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How do I choose
a canoe??
Choosing a canoe can be tough. There are so many models
on the market, and many of them look alike. Hopefully this guide
will help you out with this task.
Materials
One of the biggest factors in deciding on a canoe
model is the material of the hull. The material will tell you how
heavy the canoe will be, how it will cut through the water, durability
of the boat, and how much you will have to pay. Below is a description
of the different materials.
Polyethylene
This is what most canoes today are made out
of. It is extremely durable, abrasion resistant, and very
economical. The down-side to the polyethylene canoes is the
weight. They can weigh quite a bit more than a royalex or
composite boat. Old Town has come up materials which are even
more durable than standard polyethyline; Polylink 3, and Superlink.
Both of these materials are a triple layer polyethyline with
air pockets in the center layer. The benefit to this is that
the entire hull ends up being flotation for the boat. |
Royalex
Royalex is similar to Polylink 3 and Superlink because it
has three layers of material. The up-side to the Royalex however
is that it is lighter than the polyethyline. |
Fiberglass
Fiberglass has been a standard for canoes for
years, and can be a great choice for a canoe, depending on
the method of laying out the fiberglass. All of the fiberglass
boats that we sell are made with hand laid sheets of fiberglass,
and not with a chopper gun which can lead to much heavier
canoes. |
Kevlar/Kevlar Ultralite
Kevlar is a material which is similar to fiberglass, but
much lighter. Kevlar sheets are tougher than fiberglass, which
means that canoe builders don't need to use as much resin
to harden the kevlar. This leads to the difference in weight.
Kevlar Ultralight is the same as kevlar, but the boats are
made lighter, usually by leaving out the gel coat or some
other addition. |
Black Gold / White Gold / KevCrystal
These materials are specific to Bell Canoes, and they are
generally combinations of different composite materials.
Black Gold - Combining the stiffness and
abrasion resistance of carbon fiber with the excellent tensile
strength of Kevlar®, BlackGold™ is the finest canoe
laminate available. It is light and stiff enough to move your
Bell canoe through the water quickly and efficiently. It also
brushes off impacts that send other composites to the bottom
of the lake. If you need a laminate for the long haul, BlackGold
is it.
White Gold - Long a favorite of Bell solo
paddlers, WhiteGold is a smart midweight laminate choice.
An outer layer of fiberglass provides excellent abrasion resistance
and ease of repair. Cross-hatched Kevlar® inner layers
and a structural core round out this affordable performance
package. WhiteGold provides all the advantages of composite
construction for the budget-minded canoeist.
KevCrystal - KevCrystal inserts a custom
bi-weave layer of Kevlar® behind a durable gel coat. This
process is why KevCrystal is renowned for its stunning moire'
pattern. Foam core ribs, and internal reinforcements increase
stiffness. Beautiful, yet lightweight, KevCrystal is for those
paddlers seeking a balanced blend of light weight and durability.
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Hull Design
For most canoes, the longer a canoe is, the more efficient
it will be. Longer canoes do not require as much energy to be paddled
in a straight line, and because of this, they are generally quicker
than shorter canoes. The down side to a longer canoe is that they
are tougher to manage outside of the water and are usually heavier
and a little bit more expensive.
The rocker of a canoe also determines how efficient
a canoe will be. Rocker is the difference in the bottom of the canoe
between the middle of the boat and the end of the boat. Canoes with
a lot of rocker tend to turn easier, but will not paddle as efficiently.
Whitewater canoes tend to have more rocker than flatwater canoes.
Cross Section of the canoe
Flat Bottom
Flat bottom canoes are generally stable on flat
water because the surface area on the water is at its greatest
on flat water. The problem is that if you lean the canoe or
if there are waves in the water, the boat becomes less stable.
Flat bottomed canoes also tend to be less efficient than other
canoes. |
Shallow Arch
Shallow arch canoes are not as stable on flat
calm water, but become much more stable in rougher conditions,
or when the paddler is leaning the canoe to the side at all.
These tend to be more efficient than flat bottomed canoes
as well. |
Shallow Vee
The shallow vee hull is similar to the shallow
arch, but the canoe dips down slightly in the center. This
dip acts like a keel, but can get stuck on rocks and other
things below the surface of the water. |
Round Bottom
Canoes with a round bottom are mostly limited
to flatwater racing. They are very efficient, but do not have
the stability needed for recreational paddling. |
If you have any questions about the different materials
or hull designs, please give us a call or email us. info@canoepassage.com
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