Blackhawk Shadow 13 Specs or Info?

There is a Blackhawk Shadow 13 for sale not too far from me. I might go look at it, but would like to know a bit about it. I cannot find any specs for this canoe in my searches and I am really curious about the "paddler weight range": i.e. am I too big for it at 180 lbs.? It looks pretty sleek in the photos but I imagine it as a Freestyle canoe.

Any info or recollections would be appreciated!

Not what I would call sleek…a bit wide for that. At it’s introduction it was viewed as a Freestyle hull but if I remember correctly it has less rocker in the stern than the bow so I would class it more as a general purpose design. Very maneauverable. Constant flare (no shoulder) amidships. You should be OK weight wise if not carrying lots of gear, though I suspect you are at the upper edge of its best performance. Since we all evaluate differently, it’s always best to paddle first as you know. Not sure if this info is helpful but I do remember the boat well.

SouthernKevlar said:

There is a Blackhawk Shadow 13 for sale not too far from me. I might go look at it, but would like to know a bit about it. I cannot find any specs for this canoe in my searches and I am really curious about the "paddler weight range": i.e. am I too big for it at 180 lbs.? It looks pretty sleek in the photos but I imagine it as a Freestyle canoe.

Any info or recollections would be appreciated!

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I am 185 and have pushed the limits on many a small hull, but there is a Facebook Group 'Freestyle Canoeing' that may be of help if nothing more is available here. Some specs for your perusal:

stevet said:

Not what I would call sleek…a bit wide for that. At it’s introduction it was viewed as a Freestyle hull but if I remember correctly it has less rocker in the stern than the bow so I would class it more as a general purpose design. Very maneauverable. Constant flare (no shoulder) amidships. You should be OK weight wise if not carrying lots of gear, though I suspect you are at the upper edge of its best performance. Since we all evaluate differently, it’s always best to paddle first as you know. Not sure if this info is helpful but I do remember the boat well.

Click to expand...

Thank you both for your quick responses. The photos in the ad were taken with a cell phone, thus having the "wide angle" distortion. The spec sheet with the data is exactly what I had hoped to find. I was wondering how close the specs are to my Bell Flashfire.

At 180 lbs. I was wondering about the useful capacity. The 110-200 (plus gear of 70 lbs.) is an interesting way to label it, but this will not be my tripping canoe. It appears to have a bit more volume than my FlashFire due to it's width. I also noticed that there was no rocker listed for the Shadow series so I cannot compare that to the 2.5" of the FlashFire, but looking at the photos of the Shadow the curve of the rocker may start closer to to the center of the canoe than on the Flash. It may just be the wide angle of the camera though.

I have not made up my mind about making the drive to see it. The purpose of the Flashfire may overlap it by too much, but I might like the Shadow better. Decisions, decisions.

You may want to read the description of the Blackhawk Shadow 12, especially its stability, by the late Bob Gitchell (The Bob, Joker), who was an expert on Blackhawks and a very experienced canoeist and collector.


The sheer line on that canoe is radically asymmetrical. The LWL is only 1" less than the LOA, so query how much usable rocker could it have.

The Flashfire and Wildfire became the de facto composite standards for maneuverable paddling by smaller and mid-size freestyle canoeists. The Blackawk Shadows didn't, to my knowledge, though @stevet and @yellowcanoe would know better than I.

As a tripping canoe, I don't like small volume canoes that bog down and are slow with little freeboard under load, especially in river or lake waves. I'd prefer a 15' solo for myself at 180 lbs. and above. Just my opinion.

Thanks for the info Glenn. I've been in contact with the owner and it looks like I may get a chance to paddle the Shadow 13 to see what I think. I am curious to see how it compares to the FlashFire for maneuverability and playing around in small creeks.

I think you will find your Flashfire a much more inspiring canoe to paddle. It will more precisely reward nuanced strokes with a quicker response. Not to say you won’t enjoy the Shadow…I love most all small, dedicated solos (under 16’). Canoe personalities are just like people…there’s something to like in every one, though some are admittedly an acquired taste. Hope you get to paddle her and report your impressions.

Thanks all, but someone got there before I did. I'm not sure how it would have fit into my current quiver of canoes even if I had paddled and liked it.