2017 is here. We haven't wasted a moment this off-season designing some incredible new products for you.
Here's a quick breakdown on everything we've got in store this year:
Canoe Colour Blends- Firestorm, Sunburst, Boreal, Glacier
This year we've overhauled the colour pallette. Forget traditional colors. Forget bland canoes with no style or flair. For 2017 we're introducing 4 beautiful color blends: Firestorm, Glacier, Sunburst, and Boreal. Each integrates two gel coat colors with a dark edging and light colored core. They're unlike anything else you'll see on a canoe. These new colors are available as a standard option at NO ADDITIONAL COST.
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| Firestorm- Autumn Red with Mango Orange |
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| Glacier- Sea Blue with Aqua |
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| Sunburst- Mango Orange with Arowhon Yellow |
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| Boreal- Forest Green with Lime Green |
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| Top to Bottom- Firestorm, Glacier, Boreal |
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| L to R- Sunburst, Boreal, Glacier, Firestorm |
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| Firestorm- courtesy of Shawn James from My Self Reliance (www.myselfreliance.com) |
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| Glacier- courtesy of Shawn James from My Self Reliance (www.myselfreliance.com) |
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| Glacier |
Kayak Colour Blends- Supernova, Cobalt
We've designed 2 exciting new kayak colour schemes this year, Supernova and Cobalt. Following the success of last year's introduction of kayak color blends, these new color blends offer some darker alternatives to last year's brighter colors. Supernova uses Superior Blue as its base with a Lime Green accent and matching Lime decals. Cobalt also uses the Superior Blue base with a Sea Blue core for a sleek appearance.
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| Supernova |
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| Supernova |
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| Cobalt |
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| Cobalt |
Introducing An Industry First- Custom Screen Print Kayak Color Schemes
Henna, Vines, & Purple Rain
Henna, Vines, & Purple Rain
One of our most exciting innovations for 2017 is the introduction of screen print kayak deck patterns. We've developed a new method utilizing terylene polyester cloth alongside standard Kevlar and carbon fiber layers, allowing us to integrate flashy patterns and schemes directly into the deck mould. Take a look at the all-new Golden Henna, Purple Rain, and Vines designs. These are now available for order and purchase at NO ADDITIONAL COST! The're bright, colorful, and unlike anything else you'll see on the water.
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| Vines Cloth |
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| Golden Henna Cloth |
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| Purple Rain Cloth |
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| Fresh out of the mould |
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| Golden Henna |
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| Purple Rain |
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| Golden Henna- almost through production |
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| Vines- nearing completion |
Overlapping Kayak Seam
We've seen a stagnation in the kayak industry in terms of R&D advancement, so we've devoted considerable time and resources towards developing a lighter and stronger kayak laminate process. The end result is another industry first; the creation of a composite kayak deck mould with a fully integrated overlapping seam. This allows us to do away with the standard 'H-channel' that combined the deck and hull halves together. With a larger deck seam, the top deck is fastened to the hull without any additional components, reducing weight and producing a cleaner look between top and bottom. With a Kevlar or carbon fiber deck, our kayaks will see a weight reduction of 2-4 lbs depending on the model. With already some of the lightest kayaks on the market, now they're even lighter, stronger, and better designed.
Carbon Fiber Integrated Cockpit Rim
Complimenting our overlapping deck seam, we've also designed a new methodology for building our kayak decks with a fully integrated carbon fiber cockpit rim. This means the deck and rim are infused together during the build process, creating a one-piece top deck that's lighter and stronger than the multi-component decks of years past. These new cockpit rims are helping get our kayak weights into some of the lowest, and strongest, in the industry today.
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| The first deck moulds with cockpit rim integration |
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| The first infused carbon cockpit rim on a Supernova color scheme |
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| The future |
2-Tone Canoe Colour Schemes & Matching Graphics
We wanted to break away from tradition for 2017, and what better way than to take traditional canoe appearances and flip them on their head. Instead of the old standards like Red and White, we've designed several 'concept boats' that incorporate vibrant two-tone color schemes with matching decals. All Swift canoes are now available with Lime Green, Aqua, or Arowhon Yellow two-tone color schemes with matching graphics and decals at NO ADDITIONAL COST. If you want to break away from tradition and paddle something modern and sleek, this is the new era.
Carbon Fiber Ultra Lightweight Canoe Seats
In our quest to make our canoes lighter and stronger, we've focused significant attention to our interior components. The heaviest components of a canoe, by volume, are the yoke and seats. In 2015 we designed a carbon fiber yoke that cut the yoke weight in half, and in 2016 we came out with the first iteration of carbon fiber canoe seats. But vast improvements aside, we wanted to maintain the shape and comfort of our standard contoured wood seats, so our factory team dedicated themselves to designing a carbon fiber canoe seat that was interchangeable with our standard wooden seats. They've done it, and the result is spectacular. These new carbon fiber canoe seats offer the same contour and comfort of our wooden seats, but at a fraction of the weight. They're stronger and more comfortable than any previous design. Whether you sit or kneel, these seats are ultra comfortable and will allow you to stay on the water as long as you need.
NEW Kevlar Fusion Hull Colour- Sapphire
Our lightweight Kevlar Fusion laminate has been our most popular hull configuration for years. With the best mix of lightweight and strength, they make for a great tripping canoe. We've previously offered 'clear coat' colors with a Ruby Red, Emerald Green, and Golden Kevlar colour schemes, and this year we've added Sapphire Blue to the mix. It's a bright and catchy colour that looks great in the sun. It's available as a standard colour at no additional cost, and can also be used in our heavier duty Expedition Kevlar hull if you need something a little more robust for heavy tripping.
Our lightweight Kevlar Fusion laminate has been our most popular hull configuration for years. With the best mix of lightweight and strength, they make for a great tripping canoe. We've previously offered 'clear coat' colors with a Ruby Red, Emerald Green, and Golden Kevlar colour schemes, and this year we've added Sapphire Blue to the mix. It's a bright and catchy colour that looks great in the sun. It's available as a standard colour at no additional cost, and can also be used in our heavier duty Expedition Kevlar hull if you need something a little more robust for heavy tripping.
Interior Carbon Fiber Components
We've reached a level where we're now building canoes without any wood or metal screws whatsoever. That means there's nothing to decay, rust, or break. Last year we developed our Carbon Tech Package that offers a full carbon-fiber interior layout, and this year we're adding some great new additions. Not only can you get the Carbon Tech Package in standard black carbon fiber, you can also get your interior components with Carbon Innegra H-weave fabric. This mixture of carbon fiber and polypropylene Innegra fabric creates an aesthetically pleasing 'H-weave' pattern that stands out against anything on the market. You can also use Carbon Innegra H-weave fabric in your Carbon Fusion hull, so coupling the two together creates a one-of-a-kind canoe that'll be the envy of your fellow canoeists.
Muskoka River-X C2 Concept Race Boat
The past few years have seen a huge expansion of Muskoka's annual Muskoka River-X marathon canoe race. Sponsored by our brother company Algonquin Outfitters, hundred of paddlers start in downtown Huntsville, ON for a 24 hour 250km marathon race through the heart of Muskoka's lake country. Paddlers from all over the world are now competing, and each year the competition (and the equipment) reaches new heights. We've designed a concept boat for the aspiring C-2 racer, and this bad boy is built for speed. With an ultra-lightweight Carbon Fusion hull and full interior carbon fiber components, this is the fastest canoe we can make. With a sporty black carbon/lime green colour scheme and racing-style seats and footbraces, this might be the best advantage to wining the MRX this year.
New Canoe & Kayak Designs
Last but certainly not least, we've also been busy designing some new boats for 2017. We've been pretty heavily focused on all the new gadgets we mentioned above so we haven't even taken photos of the new designs, but they're coming.
New for 2017 will an Adirondack 13.6LT recreational kayak. Without hatches or bulkheads, this cottage cruiser will be lighter and easier to handle than the standard Adirondack 13.6 and will make for some of the easiest paddling imaginable on your favorite local lake. Available in all our new color schemes, including the new screen print kayak schemes, you'll be paddling in style.
This year will also see our first ever tandem kayak. The Adirondack 15'6'' tandem will follow the popular styling of our Adirondack series of recreational kayaks, but with a tandem paddling setup for partners looking to cover some miles together. With our new carbon fiber cockpit rim and integrated components, this will be one of the lightest tandem kayaks on the market.
We're also introducing a variation of our popular Keewaydin 16 tripping canoe with the Keewaydin 16 'Combi'. This canoe will have the standard bow and stern seats, but also a center seat with a removable contour yoke, allowing you to use it as a dedicated solo canoe or as a tandem tripper. If you mix solo paddling and tandem tripping, the Combi will allow you to switch effortlessly between the two setups.
And lastly, Swift is very excited to announce the upcoming arrival of the Keewaydin 18.6. The Keewaydin 18.6 is an expanded version of our popular Keewaydin 17 that will offer incredible speed and efficiency and a huge load capacity. If you're looking for a high-volume expedition canoe, or an ultra-fast racing boat (like for the Muskoka River-X, for example), the Keewaydin 18.6 will get you there quicker and more efficiently than any other boat we offer.
More information on our new models will be available soon.
