Swift Canoes Cruiser 12.8

A fast, compact and extremely lightweight solo canoe

The Swift Canoes Cruiser 12.8 is a beautiful lightweight solo canoe with a bespoke carbon padded seat, suitable for smaller (lighter) paddlers this efficient pack boat can be paddled comfortably with either a kayak or canoe paddle. Designed by legendary canoe designer David Yost, exclusively for Swift, the Cruiser 12.8 seamlessly blends a classic recreational touring kayak with a performance focused racing canoe to culminate in the sleek, efficient Cruiser 12.8.

Featuring a Pack style seat, this canoe is lighter than most kayaks of a similar size (or indeed any size) due to not requiring a top deck, it is easier to enter/ exit than a kayak, easier to load up if you are planning an overnight excursion. And critically, with a lower seating position than a bench seat in a canoe you maintain a lower centre of gravity which increases stability. The bespoke carbon seat features excellent lumbar support for those with back issues, it is extremely comfortable to sit in. All of these benefits come together to produce a boat which is easy to use and with two paddle blades (on a kayak paddle) more efficient than a single bladed canoe paddle, making it easier to control in more adverse weather.

The hull itself has a tucked in profile along the gunwale length on the Cruiser 12.8, a unique S-Shape (found across the cruiser range) which makes it less likely to catch your hand while you are paddling along, be that with a gentle or more up-beat cadence.

As with all the standard Swift Canoes and Pack Boats we import into the UK, the outfitting on the Cruiser 12.8 is considered top-end. With strength, lightness and careful thought being put into the components used to outfit the boats. Carbon/Kevlar gunnels are extremely light, yet durable and are infused into the hulls Kevlar Fusion material for superior strength. The Kevlar Fusion hull is popular due to its high strength to weight ratio, providing great abrasion and impact resistance (as far as composite boats go). Available in Swifts two-tone colourways - Emerald or Ruby over Champagne, which provides a smart look guaranteed to turn heads and go OO-la-lah, the Champagne coloured hull makes it harder to see scratches or character marks that the underside may pick up during it’s time on the water.

We import the best-selling Swift Canoes, based on UK paddlers requirements and these are displayed on our website. However, Swift do offer a huge array of material options, outfitting choices and custom builds. If you would like to design you own ‘super canoe’ from Swifts many options, and have a custom-built boat, then we would highly recommend having a look at the Swift Website. Here you will find a custom boat building tool, and some fantastic videos which clearly explain the many features, outfitting choices and materials available:

SwiftCanoe.com

If you have any questions relating to Swift Canoes or Swift Pack Boats, or would like to discuss a custom boat build and how to pre-order one into the UK, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch with of the team here at Manchester Canoes who would be happy to help

So for folks who are looking for a lightweight, performance pack boat for day tripping, longer weekends or looking for a drier ride than a sit-on-top could offer. The Cruiser 12.8 is an exceptional, beautiful canoe to consider.