Dagger Rewind vs. Dagger Axiom Whitewater Kayak – What is The Difference?

The release of the Dagger Rewind is really stirring the pot in the whitewater paddling community. People have been begging Dagger to create a new slicy whitewater kayak. Dagger released the Axiom series back in 2009 and sort of started the slicy boat revival. Since the release of the Axiom, every other major whitewater kayak manufacturer has come out with their own modern slicy kayak.

For quite a while the only slicy kayak that Dagger produced was the Axiom. A few years ago Dagger started selling the famous RPM again. The new RPMs had ultra comfortable Contour Ergo Outfitting. In August 2019, Dagger released the Rewind. The Dagger Rewind is thought of as a refresh of the beloved Dagger Axiom. At first glance the Dagger Rewind looks very similar to the Axiom. Upon further inspection you will start to pick apart differences between the Dagger Rewind and the Dagger Axiom. Check out this link for a review of the Dagger Rewind

Below you will find a detailed comparison between the Dagger Rewind and the Dagger Axiom.

Similarities Between The Dagger Axiom and the Dagger Rewind

When I first laid eyes on the Dagger Rewind I did not really know what I was looking at. For a split second I just assumed it was a Dagger Axiom. With the slicy stern and the full volume bow, the Dagger Rewind really reminds most paddlers of the Dagger Axiom. This is because Dagger designed the Rewind as an updated version of the Axiom. There are a lot of similarities between these two whitewater kayaks.

The biggest similarity is the volume distribution of the kayaks. Both the Axiom and the Rewind focus a majority of the kayak’s volume in the bow. This leaves the stern nice and slicy which helps squirt and pivot the kayak. Both the Axiom and the Rewind are great boats for performing stern squirts and getting the boat vertical. While the stern is low volume and slicy, the bow is full volume. This allows both the Dagger Axiom and the Dagger Rewind to perform well in turbulent whitewater. The extra volume in the bow gives paddlers confidence in class 4 and even class 5 whitewater while still being able to play in eddy lines along the way with the slicy stern.

Basically the premise of the Dagger Rewind and the Dagger Axiom is the same. Other than thatone big similarity, the two boats have many differences.

Differences Between The Dagger Axiom and the Dagger Rewind

While the basic concept of the Dagger Rewind and the Dagger Axiom is the same, there are many differences between these two whitewater kayaks. At first glance you will notice that the Dagger Rewind has softer lines than the Dagger Axiom. In our opinion this makes the Rewind more visually appealing than the boxier, hard lined Axiom. Believe it or not, there is function behind the softer lines of the Dagger Rewind. Here are some of the biggest differences between the Dagger Axiom and the Dagger Rewind.

Dagger Axiom vs. Dagger Rewind Bow Volume

One of the major differences between the Dagger Rewind and the Dagger Axiom is the shape and design of the bow. The bow of the Rewind has much more volume than the bow of the Axiom. This allows the Rewind to perform better than the Axiom in bigger whitewater. The extra volume helps the Rewind resurface after drops and punch through sticky holes. The bow of the Rewind is actually very similar to the bow of the Dagger Phantom.

Dagger Rewind vs. Dagger Axiom Rocker Profile

Another big difference between the Dagger Axiom and the Dagger Rewind is the rocker profile. One of the big complaints about the Dagger Axiom was the lack of rocker in the bow. The Dagger decided to add a ton of rocker to the bow of the Rewind which helps the kayak skip over waves and holes and even helps the kayak boof a little easier. The Dagger Axiom has a little less rocker which makes boof strokes a little more difficult.

Dagger Axiom vs. Dagger Rewind Stern Length

One of the things most whitewater kayakers loved about the Dagger Axiom was its speed. The designers at Dagger took this into consideration when designing the Dagger Rewind. The Dagger Rewind has a slightly longer stern which helps the kayak go a little bit faster than the Axiom. In addition to increasing the length of the stern, Dagger also increased the width creating a larger surface area on the top of the stern. The larger surface area allows paddlers to initiate the stern easier. This means that the Rewind will make getting vertical on stern squirts very easy.

Is the Dagger Rewind Better Than The Dagger Axiom? Will The Dagger Rewind Replace the Dagger Axiom?

So overall the Rewind was designed to be a new and improved version of the Dagger Axiom. Many paddlers are curious whether or not the Dagger Rewind is a better kayak than the Dagger Axiom. In our opinion, the Dagger Rewind has improved upon everything that made the Axiom so popular. We are not going to say that the Dagger Rewind is a better kayak all around than the Axiom. Some paddlers may still prefer the way that the Axiom feels on the water.

It will be interesting to see how Dagger handles the two designs going forward. Will the Dagger Rewind replace the Dagger Axiom as Dagger’s flagship slicy whitewater kayak? Only time will tell.

Which boat do you like better? The Axiom, or the Rewind? Comment below and share your thoughts!