NuCanoe "Frontier 10" Hot

I Found out NuCanoe was planning a 10 foot model when I worked the Louisville Boat show with Blake. As soon as I saw the plans I knew I would be adding a Frontier 10 to our fleet. My boat arrived in early May and I have had a chance to take it out a handful of times and it has lived up to and exceeded my expectations.

Stability: With a width of 39" the Frontier 10 has superior stability. The 10 foot model is initially not quite as stable as the Frontier 12, but the secondary stability is just as rock solid. After a little time on the water I was easily able to stand and paddle and was standing and fishing in no time.

Speed/Tracking: Speed is never really a concern for me as I prefer to fish moving water and smaller lakes. I do occasionally fish larger area lakes but have never felt the need for a lot of speed. With that said the Frontier is surprising fast for such a wide, stable, short boat. Not sure how much faster than the Frontier 12, but with just a couple of paddle strokes I can be at full speed. Tracking was something I was concerned with as it is a shorter boat than the Frontier 12 which I have been fishing out of for the past year. I found the 10 to track very well for a shorter fishing kayak. After the first couple of paddle strokes the boat tracks excellently and I really love the maneuverability of this craft. With two quick strokes I can turn the boat completely around. On the creeks the maneuverability is outstanding and I can easily navigate in and out of great fishing spots while remaining safe.

Weight: The Frontier 10 weighs in at 67 lbs. which is still a little heavy for a boat this size. I know NuCanoe had hoped to be a little lighter, but they will not sacrifice outstanding quality and durability to shave pounds. I have found the boat very easy to handle with the smaller size and 10 less pounds. It is easy to load in the back of the track and getting to the water at put ins has been easy. I have made a home made cart that makes the longer tracks to the water a breeze.

Seating/Freedom Track: The Frontier 10 comes with one seat base as apposed to the two that come with the Frontier 12. The seat base is secured to the Freedom track which runs the majority of the length of the kayak which makes it easy to adjust the seat to exactly where the paddler wants it. You can then customize the seat to fit your style. Anything from a kayak captains seat, a normal boat swivel seat, to an elevated swivel seat. I love this option as I have added swivel seats and at times use the elevated swivel seat in both of my Frontiers. I love the comfort and the ability to swivel to change fishing positions. Seating on the Frontiers makes fishing for hours on end a very comfortable day on the water. The freedom track also makes it easy to customize your boat with many accessories to fit your style. It accommodates many different mounts to outfit the Frontier with fish finders, rod holders, camera mounts, etc. without having to drill any holes.

Storage: Storage on the Frontier 10 is very similar to the Frontier 12. I find the storage to be very good. There is a hatch up front which is water tight. The storage bag also pulls out and gives you access to the entire hull for storage. I do wish there was a way to secure stuff in the hull so it wouldn't slide around - at times it can be hard to get to stuff since there is only one oppening to the hull. There is a crate space in the back that fits a milk crate perfectly. The area now also has a place to secure a 5 gallon bucket as well.

Deck, with Scuppers: The cast and blast deck made famous by the Frontier 12 is just as outstanding on the Frontier 10! After getting used to the 10 it is just as easy to stand and fish or paddle. Several people have asked if I feel cramped or miss the extra two feet. I do not really notice it much but I do fish with my daughter a lot and the extra two feet come in really handy when taking a partner along. I wouldn't recommend taking the Frontier 10 with two people. Another huge improvement on the 10 is the scupper holes and channels that help drain the water to the scuppers towards the back of the boat. In my Frontier 12 some of the water would also go past the real scuppers and pool in the back crate space. This was never much of an issue but when finished on the water there would always be an inch or so of water. With the improved design the Frontier 10 stayed dry both times I have ran it down the creeks.

In conclusion, I could not be any happier with my decision to add the Frontier 10 to our fleet. I have a feeling my daughter and I will be fighting over who gets to fish out of the Frontier 10. It will become my go to boat when fishing solo especially on the creeks, rivers, and small lakes we fish so often around here.