Canoe Basics

How To Choose A Canoe - Types Of Canoes

There are many canoe models to choose from and they all offer their own advantages for different types of paddling. Some canoes are made for extreme conditions such as whitewater, and some are designed to perform well under calm paddling conditions while carrying heavy loads of gear. It is often a fine line that separates these categories of boats but once you begin your research, and paddle a few different models, you be able to make the right purchase.

Sport Boats

Generally made for paddling around a lake or a very slow river. The higher stability makes it a great boat for fishing or exploring about for a few hours but is slow and does not track well. This boat is not recommended for canoe camping trips.

Square Stern Canoe

An asymmetrical canoe with a squared off stern for the mounting of an outboard motor; meant for lake travel or fishing.

Recreational Canoes

These boats are not a high performance boat when it comes to speed or maneuvering, but they do offer stability on the water. This is a great boat for paddling around on lakes or slow rivers with the family. And because of their stability, this boat is a great boat to fish from. It's a great beginner boat, but if you plan to use it on river or wilderness tripping you probably find yourself wanting something with more performance.

Prospector Canoe

A generic name for copies of the famed Chestnut model, a popular type of tripping canoe marked by a symmetrical hull and a relatively large amount of rocker; giving a nice balance for wilderness tripping, of the ability to carry large amounts of gear whilst being maneuverable enough for whitewater. This makes it a superb large capacity wilderness boat, but requires skill on windy, broad waters when lightly loaded. Made in a variety of materials. For home construction, 4mm plywood is commonly used, mainly marine ply, using the "stitch and glue" technique. Commercially built canoes are commonly built of fiberglass, HDPE, Kevlar, Carbon Fiber, and Royalex which is although relatively heavy, very durable.

Touring and Tripping Canoes

In North America, a "touring canoe" is a straight tracking boat good for wind blown lakes etc. A "tripping canoe" has a larger capacity for wilderness travel and is designed with more rocker for better maneuverability on whitewater rivers but requiring some skill on the part of the canoeist in open windy waters, when lightly loaded. Touring canoes are often made of lighter materials and built for comfort and cargo space; whereas Tripping canoes (such as the Chestnut Prospector derivates, and the Old Town trippers), are typically made of heavier and tougher materials, and are of course usually a more traditional design

Touring Canoes

These boats are reasonably fast and maneuverable, they handle calm water and smaller whitewater rapids well. They take a little more getting used to than recreational canoes because they don't have the primary stability that the recreational boats have. But they do have secondary stability that enables them to maneuver and perform in the mild whitewater situations. You will find that manufacturers offer these boats in many different versions. Some models are designed for paddling slower rivers with the family and some models are designed with more maneuverability for paddling more aggressive waters. A boat in this category is probably your best choice for canoe camping rivers and creeks.

Tripping Canoes

Tripping canoes are generally high volume canoes. That means that they are capable of hauling large amounts of gear. Some of these boats are designed to maneuver through rapids and obstacles well, and others are designed to track in a straight line on smooth lakes. If you are going to do major canoe trips lasting a week or longer, or if you intend to bring along the kitchen sink, then you might want to consider this boat.

Light Tripping Canoes

Light Tripping Canoes are a fine compromise between a lower volume tandem canoe, and a high volume solo canoe. If you like to day paddle with two, take weekend trips down the local river with a friend, or watch the sunset drift below the horizon by yourself this is the perfect boat.

Light-tripping canoes are for those who want one boat that can do (almost) everything. Boats in this category tend to be narrower, longer and deeper than recreational boats, giving them better speed and the ability to handle moderate loads in wind and waves. If you are looking for a boat that you can take out for the afternoon or for a weekend trip on lakes or on a crooked river, these boats are for you.

Wilderness Tripping Canoes

These canoes excel at getting you and your gear as far as you want to go, and getting there efficiently. From 17' to 18.5', and with a variety of depths and widths, our selection of wilderness tripping boats has something for everyone. The longer the boat, the higher the cruising speed and the better glide with each stroke. And with lightweight kevlar, even an eighteen-and-a-half foot canoe weighs only 45 lbs.

Inflatable Canoe

Similar in construction and materials to other inflatable boats but shaped like a canoe. It is meant for serious whitewater and is usually difficult to use for flat water travel.

Inflatable Canoe

Whitewater Canoes

These are high performance boats designed for paddling large rapids. Don't consider this boat if you are planning to canoe camp in luxury. These boats are designed to float through rapids not haul gear. Purchase this category of boat when you advance your paddling skills to class 3 and 4 rapids.

Also known as river canoe - typically made of tough man-made materials, such as ABS or Kevlar, for strength; no keel and increased rocker for maneuverability; often extra internal lashing points are present to secure flotation bags, harness, and spraydeck. Some canoes are decked and look very much like a kayak, but are still paddled with the paddler in a kneeling position and with a single bladed paddle.

Playboating Open Canoe

A subgroup of whitewater canoes specialized for whitewater play and tricks or for competitive whitewater slalom. Some of these canoes are short in length and have such extreme rocker that they are also known as banana boats.

Racing Canoe

Also known as sprint canoe - purpose-built racing canoe for use in racing on flat water. To reduce drag, they are built long and with a narrow beam, which makes them very unstable. A one-person sprint canoe is 5.2 meters or 17 feet long. Sprint canoes are paddled kneeling on one knee, and only paddled on one side; in a C-1, the canoeist will have to j-stroke constantly to maintain a straight course. Marathon canoe races use a similar narrow boat.

Sprint Canoes

Sprint canoes are purpose-built racing boats for use over short to intermediate distance races (200m to 6km). They are unusual for their long length and incredible instability, a result of their narrow beam (a necessity for a streamlined form and therefore greater speed). A 1-person sprint canoe, termed a C-1, will be roughly seventeen feet long; a tripping canoe of a similar length would be suitable for 2 to 3 people with gear.

Sprint canoes are paddled while kneeling on one knee (a person paddling on the left would kneel on their left knee), and the paddler never switches sides; this leads to constant j-stroking in a C-1. Typical boat types are C-1, C-2, C-4 and C-15 (War Canoe). The War Canoe is found mostly in North America, while all other events enjoy some popularity internationally, with concentrations in North America and Europe.

Sprint canoeing is an Olympic event for men, but not for women, although women very ably race sprint canoes at many national championships.

Outrigger Canoe

A canoe with an attached float, called an outrigger (or ama), to provide stability. Commonly used for racing.

Canoe Types And Usage Definitions