I have a Phoenix in Starlite and an '05 Wildfire in aramid with a foam core. You would probably draw the same conclusions - the Phoenix definitely runs drier and tracks a bit straighter but the Wildfire is more fun and responsive. To get the same responsiveness in the Phoenix I moved the seat forward a bit over an inch to free the stern more. Both are great boats.
The mid-winter paddling videos are great. Getting excited for Spring. I picked up sit on top kayaking and fishing the last 2 yrs.! Your videos are getting me to wonder whether I need to add a canoe to the mix. :)
It will float you and might be a fun skills builder. Not optimal w a load but could be a fun poke about canoe. I can definitely take my 100 LB golden retriever in my Flashfire/Firebird for fun (270 lbs). But, not the best performance at that point.
I wanted to love the Firebird because I love my RX Wildfire. But being a smaller-framed paddler, the Northstar boats feel like mittens to me, where Bells and my Curtis Dragonfly feel like gloves.
Interesting, sold my wildfire the second I got into the Phoenix. Flashfire for sale as well which I thought I would never sell. For Western Waters, the extra depth and slightly fuller feel just makes way more practical for actual river trips. The Wildfire/Flashfire just feel like pond freestylers now and not as useful for multi-day and river trips in the waters we have here. But, I could see where you are coming from bc the flashfire did feel "tighter" and in other areas of the country might be a nice option. Thanks for sharing your input here as many might be in your situations/size.
Hi I'm looking for a solo canoe here in the UK folks generally paddle tandem boats solo but I'd love to have a dedicated solo boat. My problem is I'm a heavy paddler and concerned about the low freeboard as I paddle sheltered estuaries with wind and waves could you give me some pointers of boats to look at please? I do like northstar canoes they do look a little shallow though.
In big wind and waves, a large tandem scares me in how I would control all that “sail” in the wind with minimal traction bc I wouldn’t sink much into the water. Solo’ing tandems in big wind is tough! So, I’d go w an appropriate sized solo and consider a cover/skirt/flotation.
