Canoes

While paddling is always enjoyable, you can gain much greater satisfaction if you have a canoe that is well suited to your usage, to your size, and to your talents. Your task is to identify a model that harmonizes with who you are and how you like to paddle.  If you love canoeing and wish to own the best canoe, you face quite a daunting task. First you must decide what best means, and then find a hull that delivers it. The definition of "best" is very personal. Said simply, your ideal canoe is the one that works best in the way(s) you need most.

A good canoe can have many virtues, or performance aspects, but not all in the highest measure. You often must forego some things to gain others.

The main aspects of performance are:
1) efficiency
2) maneuvering
3) capacity
4) steadiness
5) seaworthiness.
You should first rank their importance before you begin to look at canoes.  Because the field of available kayaks is vast, start by using your criteria list to identify categories that fit your needs.  The distinctions aren't always strict, but the categories are valid and will help you find your canoe. The process is to narrow the field by first comparing categories, and only then comparing canoes.  Finding the right category will eliminate canoes that won't serve you well -- and lets you concentrate on a few models that are close matches to your needs.

Below are several categories of canoes and an explanation of each.

Touring canoes
A blend of all types of performance
These are the most popular canoes since they are moderate, versatile designs. Touring hulls have medium lengths (typically 16'-17'), and are generous in width and depth (usually 34" to 36" wide with a 13" to 14" center depth. They should have shallow arched bottoms and only an inch or two of rocker. These aspects make good touring hulls track well, travel easily, and carry a fair load. They also should blend good initial stability with good final stability for safety on most waves.  The only limitation to these canoes stems from their versatility -- as they do everything well, they don't do any single thing best.

A caution, though: "Touring" is a nice label often given to canoes not deserving of it. No aluminum hulls and precious few plastic ones truly are touring canoes.

Recreational canoes
Steady, maneuverable, and easy to control
Designed for those who use their canoe as a means to an end. Folks who enjoy photography, bird-watching, fishing and hunting enjoy a solid, stable canoe for peace of mind. These hulls are shorter (16' or less), wide (over 36"), have full bottoms for a solid "foot print" in the water, and maybe some rocker in the ends. They're made for paddlers who seldom go long distances, carry much gear, or face large waves. If deep enough (at least 13") and lightly loaded, they can run rapids as they maneuver well, but they're not for serious froth. Their goals are steadiness on calm water, and easy control by typical paddlers.

Performance canoes
Efficient to paddle for short or long trips
These deliver easy speed and long glide, with significant capacity when needed. Performance hulls are generally longer, a bit slimmer than other canoes (33"- 35" wide), and not overly deep. For best performance they should have little rocker, and arched bottoms for responsive safety.

Although performance designs don't strictly require skilled paddlers, they will perform best in experienced hands, and will be enjoyed most by those people.

That these hulls can carry much gear fast and far, however, doesn't mean they always must. The "fast is fun" concept of a good multi-speed road bike translates to these canoes as well.

Expedition canoes
Big displacement for high capacity
These are the largest canoes, generally excelling in at least two dimensions, of which length should be one. They haul more weight than other designs, and do it safely on vast lakes, big rivers, and tidal waters where waves can be massive.

Since they are long, good expedition models draw less water to perform much better loaded than shorter designs.

River Touring canoes
Extremely maneuverable, dry, and buoyant
While Touring canoes are versatile craft that paddle well in rivers, they excel in calmer waters. The focus differs for River Touring canoes. These models excel in fast rivers, but can also be paddled in lakes.

River Touring canoes often have significant rocker (at least 2") to improve maneuvering in fast waters. This also helps soften the effects of crossing sharp eddylines where currents might tug at a canoe as it travels through them.

They also have generous flair and depth. This creates canoes with great buoyancy to tackle challenging whitewater confidently and also makes these canoes extremely forgiving when leaned to their gunwales.

These are stable, maneuverable and seaworthy canoes that handle furious waters easily and are little bothered by external upsetting forces.

In searching for the right canoe, pick a category or two. "Touring" should usually be included, but pick an added, or different, category as follows:
    1. For easier control and steadiness, pick "Recreation."
    2. For higher agility and dryness on rough water, pick "River Touring."
    3. For more speed and glide, loaded or empty, pick "Performance."
    4. For greater volume and seaworthiness, pick "Expedition."   

Within a category or two, investigate those canoes. Test them too, if practical. Not all canoes are right for you just because they fit your chosen category. Don't get too caught up on specs when comparing canoes. A lot more can go on with a good canoe design beyond the normal reference numbers you read about. By picking a category or two, you'll save time finding the right canoe for you.