Dagger Nomad 8.5

Dagger Nomad 8.5

By team member Shawn McClung

Height 5' 9"

Weight 165

Speed: 4.5
Boofing: 4
Hole Punching: 5
Resurfacing: 5
Maneuverability: 4
Outfitting: 4
Stability: 5

I feel that I am in between the two sizes for the nomad, but after paddling both the 8.1 and the 8.5

I went with the big one. At first it felt a bit wide, but after talking to Pat Keller, he told me to raise the seat by adding 3/4" foam. This gave me the leverage my short torso needed and made the boat feel a bit smaller. I only mention this because I know that there are other people like me that get left out when the manufacture only offers two sizes. If you are any bigger or smaller than me you will fit perfect in the 8.1 or 8.5.

I have enjoyed paddling this boat for the last 6 months on everything from high volume Russell Fork and Meadow to low volume Blackwater and Otter.

The speed of this boat is very good after a stroke or two. The bow is very rockered and makes boofing easy without the fear of pitoning. The hole punching ability is unrivaled compaired to everything I have paddled so far. I don't think I have ever subed this boat out, so I would guess it resurfaces very well. The nomad tracks as good as it turns which is nice when switching from big water to the steeps. The outfitting is very good with high back band placement ,adjustable everything and a plush feel. Dagger also changed the seat in 07 to make it easy to load gear behind the seat.The hull is displacement with no funny edges to trip on which makes it very forgiving. The primary stability is as good as most creek boats while the secondary stability is hard to beat.

The Nomad is a very solid creek boat that has a great track record and a huge following. Try one today

Shawn

[ Back ]