Dagger Phantom

Size, weight, capacity

Following a trend of race kayaks, the Phantom is 8’11” (271cm) long, close to the 9’ mark which is the limit for many race events.

The Phantom is 26.75” (68cm) wide, similar to the Mamba and Nomad, which keeps it stable in boily, unstable water.

The boat has a broad weight range, but is geared toward slightly heavier paddlers with an optimal range of 145 – 255lbs (66 – 116kg).

The Phantom weighs 49.5lbs (23kg), slightly weightier than other kayaks in the same range, but you’ll still be able to shoulder it and carry it around comfortably.

Features

The Phantom is outfitted with Dagger’s Contour Ergo seat, padded and fitted with a leg lifter which helps to keep your knees locked in place and maximise your control. A ratchet adjusted backrest and a bulkhead style foot block keep you upright in the kayak and allow you to transfer power efficiently through the boat.

Contour hips pads, adjusted by fitting foam shims to increase contact, and precision adjustable thigh braces make it easy to edge the Phantom and turn in the middle of rapids.

Safety grab handles are fitted for rescues and a safety step out pillar is installed to exit the kayak in difficult conditions.

The planing hull of the Phantom is what gives it that racing calibre speed. Like a lot of modern designs, the back of the boat is squared off, extending the waterline without going over that magical 9’ limit.

An enormous bow rocker means this boat can climb over nearly anything you put in front of it, while a less aggressive stern rocker helps you to stay in control.

The edges on the Phantom are defined enough that you can just about carve around and surf this boat, but remain forgiving enough to paddle it through big rapids and down the most challenging white water.

Performance

As you would expect from a kayak built with racing in mind, the Phantom is a very fast boat which rarely gets caught up in features. The extended rocker profile really helps to keep the nose up as you skip over features, utilising the hull speed to boof over even the gnarliest features.

The Phantom has a lower profile back end than a lot of racing kayaks, which helps to keep it stable when submerged. The higher volume front end helps to carry you through messy white water easily.

Dagger’s outfitting, as always, is extremely high quality and connective, allowing you to comfortably paddle the Phantom for hours at a time and stay in full control on the water.

Like a lot of racing kayaks, the Phantom likes to be paddled aggressively. If you lean forward and charge this boat around the river it will respond perfectly.