Product Reviews > Canoes > Leisure Life Limited > Waterquest/Rogue River 14

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08-12-2010
Submitted by: Greg - Rating: 3 of 10
     The Rogue River 14 was my first canoe. Even with low expectations, I could never find happiness with it. Everyone says it is wide and stable. Can't disagree there. It is also insanely heavy, and the extra width combined with the weight makes it very difficult to handle out of the water. Mine spent most of its life in the garage, as it was just too ponderous to use very much. There are much better options out there. I got rid of mine and got an Old Town Guide 147. At 74 lbs, the Guide is no featherweight, but it feels like a revelation compared to the Rogue River 14. Yes, the Rogue is a good deal at $400, but a good used Old Town costs less and is a better deal still.

06-28-2008
Submitted by: Crankbait_NC - Rating: 10 of 10
     I have had my canoe for about seven years now and aside from some scratches and scrapes it is in good shape. I have used it for fishing in ponds, lakes and rivers and have never worried once about tipping. Mine doesn't have the center seat and I'm glad. It keeps the weight down. If you want a canoe for fishing this should be your first choice

04-03-2008
Submitted by: Airborne80 - Rating: 10 of 10
     Saw it at Sams Club and bought it on Saturday for $400.00. Took my nephews out into the river on Sunday and spent five and 1/2 hours loving life. This is our first canoe and we are in love! I am going to add a trolling motor, a fish finder a seat back and spend every free moment in this thing.

It feels very stable and safe. if you are looking for a great first canoe.... this is it! The extras really add to the fun. I love the drink holders and the ice chest. Like someone else said... if it dies.. I will buy another.

03-25-2008
Submitted by: John W. Poston II - Rating: 9 of 10
     My girlfriend recently purchased for me a Rogue River 14 to replace an Old Town that I lost in a flood.
The Canoe feels incredibly stable compared to other boats I have paddled, but at the same time is lighter and nearly as agile as its more streamlined cousins. The boat has great storage capacity and can comfortably carry 3 adults and a 100 pound lab (who grew up in a canoe). The only minor gripe I have is that the bottom seems just a bit thin when traversing rocky shallows, though it has held up just fine.

I would recommend this canoe to any recreational outdoorsman, fisherman, hippy or daypacker. Happy paddling!!!

02-21-2008
Submitted by: Mike Lynskey - Rating: 9 of 10
     I've been fishing from this boat for three years and I beat the hell out of it. I find no trouble car topping this on my SUV. It is heavy but if you center yourself under it, lifting it becomes easy. I haven't tried to swim from it, but it will not tip. I use a 40lb trolling motor and have no problems using this canoe next to much larger boats, wakes aren't a problem.

I outfitted this with seatbacks, motor, anchor pulley, and rod holders. This canoe takes modifications well, and the weight capacity allows for more equipment (batteries). I love this canoe and would recommend it to anyone to fish from. I like to show the larger bass boats how to catch in areas they can't reach.

10-16-2006
Submitted by: SH - Rating: 10 of 10
     I have the Sam's Club version, 14' Rogue River. It stays year round at the pond on our farm and is a great canoe for the money. Stable, tough, and requires no upkeep. On pond water it is easy to paddle and easily accomodates two adults and some fishing gear.

07-31-2006
Submitted by: Mike Inglis - Rating: 8 of 10
     This canoe is VERY stable I use it for fishing and I can stand up and fish when I need to stretch my legs comfortably. I use a 30 lbs thrust trolling motor with it and the canoe is VERY solid and durable as well. I would rate this a 10 if it wasn't for the weight, the canoe is pretty heavy and difficult to carry long distances. I give it a solid 8.

07-14-2004
Submitted by: ML - Rating: 9 of 10
     Waterquest 14 - This is my first canoe, and I envisioned a comfortable, 2 person canoe for bass fishing in lakes and ponds. This is the one if that's your vision. Granted, I've added some extra's. A 36 lb. thrust trolling motor, a side motor mount, and I had to purchase a truck rack for my pickup truck so I can haul this thing around. It's heavy, no doubt about that. I do have to be careful choosing a lake with a good launching area, the parking area needs to be VERY close to the water in order to use this. Between the canoe, gear, motor, battery and anchor, it's close to 200 lbs. of stuff to carry down a trail to a lake or river. I am definitely limited to ponds and lakes that are boat-launch friendly. I made the mistake of launching at a lake that has no car access to the shore. Even though it was only 100 yards, it was a heck of a workout, and that was with 2 fairly strong 30 year old guys. Other than this canoe being heavy, it's the best thing going. It's the cheapest, most comfortable way to get to those fishing spots you always dreamed of getting to. Highly recommended.

04-19-2004
Submitted by: JD - Rating: 10 of 10
     I've had my canoe for about a 1 1/2 years and I love it. My girlfriend and I have no problems loading this on our truck or launching/removing. It is very comfortable and has a nice cooler and dry storage. If your looking for speed or rapids over a 3 then your looking in the wrong place. Its wide(42 inch) body does make it very stable and I have gone down a class 2 with my 14' canoe. Great for hauling tents and camping gear too. Overall I would recommend this canoe for its durability, stability and comfort.

03-11-2004
Submitted by: Thomas Edwards - Rating: 8 of 10
     My grandson and I go out in this stable and safe canoe. No motor, no registration, no expensive fuel and tax, no sound, no polution and it's no big deal to use. Go out with your grandson or grandaughter (6+) and see Gods wonderful earth and give those waiting children something money can't buy...YOU and your unconditional love. (14'green canoe)

02-17-2003
Submitted by: George - Rating: 10 of 10
     I wrote a review under "Rouge River 14" several months ago so this is another evaluation of the Sam's version of the LLL 14 canoe. After reading a few of these reviews, some had comments about car topping this canoe. I bought the hitch-mounted swivel rack from Cabelas and it works like a dream. I can load my canoe on top of the car by myself!no problem..just add tie downs and you are on your way.Have fun is this canoes' middle name!

08-02-2002
Submitted by: DE - Rating: 8 of 10
     It's a great canoe for relaxing and slowly drifting down the creek while your downing the beer you packed it it's cooler!! It's a little heavy to get out of water when you are wasted, but at least you don't tip it over on the way down. I love this canoe!!

07-29-2002
Submitted by: HF - Rating: 10 of 10
     Excellent boat, extremely durable! I took it on rapids in low water by mistake, the boat has thousands of scratches and is still seaworthy! This is an extremely tough boat!

06-20-2002
Submitted by: km - Rating: 10 of 10
     I have a rogue river 14t. I love it, it is durable and comfortable. I use it for fishing and I am glad I bought it. It only has two comfortable seats and a holder on each side for my paddles or fishing rods. I must say it is a great canoe.

05-28-2002
Submitted by: --- - Rating: 8 of 10
     I recently purchased the Rogue River 14 version from Sams Club. Having read the reviews, I pretty much knew what to expect. I have used the boat in minor white water and for lake fishing. This is a recreational canoe, built with superior stability, comfort, and convenience in mind, making it a bit heavier and not as quick as the more performance oriented canoes. For me, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. I do think this canoe could benefit from a keel. All-in-all, I doubt that I could find a canoe that better suits my purposes for the price.

05-06-2002
Submitted by: RayH - Rating: 7 of 10
     We've got the (Sams) 14' Rogue River model. We've had it for 4 years. Its heavy and wide. This makes it hard to car top and slow to paddle but it also makes it extremely stable and virtually indestructible. It has some nice features such as the cup holders, dry compartment, cooler and comfortable seats but at the price of added weight. Speaking of price, at less than $400, your not going to get a 60lbs speedster that you can comfortibly carry two adults and a child, or in our case, a dog. If your going to be racing or portaging it, get something else. If you want a canoe that can do many things well for many years to come, at a low price, this is not a bad choice.

06-25-2001
Submitted by: Reeltime - Rating: 7 of 10
     I have the Sam's Club version of this craft called the "Rogue River". This is definitely a family play boat. It is stable as a barge which makes it great for fishing or for taking young kids and or the family dog out. The built in cooler & drink holders in the center seat are very handy. It also has a small dry box great for wallets, pocket cameras and car keys (car alarm remote controls don't like water!!!). The 3 molded seats have built in air chambers for floatation should you ever manage to swamp this boat. It is a "poly" boat which makes it quite rugged however the down side is that is weighs as much as a barge. If you are looking for a play/fishing platform this is a good choice for the price. If you are looking for a performance/cruising boat keep looking

02-14-2001
Submitted by: C Reed - Rating: 7 of 10
     Slow, slightly heavy, but extremely stable. You will have a hard time tipping this canoe. I use mine for fishing on class I & II streams mostly, and proves to be an excellent choice, especially for fly fishing. Also great for kids, dogs, and inexperienced paddlers. I do not recommend this boat for class III streams +, or for someone who is in a hurry on the water. Pretty tough abs construction, I put mine thru a few tests this past year, (about 24 trips) and only a few scratches.

07-30-2000
Submitted by: Ryan Amundson - Rating: 4 of 10
     Don't be fooled by the three seats. If you intend to fit three people in it, or even two adults, you will be disappointed. If you intend to paddle solo there are much better options for you out there. But if you like to take your dog along this is the canoe for you. It would also make a great canoe to take a couple of small children on. It's 42 inch beam makes it exceptionally stable, so if your dog is big and clumsy or if your kids are jumpy you don't have to worry. The built in cooler will hold a six pack and lunch. The small dry storage compartment is nice to have but don't count on it to keep anything dry. One of the best things about it is the cup holders. This feature alone makes up for slowness on the water. The seats are comfy too. I just finished a 5 day, 120 mile trip paddling every day for 6-9 hours and was comfortable the whole time. To sum it up, if you want a graceful canoe that you and a partner can do some serious paddling in, this ain't for you. If you have small children, or maybe a dog, this canoe is worth considering.

07-22-2000
Submitted by: cool hand - Rating: 1 of 10
     lets see its a big fat slow heavy ugly boat. it is so slow, it feels like you are shoveing it through the water. we canoed with friends that were in a explorer, and they left us in the dust. [im talking miles ahead] it weighs 100 lbs, so forget lifting it alone, and if you get help the two of you better be strong. i dont understand why they can call this a conoe, this boat is like a pointed pontoon. i got rid of mine as soo as possiable, and bought a mad river

07-06-2000
Submitted by: pdez - Rating: 5 of 10
     This boat is heavy and wide, making it difficult to car top. It is much better suited for someone who has property on the water. The weight and width also make it rather slow on the water, but the thing is untippable -- I've jumped off it to swim and then pulled myself back in from the water without problem. It would make a good fishing boat.

05-11-2000
Submitted by: Mark Loyd - Rating: 7 of 10
     This was my first canoe purchased and wanted something durable and something I could take my two kids out in. The Waterquest 14 has proven itself against the large and angry rocks found in the headwaters of the Guadalupe River near my home. The built in dry storage is pretty reliable and the built in cooler does a fine job, even on day-long trips in the Texas heat. The molded cup holders also come in handy. The Waterquest's wide beam makes it kid friendly, however, it does cause it to drag through the water. I also like having a third seat. I've fished from it and it does great-- even with the kids. A good entry level boat, especially for those with kids.

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