C-Forum

The many responses are very much appreciated and help sort through things and make some priorities to test paddle. Seems like the Spark and Outrage are getting a lot of recommendations, plus I've pm'ed Kaz. There's just nothing like enjoying the power and nuances of the water (eddies, peel outs, ferries).

Thanks.

The Spark is a fun boat even at my size (215-ish) for what it is, but it is a race boat, it just happens to be made out of plastic. If surfing & playboating aint your thing but aggressive, slalomish moves on a river are... the spark is a ball!

The Outrage-X may be the most similar in plastic to the Encore.

A composite boat that hasn't been mentioned yet is the Milbrook Defiant... quite similar in many ways to the Encore but a touch more progressive.

As said above, try as many as you can

and there just happens to be a used Defiant for sale on this site...

I got my first Outrage because it felt a lot like the Encores I'd been paddling for years. The Outrages rocker allows it to go over ledges without bashing the ends. I'm not sure about the weight. I paddled at 185 for years.
Bill

I'm about 220lbs and I don't find my Outrage too small (as I do the Spark, Solito, Viper11 and others).

I did flare out the bow of my vinyl-gunwaled Outrage though, to match the bow profile of the wood version, and add a larger deck plate, but mostly just because I was messing around with other repairs anyway.

If you're interested in the Outrage as an encore for your Encore, the Mohawk Probe 12 (formerly 12II?) might be another one to consider.

PY.

I'm staring to think about selling my Encore .....I have wrist tendonitus issues and haven't been in it since 2002 We're located in California

I am also a big fan of the Encore, and still paddle one.

Some of the other WW OC's I have owned or still own are the Dagger Impulse, Caper, Caption, Ocoee, and Prophet, the Mohawk XL 13 and Viper 12, Blue Hole Sunburst II, Whitesell Piranha, and the Mad River Outrage.

I have paddled many others at least briefly including the Esquif Spark.

Of these, I would say that the Outrage is the closest to the Encore. Actually, Tom Fosters Kevlar Outrage prototype ("Fluidity") would probably be closest, the production boat came out different. But the Outrage is significantly different from the Encore, narrower for sure, and for me harder to roll. While quite forgiving, at least in my hands, the Outrage is at least a little less forgiving than the Encore.

My experience with the Spark is quite limited. It is a fun boat for sure, but I found it in no way even similar to the Encore.

I haven't paddled an Outrage X but I wonder if its volume and length wouldn't make it even more comparable to the Encore.

I would try out the Outrage X.

dawg, a few summers back, my friends and I were out at the Arkansas. On the day we paddled Brown's Canyon, we met up with another open boater from TN in a pink Encore. That wasn't you by any chance was it? Just curious.

This message board is WAY SPECTACULAR!! Thanks to everyone for their thoughts on an Encore clone! A paddlers OC-1 is such a MAJOR part of their life that it's gotta be just right!!!

I've got my wife's blessing for a summer trip to the NOC to try out boats, probably take an OC-1 clinic too. With y'alls wonderful input I'm thinking of looking for a good used boat close to the Encore, such as an Outrage X, etc for rocky class II - III, and acquiring a new composite boat for twisty class I - II streams and bayous in Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas, Missouri. Then I could give my pink 1990 Encore loving care mainly as a conversation piece.

Randy: are you the Randy Dodson who posts on the ACC board?
And I'm still awed that the inimitable and revered Louie answered my first post! Still open to additional ideas.

Thanks to all. OC ROCKS!!!

Louis who?
















KNeal

How about a new Encore? I spoke to a paddler last year who had one in her garage. I think she said that it had never been paddled.

Sounds fabulous. Any contact info? Thanks!

No problem. I'll send you a PM.

I know where you can get a pristine Encore that has never touched the water and it will cost you less than any other of these newer boats. My computer is not working at the moment so call 404 227 2981