canoes, but he really doesn't respond to phone messages or emails very well. I know they're busy - sounds like they have a backlog of boat orders stretching out to February of 2022. Whereas, in the past, they were turning boats around in 3-4 weeks. I'm wildly happy for their success, and hope it continues, and the business grows. Right now, I believe they only have three people in the shop building boats.

But, man. Still haven't heard from them. ...which, at this point, I don't think matters too much. There's still room for one more boat in our household, my wife's solo boat - hoping to add to make it a little fleet in 2022. :)

And the Spitfire 13 would be perfect for her. ...she certainly has a LOT more options than I do right now. LOL

c

Watching the video I wonder how much load was in the canoe. From one of the comments it sounded like the canoe may have been loaded heavy in the front. It is hard to judge how big the waves were but I did not see any whitecaps. Looked like what I call rollers. Waves that are a little further apart then the length of the canoe. When you get into rollers you need to angle into them. If you go straight on into them you will take on water. I have been in what I think was rougher water than they were in and did not take on water.

MagicPaddler: "Watching the video I wonder how much load was in the canoe. From one of the comments it sounded like the canoe may have been loaded heavy in the front. It is hard to judge how big the waves were but I did not see any whitecaps. Looked like what I call rollers. Waves that are a little further apart then the length of the canoe. When you get into rollers you need to angle into them. If you go straight on into them you will take on water. I have been in what I think was rougher water than they were in and did not take on water."

Yes. Absolutely. Justin commented he may have loaded too much gear in the front. But that tiny 11" high mid hull chewed through those waves, without taking on much (if any) water...

Scoobs: "

nctry: "After trying to keep up with magicpaddler for a couple weeks a few years back I can say that is a great canoe. I’ve delivered a share of placids and the builder is very passionate about its design. When you see the scratches in magicpaddlers rapid fire you have to wonder if he remembers putting in that first one. Haha!"

He might be passionate about the design of his canoes, but he really doesn't respond to phone messages or emails very well. I know they're busy - sounds like they have a backlog of boat orders stretching out to February of 2022. Whereas, in the past, they were turning boats around in 3-4 weeks. I'm wildly happy for their success, and hope it continues, and the business grows. Right now, I believe they only have three people in the shop building boats.


But, man. Still haven't heard from them. ...which, at this point, I don't think matters too much. There's still room for one more boat in our household, my wife's solo boat - hoping to add to make it a little fleet in 2022. :)


And the Spitfire 13 would be perfect for her. ...she certainly has a LOT more options than I do right now. LOL


c"

Dang-it! Joe left a message, I called him back, and we talked about the Rapidfire and the Spitfire13. Super nice person to talk to. The RapidFire would certainly fit my measurements, and more importantly, my needs. He feels it's a very solid and stable boat - but everyone's stability is different. He felt the stability of the boat is fantastic while sitting idle in the water, and solid enough to go over big water.

Their canoes orders are booked all the way out to July of 2022. Holy cow. Congrats to Placid Boatworks.

I've made big (leap of faith) purchases in the past... But that July 22 finish date. ...I don't think I can wait that long if I was certain I wanted to pull the trigger on the Rapidfire. If I could get the boat by late April, I'd be far more tempted to order the Rapidfire...

But really? At this point. I'll be happy with whatever boat I get, because I'll finally be on the water paddling and fishing...

Just a note - I watched the video and it wasn't the guy in the Rapidfire taking on water. it was the guy in the Wenonah Wilderness. He seemed to think he was loaded bow heavy and it did look like he was "plowing" into the rollers a bit.

Laughing. I have had my RapidFire for 15 years. Its been to small lakes , big lakes, the Gulf of Maine, the Gulf of Mexico and the Everglades and Lake Superior.

I use it for day tripping at home. I can only get it to capsize by swinging both legs over.

Loaded for a trip is insanely stable. I have had 100 lbs of water besides camping gear in it for an Everglades trip where the water is usually choppy and sometimes 2-3 foot waves ( I sit out the bigger uns!)

Sorry that Joe is not more responsive. I was in a position to visit in person.

I am not a delicate person.. 200 lbs female and 50 lbs camping gear and another 100 lbs water. RF was safe but a little logy. If you can keep the load under300 lbs the performance shines.

That white patch hides a myriad of oyster bar stories. Yet it handles the abrasion. Its not a boat to fall over though. I did trip and fall into the thwart and bent it. Ran wah wah to Joe who fixed it in five minutes.

If you want a traditional solo seating Joe can build a RF with additional reinforcement to accommodate a hung seat. I have just the low seat and the fit over the low seat high seat.

MagicPaddler: "
DanCooke
If you don’t mind me asking what is your tripping weight (you + gear).

"

Flashfire tripping in the BWCA 230lbs of me at 5'10", gear and food another 45-50 lbs. most often paddle single straight blade, less often a carbon bent shaft.

Scoobs coming back to your original post"And at first I didn't think I'd use the boat for much more than fishing and occasional overnighters or a 2-3 nighter. But now... the possibility of using the boat for exercise and just plain efficiency as well as fishing has put it's bug in my ear."

Fishing from a narrow go fast canoe is often a recipe for disaster if you hook a good size fish. Exercise can happen whether the hull is efficient or not. you may get a harder workout if it is not efficient.
Efficiency is a can of worms. The hull may be efficient if the skill of the paddler matches up to how the canoe is meant to be paddled and what paddle is used and at what cadence. There are so many ifs and buts in trying to get to the bottom of will this hull be efficient for me.
Lots of good thoughts but at the end of a day of paddling if there is not a smile on your face, it may be the wrong hull for you.

I'm not the expert on this boat but I did paddle it one day (friend lent it to me). It definitely road higher in the water than my Northwinds Solo. Hips on gimble compared to the Northwinds that just plows through the water :)

HighnDry: "I'm not the expert on this boat but I did paddle it one day (friend lent it to me). It definitely road higher in the water than my Northwinds Solo. Hips on gimble compared to the Northwinds that just plows through the water :)"

What does "Hips on gimble" mean ?

However the RF with lowered seat position is way more stable than Flash with seat up high for kneeling
I have WildFire, Flash Fire and Rapid Fire. All very different. And the Dragon Fly

WHendrix: "

HighnDry: "I'm not the expert on this boat but I did paddle it one day (friend lent it to me). It definitely road higher in the water than my Northwinds Solo. Hips on gimble compared to the Northwinds that just plows through the water :)"

What does "Hips on gimble" mean ?"

Keeping your upper body still, and rotating your lower body side to side with the boat using your hips. Common when hit by boat wakes, or paddling with waves on the beam.

Thank you, although I still don't understand what it has to do with the NW solo plowing through the water.

I don't know if I can accurately explain it, but here goes. The NW has similar rocker, but the canoe sits lower in the water with a higher water line. So, one actually sits "lower" in the water than compared to the Placid. At least, that was my experience.

OK, I guess that makes sense. I found the seat in the NW solo was too low for me. I got severe leg cramps. I raised it and gave it a forward cant, much like my older Bell Magic, so I am perhaps sitting a bit higher than you are. For me it's much more comfortable.

I'd order a Rapidfire immediately if I were you. I have paddled beside Magic Paddler for a few miles on the border route and beside another friend, who paddled his Rapidfire, for the entire border route. A very impressive canoe. I was in a Savage River Blackwater. They were both double blading and I had to double blade too or I'd fall behind.

I test paddled a number of solos before buying the Prospector but u iversally in those under 28-30" wide at the waterline, my 6-1 220 69 ye old body did not feel comfortable or stable. It great that sonant people do feel the narrower boats fit, but I'd sure want to paddle it before buying. I was almost convinced to do that with a Hornbeck Classic and, after testing, am very glad I did not. Scoobs- ymmv of.

PS: I also tested with my portage packs and found they didn't fit in the narrower canoes like the Hornbeck New Tricks, and was not I retested in replacing my CCS packs.

I placed my Swift Prospector 14 Pack order through Rutabaga last week. They said I should have my boat in October. ...which should give me a bit of time to get out for a few paddles before SE Wisconsin lakes and streams freeze over.

The options I chose:
Prospector 14 Pack with the Kevlar Fusion lay-up - 31 lbs
Carbon Innegra H-Weave
Matching Skid Plates + 1.5 lbs
Carbon Thwarts and Handles - 1 lb
Universal Mount Package

Total weight should come in at 31.5 lbs. I'll likely get the Carbon Yoke (+1.5 lbs) next spring, before I head to the Boundary Waters in mid to late June, to bring the total weight of the boat to 33 lbs. Certainly weighs more than the 22 or 26 lb Rapidfire - but definitely manageable for me.

...and yes. I plan to hook a Musky in Northern Wisconsin while I'm in this boat - which is a rather large factor on why I selected this option over the Rapidfire. Plus...14' is about the longest length I can accommodate in my two-car garage for winter storage. 15' or longer is definitely pushing max capacity.

Thanks for the all the comments in this thread. They where much appreciated, and certainly made me think more clearly about my decision.

c

I know this is a bit of an older post, but I'm curious as to whether anyone out there has anything to add about the Placid Rapidfire? I have been very interested in a solo canoe with a kneeling setup, teetering back and forth between the Magic and the Swift Keewaydin. Just tonight however I noticed that there is a kneeling version of the Rapidfire! Would love to know whether anybody has tried it and has thoughts one way or another... Thanks!

NikonF5user: "I know this is a bit of an older post, but I'm curious as to whether anyone out there has anything to add about the Placid Rapidfire? I have been very interested in a solo canoe with a kneeling setup, teetering back and forth between the Magic and the Swift Keewaydin. Just tonight however I noticed that there is a kneeling version of the Rapidfire! Would love to know whether anybody has tried it and has thoughts one way or another... Thanks!"

It would be helpful to know how much weight the boat needs to carry, what type of water you plan to paddle on, and how important stability is to you.

Overall I'd say a kneeling Rapidfire is for an experienced person that's comfy with a very responsive canoe. It's a fairly radical choice and the Placid owner will point out that they don't build many. I'm a kneeling paddler but I'm happy to sit in my Rapidfire to get the advantages of a narrow/efficient boat without compromising stability. My boat has the "high" seat and it's still low and on the floor and you will definitely notice the boat getting more sensitive vs the low seat. I've owned a Magic, it's made for sitting but works OK kneeling (personally I think a more maneuverable boat would be more rewarding for a kneeler). I've got a Keewaydin 15...it's a great all around boat and super stable and comfy.

If you want an efficient, sporty boat I recommend that you consider a Northstar Trillium if you fit (250 pounds or less). It's one of the most effortless paddling boats on the market (very close to Rapidfire), it's quite maneuverable and it's plenty quick and fast, probably faster than a Magic for most people including me. And it's made for kneeling.

I am 6'1" and 215ish pounds. Generally I pack relatively light, usually I use my Osprey Atmos AG50 with drybags within (just so comfortable to carry, and decently waterproof with the drybags). Usually the total weight of the loaded pack is less than 40 pounds. If I go heavy and bring fishing gear / camp chair / fresh food, I cannot see myself ever going solo with much more than 275 pounds total weight.

I would choose performance over stability, and I am good with wet-foot portaging (which I would imagine would always be a case if I am paddling my own $3000+ canoe!!).