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Northstar Polaris Review

Amongst paddlers, the Northstar Polaris is often called a “Canoeist’s Canoe”. It solos like no other tandem and for an experienced set of tandem paddlers it is like a samurai sword through the water. It has a slightly narrower width than all the other Northstar tandems (and most tandems on the market) and with the high-shouldered tumblehome you get a nice narrow paddling station when tandem and especially solo. I like to order the ones we carry and distribute (see my Northstar Page Here) with a kneeling thwart installed for a perfect solo option at the campsite. There is no doubt that in my shed, there will always be a Polaris. If I could only own one tandem Northstar, this would be it!

Recently, I received a review from a fellow paddler who ordered a Polaris in my favorite configuration, BlackLite with E6 Carbon and kneeling thwart. Ralph owns other canoes and has been at it a long time. His testimony sums it all up here:

“It was too dark by the time we got home to launch the canoe on Thursday, so Friday afternoon was our maiden voyage. Best canoe ever. Fast, nimble, fun. Did I mention fast already? 🙂
Saturday morning followed the first solo endeavor. WOW. I knew it was going to be fun but I didn’t expect the canoe to be that great of a solo boat. Many tandems are OK solo boats but one can tell  that soloing is not what they were designed for. I am not sure whether the Polaris was designed to be a tandem or a solo boat. It simply excels at both disciplines with authority and ease. Neither use feel like a compromises. What an awesome design. I love this boat and I understand why others have called it a canoeists canoe.
Thank you for an easy transaction and for talking me into the carbon version! I can feel the quality and care that went into design and building process. It is not any one thing. It’s like closing the doors of an S-Class Mercedes. It just feels right.  “