Submitted: 11-30-2000 by jstrout 
The Atlantis is my second Dagger boat, the first being the Magellan which I paddled for three seasons. In general, handling of the Atlantis is good in all the sea conditions I've experienced, there is ample storage room, and the boat responds fairly well to leans. I agree with previous reviews on weathercocking in beamwinds. Last trip out I almost resorted to using the rudder, but the crossing was only a short one. A word of caution: the rubber hatch covers on the rear hatch (used throughout the Dagger line as well as on other makers' boats) can easily be blown in during a self rescue situation. In several pool sessions while practicing rescue techniques, I and others, have pushed in the covers. This would be disastrous in a sea rescue situation. The first year the Magellan came out, Dagger used neoprene hatch covers with rigid poly covers over them. These were a little more inconvenient to latch and cover, but way more secure when in a rescue situation. If you're in a heavy sea and water temperatures are in the 50s you don't want to have to worry about your hatch covers in a rescue situation. |