I'm considering buying a Wenonah Solo Plus. Before I get too serious, I would really like to test paddle one. I'm in the Twin Cities area, but I'm not able to attend the Midwest Mountaineering paddle demo next week. I'm wondering if anyone knows of a place that might rent then in the TC area, or if anyone who owns one would consider renting theirs for an afternoon.

Clearwaters Outfitting in Clearwater. Not sure what part of the cities you are in and if that's close enough for you. They usually have one of those in stock for sale and are right on the Mississippi River. Not sure if they rent that model but maybe they let you test paddle.

Thanks for the tip. I checked out their web site and it does not appear that the rent this model or have a new one in stock.

Sorry about that..... but keep an eye on their sight. Maybe they do not have their new stock for this spring yet???? That is the smallest inventory I've seen on their website before. Over the last 2+ years they've had a solo plus every time I've been in there and checked online. or maybe they just had the same one for a long time???? Not sure.

You could email them and ask if they plan on getting any in.

Road trip to mtn iron. :) No spring wing night so I am not bringing amy down. :(

Think twice about a SoloPlus. It doesn't do anything well. As a tandem, it bogs down with total load weight over 250 lbs. As a solo, it's high-volume and might be OK as a tripper, but nowhere near as good as the Prism. The SoloPlus turns stiffly, though not as stiffly as the Prism, unless you lean it hard, and then it will cooperate. It tracks OK as long as you're quick on the J-stroke. I had one for several years and enjoyed it, then paddled other boats and learned how clunky it really is.

Thanks. I have done quite a bit of reading on this forum and others about the pros and cons of the Solo Plus. There are some serious trade-offs to be sure. That's why I want to paddle one, to see for myself how it really handles under various loading scenarios. It would not be my main tripping boat, but if needed a 2nd tandem to replace the 72 lb aluminum beast I have as a second canoe, and also an adequate solo tripper with a 55 lb dog. Such versatility would be very valuable to me, and I'm supper curious to see how it really handles. Maybe I'll decide it's not for me, but who wouldn't want to test paddle an intriguing canoe?

I found out that Joe's Sporting goods has one in stock and also has a bunch of demo days events throughout May. So I think they can hook me up.

What part of the cities do you live in? I live in apple valley and have a solo plus that you could paddle. I use mine for solo tripping and like it a lot. I also have used it as a light tandam in the BWCAW on day trips when the wife took her kayak.

tony

Wow, what a gracious offer Tony, thank you. I'll follow up with an email.

Don't trust Tony ;) JK He's a good person! The people that hang out on this site are very generous and cool.