Absolutely Jim, your review video and your Algonquin trout fishing videos with Ted and Shawn inspired me to save up and buy this boat! I've put some good miles on it this year and have many more to go.. Love your channel man, one of my absolute favourites, cheers!

Congratulations on your new canoe, I hope it gives you many years of great memories 👍

My son will certainly carry on the tradition@@LatitudesWildernessFilms

Hi there, I'm so glad this was helpful! Blue steel is an amazing layup. I hope to make a "one year later" review video this spring so I can show how the material has held up over 500kms of use so far. I really considered the Bob when I was looking at boats, and for shorter flatwater trips it's a great choice. But if you want one boat that can do it all, I'd go with the Prospector. It's your choice, let me know what you end up choosing. Cheers!

Thanks Dave! Much appreciated!

I'm so glad this was helpful! I love this canoe, can't wait to put even more miles on her next year 🍻🛶

Hey Randy! I'm so happy to hear that you love your P15! I don't blame you at all for getting the SP3 layup rather than waiting for a new build. Gotta make memories sooner than later for sure. The prospector design is so great for so many reasons, and just like you, I couldn't see myself paddling anything else. Have an awesome solo trip to the Kawartha Highlands! Let me know how it goes 👍I've never ventured there but I've been to Queen Elizabeth Wildlands several times and love it. All the best Randy!

Hey that's great to hear, congratulations on your new boat👍 I hope it serves you well for years to come!

Hey thanks for checking this one out! I've learned a lot about shooting better video since this one lol..I hope to make a "One Year Later" review on this boat since I've put about 500km on it in 2020, and I can speak more about the durability of the material. It's funny you mentioned H20 Canoes, I was watching some videos of their boats at some past outdoor adventure shows. I'm definitely interested to learn more about them, especially as I'm considering a bigger canoe for tandem multi-week expeditions, and like you say I want to keep it local. I'll check them out. Cheers!

Actually you know, I'd be very interested in hearing more about your H20 Prospector, feel free to send me a message through Instagram (I'm @latitudes.films) or on Facebook (Pete Parke). I'd have a few questions I'd love to ask you. Thanks!

Hey Andy, thanks for checking out this one! I've leaned a lot about filming since this one, and I hope to make a one year later review on this boat, showing how the material has held up over a year of use. I bet your friend will love that 18ft boat, you could fit a months worth of gear and food for 2 people in that boat no problem. Paddling tandem after solo trips takes some adjustments but I'm sure it won't be too bad. Cheers Andy🍻

Right on! You won't regret it, it's an amazing boat👍

Lol Mrs Flowing Hair and I thank you for watching Marc! Stay safe my friend!

Thanks so much!

Ok that makes total sense, I had misunderstood that. Good to know going forward, thanks for clearing that up! One day I hope I can get to at least half of the miles on my canoe as you have put on yours... Cheers David!

Hey Doug, thanks so much for the sub! That is very much appreciated, and I will absolutely check out your channel! I'll pass along a thanks to Marc as well, I enjoyed the video you and him did together. All the best!

@@LatitudesWildernessFilms what's the price of that boat your show casing in English pounds/sterling ! Love the look of that boat ! Is there anywhere in England/UK that stocks them ?

Hi there, apologies I just noticed your comment now. I found a list of distributors in the UK on Nova Craft's website. You can contact some of them and hopefully get some prices! I know there are plenty of Nova Craft boats in the UK, so it shouldn't be an issue ordering a blue steel boat! Here is a link to the list of UK distributors...All the best to you! www.novacraft.com/distributors/

Hey Jon! The 15' Prospector sounds perfect for you. I'm 6', 200# and have packed enough gear and food for 10 day trips with no problem at all, including camera gear and fishing gear. Lots of options on how you can place all the gear to best trim the boat and room to spare. I'm sure you won't regret the choice! What layup are you thinking?

@@LatitudesWildernessFilms I’m thinking of the aramid lite, I m not into whitewater. I’m looking for lighter weight but still sturdy enough for northern wilderness trips.

@@jonwilliams23 yup aramid will do the trick nicely. You won't even feel the weight of it during a portage 👍

@@LatitudesWildernessFilms Thanks for your advice!

Glad you enjoyed the review! And thanks for tips as well, I'm always looking for ways to help with the wind situation. For everything else good that the Prospector offers, I can sacrifice a bit with the wind issue. I'd love it if the dumb bell would help me paddle lol! Cheers

@@LatitudesWildernessFilms oh and the Prospector platform is very stable, I stand and pole my Swift all the time, up and down river and up to class two white water, beautiful design.

Agreed on the stability for sure! Poling is an art that I'd love to learn

Thanks for stopping by! I've put some good miles on the blue steel, and I have zero complaints about it. I really do believe its the best high strength/low weight material on the market. You won't regret it!

Hi there, glad you enjoyed the video! The 15' is such an amazing boat, I know you will be very happy with it! I've attached a link to Adam's review of the 15' on Nova Craft's website. This was the canoe he used on his Arctic expedition. I know it was mentioned in the book "Beyond the Trees" and Nova Craft has online posts mentioning the 15' size for his expedition as well. www.novacraft.com/canoes/prospector-15/

@@LatitudesWildernessFilms Thanks so much! I hear the canoe is home and hope I get to see it some time.

Bought a Tuff Stuff Expedition last year after reading Adam's book and watching your video. Saw that Nova Craft had a Blue Steele 15 the same as yours for sale and just grabbed it for a second place we have out east. Gorgeous piece of kit.

Congratulations on the new boat! You're going to love it👍

I'm happy this has helped you! In October 2020 we took this boat through the 5 Mile Rapids Section of the French River in Ontario. The boat performed very very well. I can't recommend it enough. I know you'll be very happy with it, I believe it's the best combination of lightweight and durability that is on the market. Cheers!

@@LatitudesWildernessFilms Excellent thanks!

Just watched Pt II of Jim Baird's whitewater section there, very impressed. Noticed that Ted and Shawn avoided folliwng Jim in their Swift Keewaydin and Prospector lol. the Keewaydin is definitely not white water worthy lol (have one of those too, but it is oh so great on flat water trips). The Blue Steel with ash gunwales is stunning.

Haha yes I remember how only Jim took on those sections, he's an incredibly skilled paddler (and he had the best boat lol). I do love the look the look of the ash gunnels, I just chose to go with aluminum because of less maintenance. Let me know what you end up ordering!

Absolutely, these are all great canoes and I'd sure love to own a few more (wouldn't we all!). It's hard to beat that 16' if you are doing trips with 2 paddlers and a growing family. I really debated on getting the Bob Special before I decided for sure on the P15. How was it for speed while solo paddling? Thanks for watching and commenting!

Ontario Fishing Quest The Bob Special was great for solo. It had a keel so it would track a bit better but as for speed I don’t really notice much of a difference. IMO, Loaded on a canoe trip the prospector is probably a better choice due to its larger hull design.

Hi Eric, yup I prefer the aluminum gunnels personally. I wanted the lighter weight of them, as well as the maintenance free aspect of them compared to the ash. The ash gunnels are beautiful no doubt, but I wanted a boat that didn't need to be "babied" in any way. Cheers!

Hi Steve! I apologize for the tardy reply. If you are still deliberating between the P15 and the Pal, I would suggest to go with the P15. Some of the main reasons why are that the boat will remain much dryer in choppy conditions with the higher walls, the cargo capacity is greater, and the draft under load will be more. Bill Mason did paddle a Pal, but he also paddled several Prospectors. I think the Pal is better suited for lazy river weekend trips, but for anything beyond that, I'd recommend the P15. Let me know what you chose! Peter

Yup we're fortunate here in Canada, lots of great options for canoes and places to paddle them🍻🛶

Hey Dan, yup I'd still get blue steel. For what I do, it's one of the best choices. If I were doing a cross country expedition with a ton of bushwacking and dragging, I'd opt for tuffstuff expedition. But for running up to class 2s, long portages, some dragging over logjams and dams, blue steel works for me and what I do. I'm glad you enjoy my videos! All the best to you🍻

Hi Ethan, thank you so much for taking the time to write such an encouraging comment! I debated a little on the 15' vs the 16' myself, and I decided on the 15' because I knew I would be paddling solo a bit more often than paddling tandem. Also, I knew the tandem trips I would go on would not be longer than a week, whereas my solo trips could go longer. If I were doing tandem trips over a week in length, I would've got the 16'. My wife and I went to the French River for a 5 day trip, and we had some extra luxuries along as we wouldn't be portaging, and bringing some luxuries makes the trip more enjoyable for her. We had plenty of room in the 15' for everything, no problem. There are plenty of paddlers who use the 16' solo, but I really believe the 15' is easier to paddle solo and also gives tons of room for gear. So, if you stick to doing the trips that you mentioned, and are looking for a one-time purchase, do everything canoe, I'd go with the 15'. Let me know if you have any other questions, and what you end up buying! All the best to you!

@@LatitudesWildernessFilms I will follow this advice. I am 6'5" and 270 as well. Would this warrant a 16'. I want to get the 15!)

@@Bob-Maplethorpe I'd say that the 15' is still going to be the better choice even with your taller size. Jim Baird is around the same size as you and he uses 15 foot Prospectors for his trips. You can't beat the 15' length for paddling solo and it still can hold a TON of gear. Cheers!

@@LatitudesWildernessFilms thanks for getting back so quickly. I am off to Nova Craft from the Niagara Region tomorrow and this helps!)

@@Bob-Maplethorpe awesome congrats on getting a new boat!

Hi there, thanks for stopping by! Yes the P15 is an amazing solo boat. It won't be as fast as the Fox 14, but it is far more versatile. You won't need to take the yoke on or off at every portage, and it can haul a lot more gear. The P15 also has far more initial stability than the Fox, and can be used with 2 people of you like. In any rough water, the Prospector is the best boat to be in. But, the choice is yours! If you have any other questions, feel free to let me know! Cheers!

Ontario Fishing Quest Thanks a lot! I don't count on paddeling so much rough water but mostly lakes and flat rivers. Where I live in the northwest of Sweden the wind can be tricky, so I would think the Prospector can be a bit of a handful on lakes if windy as I am a solopaddler.

I am also looking at the NC Pal, which is lower than rhe Prospector. Do you have an opinion about that model? Of course, I would prefer stability, and I am sitting on the seat, but a little faster, narrower boat is the other way to go - sacrificing some of the stability I guess.

The NC Pal is another great option, as is the Bob Special (have you checked out that one?) The Bob Special sits in between the Prospector and the Pal in width and in height. In the wind, the Pal does handle easier than the Prospector, no question (as does the Bob). Many lakes I paddle in the wind can get very wavy and rough, and when I head directly into waves when paddling my Prospector solo, no water gets in the boat at all. With the Pal, it would get a little a wet. My wife and I just came home from a trip to the French River, and we paddled through some of the roughest wind and waves I've ever been in. This was her first trip in the Prospector, and she felt completely safe and stable, and stayed dry. I believe that if we had been in any other boat, we could've easily flipped. If you don't expect to paddle those types of conditions very often, I'd say look hard at the Pal or the Bob Special. It sounds like either of those could really work for you! Again, feel free to ask any other questions, and let me know what you end up choosing!

They sound like the ideal tripping companions👍

Hey Kathie! For you to go solo and use a kayak paddle, I'd recommend looking at a Bob Special (Nova Craft or H20 Canoes each make a nice Bob Special). It will sit a little lower in the water and be easier handling in wind and with the double blade. For a tough layup look into Nova Crafts Blue Steel and H20 Canoe's "brute force" material. Both awesome options. Let me know if you have any more questions 👍

I really considered the Bob in the beginning, but it was the versatility and stability of the Prospector that sold me. The Bob isn't as deep of a hull and doesn't have quite as much rocker as the Prospector. The Bob would be a great solo boat on calm water, but as soon as the water gets rough or you encounter white water on a river, it's a Prospector that would be best. The Bob would be slightly faster but not as versatile. It's up to you and the style of tripping that you'll be using it for. Hope this helps!

Hey Matthew! Any canoe will feel a bit unstable in the beginning. It does take a good amount of time paddling to build confidence in the craft as well as how to balance yourself in it. The prospector is one of the more stable designs out there, unless you go with a flat bottom canoe, which is designed more towards weekend cottage paddling (not for hunting or tripping). I would for sure recommend having some weight forward in the canoe. This can be anything really, you can use a large drybag and fill it with water or even some rocks (the more weight, the better). Then you can get rid of that weight if you had a successful hunt and were able to bring game back. Practice paddling with some weight forward. Also, make sure if you are paddling solo to be sitting in the front seat of the canoe and paddling it "backwards". This positions your body closer to the center of the boat and increases your control. Keep your body centered and never outside the walls of the hull. With practice I know that you will eventually gain the balance and that you'll become confident in your boat and you'll be able to put your trust into it. Hope this helps!

@@LatitudesWildernessFilms Thanks so much for the reply and info! I'll certainly try adding some weight and see if that helps. Given the info that you have, would you recommend me switching to the 15' Prospector from Nova Craft? Or perhaps one of their 12 or 14 foot solo canoes? Would they be more or less stable (better for fly fishing)?

Hey Matthew, a 12' solo Nova Craft trapper may be a slightly more stable option given the shorter length, however the beam is 2'' narrower. I've never paddled one so I couldn't comment on stability from personal experience. The 14' solo Fox would not have that great initial stability, it's designed more as a sleek and fast boat. I feel very confident in the stability of my 15' prospector. Just this past week I was on a backcountry fishing trip, and after all my gear was out of the boat and set up at camp, I always placed a rock by the rear seat (as I'm sitting in the front seat when paddling solo) and I was able to stand up and fish when it wasn't to windy or rough. I really do believe that you will gain more confidence with the 16' you have, it's such a versatile boat that can be used for almost anything. I'd stick with it if I were you, but if you feel it's necessary to switch, I would see if you could arrange a test paddle of a 15' prospector or a 12' solo trapper. Hope this helps, let me know how you make out!

That's exactly what I did, I know you won't regret it! Let me know what you think of it once it arrives 👍

Hey thanks for stopping by! The material will get visible scratches from rocks like any other material, but the biggest difference is that it would take a absolute ton of abuse before it would ever puncture. Mine has lots of surface scratches on it now and it's been over a ton of rocks, but the material is in top shape still.

Hey Mitch! I was torn between the 15' and the 16' prospectors (i knew blue steel was the layup I wanted). I decided to get the 15' based on the idea that 60% of my trips would be solo, and the other 40% would be tandem. If that ratio would be 50/50, I would've got the 16'. So maybe you could think about it that way, are the majority or trips you plan on doing solo? If so, get the 16'. If not, grab the 17'. I hope this helps, if you have any other questions definitely let me know!

These are the gunnels. They provide structural rigidity to make sure the canoe keeps its shape👍

Yup he's a big dude. Before he got the P15 he test paddled the Bob Special, and he was just too big for that boat. He's a great guy and love his channel!

I wouldn't have any issues with lining or wading down a rocky creek like that with the blue steel, but I wouldn't "run" any area like that. I wouldn't ever recommend anyone run an area like that in any canoe, but if it has to be done I would want sp3 or toughstuff expedition layups.

Haha oh yah I love it! Died laughing 😂 Almost Heroes quotes are always welcomed, thanks for stopping by Danno!

Not quite. This material does have a couple of the same components as Tuff Stuff, but with the addition of carbon fibre. The result is a canoe that is a bit lighter and a bit tougher than Tuff Stuff.

Thanks so much! You will love the Bob Special, it was one boat I really considered getting. The feedback I've heard about Tuffstuff has been mixed (I'm talking about the regular tuffstuff, not the tuffstuff expedition). I have never paddled one, but I have spoken with several owners and examined the material closely in the showroom. I've heard some comments about bubbling of the gel coat, leading to small patches of gel coat coming off rather than the usual scratches we are used to having on our boats. This leads to a little more maintenance, but if that is something that doesn't bother you, I'd say the cost savings on a tuffstuff bob special vs the blue steel could be worth it. The blue steel Bob is only 5lbs lighter than the tuff stuff version, whereas on my P15 the difference is 10lbs. Although each material is rated the same in durability, I have more confidence in the blue steel personally. It just feels more solid compared to tuffstuff to me when I compared the layups in the showroom. So the choice is yours...if you want the lightest, strongest, and lowest maintenance boat, blue steel is the way to go. If you want a boat that only weighs slightly more, is almost as durable but requires a little work, and would save some coin, tuffstuff is the answer. Let me know what you decide! Hope this helps! Pete

Ontario Fishing Quest Cheers for the quick reply and your thoughts on the matter. I will be speaking to the dealer again on Monday to finalise my order. After watching your video and taking onboard what you have said I’m moving more towards the blue steel version. I’ll drop you a message once I have spoken to the dealer and let you know what I’ve gone for. Thanks again🙂

@@FurrychalkbagOutdoors what did you choose? I am heading to London tomorrow to look at a 15' prospector. Material choice is my question too!

Bob Maplethorpe Hi Bob, After a lot of sleepless nights trying to decide, I have finally put a deposit on a two tone Bob special made out of the tuff stuff material. I should take delivery in autumn hopefully. I hope I don’t regret my decision😬 I have been told from a few people that the gel coat can crack but it’s an easy fix and leaves a pretty much unnoticeable repair. Where the fix on a Blue steel I’ve been informed can be noticed afterwards. I’m sorry I can’t give you any more help in your decision as like I say I’m waiting on delivery of the boat. Just wish I had the money for both versions. I still love the look of the blue steel and I’m sure whichever material you go for it will be a great boat.🙂

@@FurrychalkbagOutdoors Congratulations on your new boat!!

Haha thanks Rob, I really do love this boat and have no regrets getting it. I'll get many years and many miles on her! Cheers my friend!

In Canada these are now $4500. Where are you located?

@@LatitudesWildernessFilms Yikes. I was afraid of that. I'm in Haines, AK.

4500 CAD or so

Guess I'll have to watch that now haha!

Still abailable? How much? What kind of shape? Where is it located? Pics pls. I'm interested -Jj Reply... sporty883gone@gmail.com

@@jjjune1548 Hey i have a video on my channel but unfortunately for both of us it has sold:( Good luck on the hunt or buy new they are worth every penny and you will have it for life!

We all start learning somewhere. Except you apparently.