Buying the right canoe is not easy. If you are a first time purchaser, the task may be totally confusing since these boats come in so many varieties of materials, sizes, weights, even shapes–and they all have unique purposes. First-time buyers have to decide where they are going to be canoeing the most-on flat water or on whitewater. Will they want a canoe that’s the lightest to carry for that type of canoeing? Do they want to set a limit on the cost? Is low maintenance and issue? You wouldn’t shop for a blender without knowing what you’d be using it for mostly or how easily stored it would be or if the blades and speeds gave enough variety. The same holds true when canoe-shopping. Just making a checklist of the major purpose for the canoe, and then a checklist of the features that will be important for that purpose. It’ll make the choices a lot easier.
Let’s say that my “shoppers” want a canoe they can navigate around shoals and rocks and in easy rapids, as well as on flat water. First time buyers don’t want to have to buy one for flat water, then one for shallows and rapids. The best canoe type for a first-time canoer is a general purpose canoe that’s not too heavy, and one that can accommodate two people or solo, if needs be. It should also be designed to perform with dexterity in fast water.
I wouldn’t suggest getting an aluminum canoe if portage is important. You may have to walk the canoe around some Class III and IV rapids and it has to be light enough to carry a little distance without breaking any backs! Aluminum canoes are usually high-quality but they’re hard to repair, they’re “sticky” in tight spots in the water, and they’re really heavy. Polyethylene canoes are a good bit lighter but can be damaged more easily going over swift rapids. Royalex, the commonly used term for these canoes, is a material that is buoyant and lightweight. But Old Town Canoe has a model that has a foam material sandwiched between the polyethylene layers and it’s comparable with the Royalex, yet more resistant to damage. That line of foam-filled materials was the Discovery models, and they’re available today at major outfitters and canoe stores. It’s really sleek because there’s no framework of ribs and supports and it’s very buoyant, naturally, with more storage space left in the stern and bow. Royalex is a great all-round material for flat water all the way to extreme whitewater conditions. Royalite and Kevlar canoes are lightweight, extremely durable, and slippery materials perfect for whitewater running.
A good length for a first-time general canoe is 14 to 15 feet. It will accommodate two people yet be taken our solo as well. This is an almost perfect length for whitewater and also for an extended weekend trip. A canoe longer than this will be extremely hard to navigate solo and even in still water or on lakes, and it can be awkward, since there’s more front weight to manage when maneuvering.
Beginning canoers also need to pay attention to the stability of the boat they purchase. A high primary stability of a boat will allow it to sit quite flat in the water, but when loaded and in motion it will not be very stable. So make sure that the secondary stability is high. Just tell the sales person that you want a boat with that feature because you’ll be paddling some fast water eventually and will want to have as much stability in the water as possible. The boats with this characteristic usually have a rounded r “V” shape to the hull. Since the hull sits down lower in the water it acts as a stabilizer when paddlers lean out wide to take a stroke. Canoes that have an outer keel are those we think of when we picture the wooden canoes of early Native Americans. But aluminum canoes have no outer keel. In fast water you definitely don’t want an outer keel. So a canoe of polyethylene or one of the other lightweight materials that’s a maximum of 15 ft. in length will narrow things down on your checklist.
Now, how much is going to typically be carried in the canoe. If it’s going to be used for weekend back-packing trips or just a solo run down a section of river, it should have a capacity of at least 600 lbs. or more. Capacities of around 1,000 lbs. are more suitable for heavier touring canoes. Most experienced canoers recommend filling the canoe to only 80% of its total capacity. In the event of a rainstorm or water flushing in from navigation over rapids, it’s much less likely to go under. The weight of the canoers plus that of all the gear and coolers, etc. really adds up. The only way to truly test capacity is to go out on a run in a new canoe and see if it sits too far down in the water after loading. If it does, you need a boat with greater carrying capacity.
If you plan to do any moving water, you should stay away from an external keel. Canoes that do not have a keel, or that have only an internal one in the case of aluminum canoes are typically of a higher quality.
Coleman, Pelican and Old Town make great canoes. Just be sure to pick one with all the features you need and want, even if you have to pay a little more to get it. You could be paying upwards of $4,000 in some cases, but generally speaking, a newbie should be able to purchase a good whitewater river canoe for around $1,000-$1,500. Ebay and some of the canoe stores online or in your city, have used canoes or canoes on sale periodically. But going to a physical store first is essential to pick up some brochures, talk to clerks and get an overall feel for the way the canoes look. Though I’ve not done it myself, I’ll bet that Consumer’s Guide has an issue devoted just to purchasing a canoe. They typically relate all the aspects of the models of things reviewed with a specific rating so that you could test what they come up with against your own checklist of features considered essential.
Mad River has models made of Royalex that sell for around $1,000 and which handle very well. Look at their Adventure, Explorer and Freedom models in Royalex and polyethylene. Wenonah Canoes is another respected builder that designs for many categories-even for specialty categories. Coleman, Pelican and Old Town are some other established builders with quality reputations. Just make sure that the salesman doesn’t pressure you into making a purchase that you’re not sure of. He or she is there to make a sale primarily, and only secondarily to serve their customers’ best interests.
