Dagger Phantom

These are part of the first batch into the UK and even though the image appears to show two differently sized Phantoms – they are in fact both the same.

From Dagger:

The Phantom is the latest high-performance model to join the ranks of the Mamba, The Green Boat and the Nomad, and has already won numerous short boat class podiums even before its launch. The Phantom stays high-and-dry on the water, yet still carries its speed through holes and away from drops, and achieves the perfect balance of tracking and manoeuvrability with the ability to rapidly change direction when on edge. The volume of the Phantom has been optimized for both performance and fit with sizing that can accommodate various paddler heights and sizes.

There was a period of time when this Phantom was not going to go into production – it started out as a team project that wasn’t necessarily meant to go to market. Thankfully, enough interest in this type of kayak has grown in the last few years.
The Dagger Phantom is a performance creek boat that has been designed to win the sub 9-foot class whitewater races that we see around the world. It is also designed to be a competent river runner.

Although I have two here at Unsponsored HQ, only one of them will be with me long-term. The Phantom joins my Dagger Jitsu and Spade Kayaks Ace of Spades in my gear storage facility. Both of the Phantoms shown here are full production models that have built at Dagger’s US facility.

The Phantom is a lot of boat. At 271cm (sub 9-foot) long it has a great water line and is fast. This the same length as the large Pyranha 9r and it also shares the same width (68cm) and weight (23kg). However, when paddled the kayaks feel very different. The Phantom has plenty of bow volume and rocker designed to keep it high in the water to break though stoppers. This combined with the flat hull and the flare in the bow allows for planing and pivoting in big water.

performance

The Phantom is available in one size only. At 6ft 2” and 200lbs, the Phantom doesn’t feel huge to me but if you were at the bottom of the suggested weight guide then you will most definitely feel it. Like the majority of the new crop of kayaks, the Phantom is definitely a boat that needs to be driven to get the most performance out of it. It took a few outings to get used to the way it handled as it is very different from my Ace of Spades, which has been my main creek boat for the last few years. I really like the hull profile of the Phantom.

It carves when needed and yet behaves well thanks to sharp edges where you need them and the rounded edges where you don’t. It’s much easier to predict what the hull is going to do compared to a number of similar kayaks I have tried. The stern has a much lower rocker than the bow and has the squared off tip, which helps make the boat to become more manoeuvrable the faster you’re going. As a result, it’s super fun to paddle.

As it’s a creek boat, it also the safety features that you would expect in place. This includes a plastic step out pillar, adjustable footrest and five true grab handles. The step out pillar also has a great shape that makes a superb grab handle when carrying the kayak on your shoulder.

Outfitting
The outfitting is Dagger’s well established Contour Ergo Outfitting in its creeking guise. It adds weight to the kayak but it works super well. I am able to forgive a little extra weight when carrying the boat as the outfitting is that good.

The feature I really like (and you’ll see this many times in my Dagger kayak reviews) is the ability to raise the front edge of the seat. This is achieved by the strap and ratchet system at the front of the kayak. As you would expect there are super adjustable hip pads, padded knee protection and ratchet back rest. The hip pads come supplied with a range of shims that can be added/removed to provide the optimum fit. A couple of quick release buckles allow easy access to the back of the pads to add/remove the shims.

Storage for your throw line is easily accessible in between the seat and front pillar. You can also see the seat fore/aft adjustment bolt in the same area. At the rear of the seat are a couple of gear loops that are easy to clip into to keep additional gear attached to the boat.

The volume of the kayak as mentioned before is large and I would highly recommend adding airbags to any kayak but especially ones of this size. I use the largest 30L Palm Equipment airbags and even when fully inflated there is still room to store gear without deflating the bags. I also make sure that I have a couple of small airbags installed in front of the full plate footrest. The footrest is easy to adjust and has think foam pads that give added shock protection and a little additional buoyancy. However, it is still advisable to fill the void in front of the full plate.

Summary

Overall I like the design and feel of the boat – for my size and the kinds of paddling I do, it is ideal. I have no intention of competing in down river races but I appreciate the speed and manoeuvrability of the Phantom. It has my favourite outfitting system and can haul a load a gear if I need it to. It is available in red, which as everyone knows, makes kayaks even faster!