Dagger Rewind Whitewater Kayak Review

It has been quite a while since Dagger has released a new whitewater kayak design. For those whitewater kayakers who are die hard Dagger fans, the wait for a new boat is over. Dagger has officially announced a fresh new slicy whitewater kayak. The name of this daring new design… The Dagger Rewind.

Dagger officially announced and revealed the Dagger Rewind at the Paddlesports Retailer in Oklahoma City. Dagger brought a fresh Rewind to display and share with the whitewater kayaking world. The Rewind has some hints of familiarity but all together is an awesome new boat. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to paddle the new Dagger Rewind at the demo. Let me just say this… this boat is awesome! If you are looking for a slicy river runner, the Dagger Rewind is a must try.

Dagger Rewind Whitewater Kayak Overview

Since the release of the Dagger Axiom in 2009, every major kayak manufacturer has come out with their own variation of a modern river running playboat with a slicy stern. There is something about getting a nine foot long kayak vertical that is just straight up addictive. Jackson came out with the Antix, Pyranha came out with the Loki then later the Ripper, and Liquidlogic came out with the Party Braap and the Mullet.

Many people have been pushing for Dagger to come out with a new slicy river running kayak and the results of those shoves has finally arrived in the form of the Rewind.

Basically the Dagger Rewind whitewater kayak is an update for the Axiom. The Rewind has a planing hull and still has a full volume bow with a low volume stern. At first glance the Dagger rewind looks very similar to the Dagger Axiom but there are differences, we will discuss the differences later. First lets talk about the idea behind the Dagger Rewind.

Dagger Rewind Whitewater Kayak Bow

The Dagger Rewind was designed to build upon the Axiom. When you look at the bow of the Dagger Rewind you may notice that it looks very similar to the bow of the Dagger Phantom. This is because Dagger utilized a lot of the design concepts used in the Phantom in the design of the bow of the Rewind. Dagger wanted the Rewind to have speed and be able to comfortably handle drops and more difficult whitewater rivers.

Dagger Rewind Whitewater Kayak Outfitting

The Rewind uses Dagger’s creek outfitting which provides a solid base for paddling some serious whitewater. Dagger did not want this boat to have a ceiling. Having the heavier duty Creek Outfitting will allow paddlers to take the Dagger Rewind down class V rivers without having to worry about complications caused by the boat.

Dagger Rewind Whitewater Kayak Stern

The stern of the Dagger Rewind has really been getting paddlers excited. The low volume stern is just begging to be plunged underwater. The stern of the Dagger Rewind is designed to allow the paddler to do stern squirts and get vertical on even the weakest eddy line. The stern is also a little bit longer than the stern on the Axiom or RPM which will allow the Rewind to carry speed and momentum better when traveling downriver. This is exciting!

The stern of the Dagger Rewind is also slightly wider than that of the Dagger Axiom. This creates a much larger surface for the water to catch and hold the boat vertical. Basically the extra width of the stern makes the Dagger Rewind easier to squirt and get vertical.

How Long Is The Dagger Rewind Whitewater Kayak? What is the Length?

The Dagger Rewind was designed with speed in mind. The designers wanted the Rewind to have the speed that paddlers love in the Axiom and Phantom. To make sure that the Rewind can fly down the river, the designers gave the stern a little more length than the Axiom.

The overall length of the medium sized Dagger Rewind whitewater kayak is 8′ 9″. This makes the Rewind three inches longer than the Axiom 8.5 (the medium size) When Dagger releases the length of the Rewind small and Rewind large, we will update you on those measurements.

Paddler Weight Range For The Dagger Rewind

The Dagger Rewind will come in three different sizes. Each size has it’s own ideal paddler weight range. Sometimes we push the limits in an attempt to squeeze into friend’s boat but that is besides the point. Dagger’s recommended paddler weight range for the medium Rewind whitewater kayak is 140lbs – 220lbs.

If you are on the higher end of the range getting the Rewind vertical will be easier than if you are on the lighter side of life. Dagger has not yet released the paddler weight ranges for the small and large sizes of the Rewind. When they do we will update this review!

Will The Dagger Rewind Come in Multiple Sizes? What Sizes Does The Dagger Rewind Come In?

One of the questions paddlers are asking about the new Dagger Rewind is “will there be multiple sizes of the Dagger Rewind?” The answer to this question is yes. Dagger has already announced that there will be three sizes of the Dagger Rewind. They have not released specifics about the length, volume and weight ranges for the three different sizes. The three sizes for the Dagger Rewind will be Small, Medium and Large. Similar to the sizing format of the Dagger Nomad.

We will update specifics about the three sizes once Dagger releases them!

Dagger Rewind Comparisons

With all the different slicy river running whitewater kayaks on the market today, it can be hard to choose the right one for you. Here are some in depth resources that compare the Dagger Rewind to similar boats on the market!

Dagger Rewind vs. Pyranha Ripper

Dagger Rewind vs. Dagger Axiom

My Experience With The Dagger Rewind Whitewater Kayak

Like mentioned earlier I was lucky enough to attend the Paddlesports Retailer show in Oklahoma City and meet the Dagger Rewind in person. I even got the opportunity to paddle the boat and see how it handled in the manmade whitewater park in Oklahoma City. Paddling the Rewind was very reminiscent of paddling the Axiom 8.5. The boat tracked well and the stern could easily be initiated to do pivot turns and stern squirts. The extra volume in the bow felt extremely buoyant and resurfaced quickly. Even if you purposely tried to drive the bow down into a hole or drop, it popped right back to the surface. Overall the Dagger Rewind felt like a new and improved, and also better looking, Dagger Axiom!

I would have loved to have more time to experience the Rewind but that will come in the near future. I look forward to demoing the Dagger rewind and taking it out on some more serious whitewater. As I get more experience in the Dagger Rewind I will share my thoughts!

Comment below and share your thoughts on the Dagger Rewind Whitewater Kayak!