get your J stroke sorted mate and have fun

There isn't that much outfitting needed, this person just chooses it for his needs. Both of those boats are going to be very heavy especially the Esquif prospector. Like I paddle a canoe almost half the weight for the same size. But I can't go through rapids the same. What a light boat can do is portage very comfortably. There's a big difference portaging a heavy canoe or kayak 100m around rapids and waterfalls vs 1km between lakes. The floatation he adds is usually unnecessary, usually reserved for rough water. And all the lines he attaches are somewhat over preparation, kind of a Swiss army knife philosophy, a tool of everything always. Your outfitting should reflect what you're doing with your canoe. Talk to local paddlers for local advice on local waters.

Thanks for the info, it’s good to know about the variations

Hi, I have used throw lines cut up 20m bags ect, normally have palm equipment which have a 1000kg rating and float well

Thanks for the info, good consideration

All depends on what you are doing with the boat, and how much buoyancy you need and consideration of weight, lots of our awards require a self rescue of flipping a canoe in the water, the bigger the bags the less water is in the boat when climbing back in, also displaces water in a white water environment ie pins ect. However if you’re using your boat for more expedition you might not want the airbag taking up space so again I just depends on the type of usage that you use your boat for.

Hi Richard I ve got the corelite one which is 39kg it’s pretty heavy but ok on the water, It doesn’t track that well compared to prosecutor, but it’s ok, it’s better on the more waves lager grade rivers. It’s very forgiving and stable but does take some power to get it going, I think there maybe a smaller Afon on the cards, I think the tri lite one is worth checking out. It’s always the case of Try before you buy, not sure where your based but Devon welcome to try mine or N wales rich at TNR would do the same. I would look at other options if you manly open water hope that helps

​@@inspiringadventure8783 Thanks Gary for the advice and reply. Its a pity I'm at the other side of the country in Aberdeen, Scotland or I would have taken you up on the offer. Cheers for that. As you say, try the boats out and see which one I like the most before parting with any cash. Canoe reviews are few and far between in KZfaq which I'm surprised at. Anyway keep the videos coming there are very good. All the best, cheers Richard

Esquif prospector 16' is probably the most Do everything boat ever made. I don't know if I'd call it small though, when picking smaller boats than that narrower is faster and tracks better, otherwise full width boats are slugs, good for fishing but little else, very inefficient to paddle long distance. Generally 17' is the magic number for full sized canoe, but hard to solo, 16' is the ultimate hybrid to have a boat that can both solo and tandem.

Scott Thomson, I got the foam from ASwatersports in Exeter, but it was a random find out back, I am sure there are Close cell foam companies on amazon I used evo stick both sides and cleaned the boat with meths And left it with weight on the mat for a few days it’s still good 4 years on I think the matting is 4cm thick and is worth it

@@inspiringadventure8783 Many Thanks

Yeah it’s not super light, but all depends on what you are doing, if I was doing a lot more portaging without a trolley I would shave a much weight as I can of the kit and outfitting and consider a different boat, but most of its work is not to far from good access ect

@@inspiringadventure8783 trolly, no thank you, too much kit, and never a guarantee the path will accommodate. Lots of exposed bedrock where our best canoeing is. And the longer portages keep the silly kayakers away.

I needed to sell some boats, I still think the esquiff prosper 16 is the best boat for all the things I do.

Hi George I used plastic wast pipe from a DIY store, they come in different diameters so check own pole size, length is about 80 cm but It just helps the rubbing on the air bag Cheers Gary

Yep totally agree, it would be a last choice if nothing else was an option

HI these came with the boat, but venture may sell them separate

Depending on what type of seat you have, in a gunnel hung seat you can get a different sizes spacer to raise the seat, any hand carpenter could knock out a set in no time. You would need another spacer below the seat too or get a shorter bolt. Though this isn't a quick change system, but not too much work if doing a long trip. If you have rivet mounted seats like my Souris River Quetico, you could add shims to raise the seat but would definitely need different fastening hardware. Lowering for such a setup would be more difficult though.

Yeah I know, hopefully new tech will sort that out, Thanks