In the NuCanoe “Frontier 12” you can do things your way... a better way! Go solo in style or tandem with room to spare. Position the seats anywhere along the 70" Freedom Track. Face the action with 360° Mobility. And don’t just stand, walk with confidence on the 20" wide Cast & Blast Deck.
Four months ago Blake Young showed us the concept drawing of a new kayak model for NuCanoe. From what I saw it seemed like all the shortcoming of the original NuCanoe had been addressed. Earlier this month we were informed the first kayaks had been completed and were headed to Kentucky. This weekend the YakAngler crew was able to put the yak through its paces like any true kayak fisherman would. I have two words for NuCanoe, Freakin Awesome!
Your first look at the Frontier there is no doubt it’s a NuCanoe, the company has stayed true to its roots with the overall look and feel of the kayak. It has the same length as the 12’ NuCanoe, and is a tad bit slimmer with a 41” beam. It’s easy to paddle and can hold a ton of weight. That’s where the similarities end.
The new kayak has a large flat deck that NuCanoe is calling the Cast and Blast deck, if you’ve paddled a NuCanoe before you know how big of an improvement the new flat deck. To quote Adam “No more Capt. Morgan stances while fishing”.
They have added a front gear locker which quickly was dubbed the “pantry” by Blake during our trip down the Elkhorn. The gear lockers is sealed very well; during our stability testing the Frontier was totally swamped but the gear locker stayed dry. There was a small amount in the hull but nothing a long day in the surf or white water wouldn’t do to any kayak.
You are now able to store your rods, spare paddle or any other gear you want out of the way in the internal rod chamber. I was able to put my rods into the Frontier easily; only issues I could see are it might be awkward to access your rods while on the water and things sliding out of reach of the front hatch.
Supper holes! Yes NuCanoe has added scupper holes to the Frontier, which I’m told were a late addition to the design. With just me in the kayak “200lbs” I didn’t have any water coming through the scuppers. With 2 of us in there was some water in the stern of the kayak but nothing alarming. With 3 of us there was probably an inch of water in the stern. This might be alarming if we hadn’t just swamped the entire kayak earlier with 3 adults in it and safely SUP’d “Stand Up Paddle” back to shore. Leaving the kayak level all the water quickly drained out within a minute or so.
NuCanoe has gone with a track system called the Freedom Track, which secures the universal seat base and other accessories. The track system fit my YakAttack MightyBolt allowing me to use my PanFish and other YakAttack accessories. Blake said they were working with YakAttack to possibly offer the threaded RAM Ball as an added accessory.
The hull has been tweaked adding Kiss Offs, we had the original NuCanoe out as well and the tracking has improved in the Frontier. I was able to SUP easily without zig zagging down the river. The stern of new hull also didn’t catch the current like the original.
Saving the best for last unbelievable Stability or as Adam put it “This thing is stupid stable”. I was by far the most impressed with how stable the Frontier is. Check out the videos below for 180’s, tandem 180’s, bow paddling, SUP’ing in a little white water.
I was easily able to turn around step over my seat, walk to the stern and grab any gear from my crate. At one point Adam and I even decided to switch places and walked past each other on the kayak! Bottom line the Frontier is the most stable “non outrigger” kayak I have ever had the pleasure fishing from.
In summery this has probably been one of the easiest reviews I’ve done on a kayak. It was hard to find anything I disliked about the Frontier. It’s a little on the heavy side at 76lbs and a little wide at 41”. That’s it, two faults out of a laundry list of likes; I’ll take percentage any day of the week! Would I recommend the NuCanoe Frontier 12 to kayak fishermen? Absolutely, get out to a NuCanoe retailer next year and try the Frontier for yourself; I’m almost positive you’ll also agree that it’s Freakin Awesome.
Update: This is still my go to kayak when fishing with the kids, I received a production model which is thankfully lighter then to Pre Production model but is still my no means a light kayak. I've used this kayak now for easily over 30 trips and still stand behind my original review. My only new complaint is the deluxe folding seat that came with my kayak. The seat bases flex and cause the deluxe folding seat to not provide much support for the lower back. I'm told this has been solved by the updated seat bases but I have yet to try them out.
Reviews of kayaks when newly introduced are one thing - reviews of kayaks post-introduction after significant use may be something else.
I purchased a 2012 NuCanoe Frontier 12 in 2013. This kayak has been fished frequently in an inshore saltwater environment. It has been carefully maintained, transported and stored (thoroughly cleaned and treated with 303 Aerospace Protectant immediately after each use).
The NuCanoe Frontier 12 is VERY stable. The hull has withstood well oysters and rocks. The 360 degree revolving seat is an excellent feature.
Its stability is attributed to its width and relatively high gunnels. Hence, there is a significant trade off: what the Frontier 12 offers in stability it surrenders in "paddle-ability": when confronted with resistance from anything more than minor currents, tidal flows and winds paddling becomes laborious. In more challenging conditions it becomes a "large barge". The relatively higher seating position (which accommodates 360 degree seat swiveling) adds to greater wind resistance.
My greatest disappointment with the Frontier 12 has been its warped deck. Shortly after purchase I learned NuCanoe was having some "issues" with cracking and warping decks. Some Frontier 12 owners were complaining the deck was too "flexy". NuCanoe's solution was to provide owners with a Styrofoam block insert (a major PITA to put into the hull via the bow hatch). With the foam block in place the deck was more firmly supported eliminating flex. However, the installed block also altered the deck's flatness, defeating the purpose of the deck's molded design, causing casual water on the deck to flow to the sides impeding the flow of casual water to the scupper holes in the stern. Also, a "well" where casual water would collect and not drain was created toward the bow. The foam block insert virtually eliminated all of the hull's interior storage space (ugh). When contacted, NuCanoe told me the warranty would be voided if the Frontier 12 was used without the foam block insert.
Another disappointment is how badly the kayak's color has faded. After each use it has been well-cleaned. Treatment with 303 makes it look better but as soon as it gets wet and the 303 washes off it returns to a dingy and lack-luster appearance.
A major concern has been rusting of the heads of the screws that secure the Freedom Tracks to the hull. Thankfully to date nothing catastrophic has occurred, however, I'm not looking forward to if/when 1 or more of these screws fail. Evidently, NuCanoe used hardware not suitable for exposure to saltwater corrosiveness. Be advised: the Freedom Tracks are nice for mounting a number of accessories but not nearly sturdy enough for trolling or for passively fishing a rod in a rod holder.
Of lesser concern but no less aggravating has been poor quality/poor quality control. The lift handles have had to be replaced because grommets have torn out. The hatch seal has had to be repaired and replaced because it simply fell apart.
One strongly recommended improvement NuCanoe should make to the Frontier 12 would be a hatch in the midsection and/or stern allowing interior access to the hull particularly for wiring, securing add-ons from the inside, etc.
Over time I've learned that many accessories offered by NuCanoe, especially many of their seats and seat swivels, can be purchased at significantly lower prices from sources other than NuCanoe. Had I known then what I know now I would have bought a "bare bone" Frontier 12 hull then outfitted it with seats, etc. sourced elsewhere to save money.
In summary I think the NuCanoe Frontier 12 may be best suited for those who desire or need a kayak that is very stable and/or offers more weight capacity. Perhaps NuCanoe has since 2012 addressed the "flexing" deck issue in some manner other than the foam block insert, i.e, thicker deck plastic, so that it's interior hull space is available for storage. The NuCanoe Frontier 12 is adequate for mild water/weather conditions but is less than ideal when faced with water/weather conditions beyond mild. To help maintain a competitive position in the market place while increasing sales and market share NuCanoe should strive for the highest quality of materials and quality control possible.
This model is excellent for the coastal waters and very addordable as well.
Having had this boat for almost 4 years now, i have had it through the wringer. I have paddled and fished creeks, rivers, lakes, ponds, and fished the open gulf of Mexico through the surf. extremely stable, I feel perfectly comfortable standing up offshore, in 1-3 foot swells. The built in track system, allows for the mounting of all types of add-ons. but the best feature of the track system, is for the seats, i can quickly add a second seat base, and now i have a tandem, I have even taken my 3 year old grand daughter out in it (gotta startem young!) if I am fishing solo, i slide my seat towards midships, to a better paddling position, then as i am drifting across my fishing area..i slide the seat back, to free up more room to move around and stand, or throw my cast-net to catch live bait. and with the 600 lb capacity, safety is never compromised...well if you tandem two 300lb persons..then you may want to reconsider, and use 2 boats :) Only drawback, is it is not as fast as the narrower boats, but that is the trade off...stability for speed, i would rather have the stability, carrying capacity, and comfort, than 2-3 miles more per hour. I have loaded a treestand, backpack, and rifle, and took it to the swamps deer hunting, did not harvest anything, but my plan included being able to strap a dead deer in the boat, along with the treestand/and gear, and not give it a second thought. (well, alligators wanting a dead deer in a small boat did come to mind) I also purchased a set of beach wheels/kayak cart, by balancing the boat properly, i have dragged this set up hundreds of yards through soft sand, the wheels that come with the boat are good for short trips around the yard, but for long drags...get some wheels. all in all, I have no complaints with this boat. customer service is top notch, only issue I have had was a torn hatch seal, which was replaced in a few days once i let the company know. would I buy another Frontier? you can bet on it.
I am a first time kayak owner. Did a lot of research on SOT's before buying the Frontier 12 last June...without even a test ride. I was not disappointed. I am still in the process of outfitting it but still catch lots of fish and comes home with lots of ducks.
One of the most impressive things is the stability. In Colorado when duck hunting, you don't want to end up in the water. I have sat in 34 degree water/20 degree air temps and not had a single bit of concern regarding ending up in the water. They are easy to rig anyway you need to for fishing/hunting/camping or just kayaking. Lots of options.
I gave the speed a rating of 3 but this comes from someone who does not have enough kayak time to know how fast other kayaks are. I have a GPS on my Lowrance Elite 4 DSI and have recorded 4.1 MPH with a slight tail wind. Again, not sure or even care how that stacks up with other kayaks. It is definitely fast enough for me.
If you're a large man, you need this kayak. It's that simple.
I'm a giant... about 6'7" and 330lbs. I've wanted a kayak for years, but I want something that can float my weight without threatening to turn into a submarine. The NuCanoe Frontier does it. This puppy is rated for 650 lbs, and I'm pretty sure she will hold every ounce of that.
Cons - It's a heavy beast. Most of us fit this out with a jon boat style swivel seat for added comfort. With that installed, you're pushing 100 lbs with this thing. While they have a video for how to car top it (and I use that method), you might be better in the bed of a truck or on a trailer. It's also not going to win any races, but frankly... I'm here for man powered fishing, not racing. It's not slow, I can do 4+ mph with normal effort, and exceed that for bursts.
Pros - Did I mention it's big guy friendly? And it has big comfy jon boat swivel seats? It's also very adaptable, you can run it single or tandem (if you're normal sized), and it has gear tracks running the length of the kayak. I can't picture a need to ever drill through the hull. Stable....If I can balance well on this thing, anyone can. I'm about 10" high on a jon boat, I'm all upper body, and it's stable as a rock.
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