Swift Canoes Cruiser 14.8

A Superb Lightweight, Efficient Pack Boat

The Swift Canoes Cruiser 14.8 is a super lightweight solo open pack boat style canoe designed for top on the water performance. Ideal for average sized or slightly smaller paddlers to be comfortable in. As standard the Cruiser 14.8 comes with a pack boat style set up including kayak style adjustable foot rests which can be adjusted from sat in the boat. The seating system Swift use in these pack boat style canoes is brilliant. With a carbon seat base to keep the weight down, thick foam that is contoured to the seat base keeps all posteriors happy, adjustable lumbar support on the backrest, while the padded backrest itself also has some twist to allow roll with your paddle stroke and keep you comfortable while paddling. When transporting the Cruiser 14.8 the backrest folds down and is secured by a clip. Swift make all Cruiser 14.8s with pin mounts in the gunwales ready to take the additional carrying yoke should this ever need to be added for easier portaging.

A good amount of tumble home (the top of the Cruisers freeboard being tucked more under the gunwales) and S-Bend shaped gunwales gives a great amount of flair to allow waves to be pushed off and away from the boat. The mid section of the s-bend gunwales is really nicely tucked in which enables a really positive kayak or canoe stroke, keeping the hull close to the sides of your body enabling the paddler to feel super comfortable. A lower rounded chine area makes this boat very comfortable in both wind and waves, the hull shape allows waves that hit the side of the boat to roll underneath with little effect. The Cruiser features more bow rocker than stern rocker, the stern rocker will allow the Cruiser to track effortlessly in a straight line, while the bow rocker deals well with chop and allows for an easier control on negative edge turns. The stability of the Cruiser 14.8 is good overall and allows paddlers to really get comfortable in the boat, it handles so well that the more your skills improve the more you can control the boat just with your body weight.

Swift Canoe offer some brilliant lightweight materials and trim options. Kevlar Fusion is the most popular material used in these exquisite laminate canoes. Offering the best strength to weight ratio Kevlar Fusion canoes are made with a urethane resin system for top durability and longevity along with a thin layer of exterior gel coat. The hull is constructed of an exterior layer of polyester as well as S-Glass and kevlar cloth layers sandwiching a durable foam cored ribbing system. The laminate fused together with a high impact and flexible urethane acrylate resin system injected during high pressure infusion process produces an optimal dispersion and laminate consistency. Based on a laminate material construction Kevlar Fusion is a popular material as it offers great abrasion and impact resistance. These canoes can be finished in some brilliant colours giving a real vibrant exterior look, with some really great special order options. Swift Canoes now also have a superb UV shield that they use on all their hull constructions! This adds more protection as well as better scratch resistance - which all laminate canoe owners want for a more carefree paddle. The UV shield not only helps to reduce the impact of the sun and uv rays on Swift Canoes it allows Swift to reduce the weight of the boat. The same UV shield gives a scratch resistance to the pack boats hull, while scratches will initially still be visible, after applying a coating of 303 aerospace protectant that you simply spray on and wipe off, scratches are much less visible - if visible at all. Of course scratches are far less of a concern when you have a Swift Canoe anyway, as the laminate is impregnated with their resin, which means the construction fabric of a Swift hull is never fully exposed making it vital to repair, unlike other brands using laminates for their construction where repair is vital. Don't forget with any laminate boat, a single application of 303 aerospace protectant will only look shiny for a couple of trips, to keep that new shiny look re-application will be required.

Finishing off a superb Kevlar Fusion canoes with a Carbon Kevlar Trim both keeps the weight down and makes it look stunning and it makes a Swift Canoe one of the lightest on the market. Using their unique infusion process enables swift to infuse the canoe hull and gunwales as one part, making a strong bond between the hull and trim. This stunning looking trim is maintenance free meaning this super lightweight canoe / pack boat is a pleasure to use on and off the water.

Swift Canoes are one of the leading manufacturers in lightweight laminate canoes and can also offer as massive range of bespoke custom outfitting options, so you really can make your dream canoe or pack boat. For some of the options in materials, trims and optional extra outfitting's take a look out our ' Materials & Trim' or 'Custom Options' Tabs. We import and advertise the top selling Swift Canoe models, specs and colours based on UK paddling, however we are always more than happy to help if there is a custom model, material, trim or outfitting option you require for your dream canoe.

Please Note: Custom option lightweight Swift Canoes generally have a longer lead time and it is best to Contact Us to enquire about spec, price and current lead times.