I use V-brakes on both my Surly Touring bike and my Tandem. I have had much better luck with V-brakes on my bikes than I have had with cantilevers. I like the looks of cantilevers better, but for pure stopping power, I like v brakes.
I use the Dia compe 287V's and have not had any problems. If the rear brake feels mushy, you might make sure that your cable housing is neither too long, or too short.
