The slicy whitewater kayak revival is in full swing! Pretty much every whitewater kayak manufacturer has released their own slicy river play boat. Dagger sort of started the revival with the release of the Dagger Axiom. Their newest slicy kayak builds on the Dagger Axiom; it is called the Dagger Rewind. Some members of the paddling universe have speculated that the Dagger Rewind may become Dagger’s best selling whitewater kayak of all time. To earn this crown, the Dagger Rewind is going to have to overthrow the classic Dagger RPM.
These whitewater kayaks have many similarities and a few differences. Below, you will find some of the major differences and similarities between the Dagger RPM whitewater kayak and the Dagger Rewind whitewater kayak.
Lets dive in…
Similarities Between the Dagger Rewind and the Dagger RPM Whitewater Kayak
When the Dagger RPM was first released back in 1996, it was classified as a playboat. Over the years a new category of whitewater kayak has grown and absorbed the Dagger RPM. This category is known as river play. This category includes kayaks that are designed to run rivers while also surfing every wave and squirting every eddy line along the way.
River Play Kayaks
Both the Dagger RPM and Dagger Rewind fit into this category. Yes some would argue that the RPM is in the old school category but I think most would agree it also fits into the river play category as well (comment at the bottom of this page and share your thoughts on this!) Being that both the RPM and Rewind are in the river play category, they have many similarities.
Low Volume Stern
The most obvious similarity between the Dagger RPM and the Dagger Rewind is the volume distribution. Both the Dagger Rewind and Dagger RPM have a very low volume stern and a full volume bow. These kayaks excel at stern squirts and pivot turns in which you initiate the stern to get the bow up out of the water. If you love doing stern squirts both the Dagger Rewind and Dagger RPM are great choices for your next day on the river!
The similarities really stop there. Other than being in the same category and both having a low volume stern with a full volume bow, there are not really any other similarities. Now we will discuss the differences between the Dagger RPM whitewater kayak and the Dagger Rewind whitewater kayak.
Differences Between The Dagger RPM and Dagger Rewind Whitewater Kayak
At first glance the Dagger Rewind and Dagger RPM look very similar. But don’t let the looks fool you, there are a lot of differences between these two kayaks that make these two boats paddle very differently on the river. Here are the major differences between the Dagger RPM whitewater kayak and the Dagger Rewind whitewater kayak.
Dagger Rewind Hull vs. Dagger RPM Hull
The Dagger Rewind utilizes a modern planing hull which allows it to be much faster than the Dagger RPM which was designed with a displacement hull. One of the main goals of the Dagger Rewind was to create a boat with a lot of speed and the planing hull helps achieve that goal. Not to say that the displacement hull on the Dagger RPM is not as good but… its sort of not as good.
Rocker Profile
One of the big problems that modern paddlers have with the Dagger RPM is its lack of rocker. When you take a look at the rocker profile of the RPM, you will see that it is almost non existent. This problem continued when the Axiom was designed with very little rocker. Luckily the Dagger Rewind has sufficient bow rocker to keep the boat from plugging in after drops and allows the boat to skip over waves and holes on the river. The extra rocker on the bow of the Dagger Rewind also allows it to boof much better than the RPM.
Dagger RPM Length vs. Dagger Rewind Volume
The Dagger RPM has slightly less volume than the Dagger Rewind whitewater kayak. The biggest difference in the volume is in the bow of these kayaks. The Rewind’s bow is modeled after the bow of the Dagger phantom where the bow of the Dagger RPM has noticeably less volume. The difference in volume can be important to some paddlers. If you are looking for a boat that is going to be able to plow through larger features on a river, you are going to want to go with the Dagger Rewind. On the other hand if you are looking for a more playful ride all around you may prefer the lower volume of the Dagger RPM.
Is the Dagger Rewind Better Than the Dagger RPM?
It is hard to say that the Dagger Rewind is better than the Dagger RPM in every way but it is pretty close. The nostalgia that comes along with paddling the Dagger RPM simply cannot be beat and the RPM will always be a legendary boat. But performance-wise, the Dagger Rewind is the better kayak. It is faster and more solid downriver while also allowing for the river play that the RPM has always offered.
If you are contemplating buying either the Dagger RPM or the Dagger Phantom, try them both out and see which one fits your paddling needs the best.
Comment below your thoughts on the Dagger Phantom vs. the Dagger RPM!