Kayak and Canoe Material Matters

Which canoe material is right for you?

A matter of four variables

When deciding on a canoe or kayak, specifically, what should it be made of, you should start with four basic criteria. How durable is the material? What is the typical cost of a canoe made from the material? How hard is it going to be for you to move the canoe or kayak from place to place? And finally, what kind of performance do you expect?

These days your choices for canoe and kayak materials are basically seven. Below we'll outline the basic features of Royalex, Kevlar Ultralight, Flex-core Kevlar, polyethylene, fiberglass, Carbon Ultralight, and wood. The tough ones If you really plan on giving your canoe or kayak a beating, you'll want to go with Royalex, Polyethylene, or Flex-core Kevlar. These synthetic materials are usually inexpensive (except for the Kevlar) and comprise the bulk of canoes sold these days. Flex-core Kevlar is particularly nice because any necessary repairs to the hull will be unnoticeable if properly done. Less tough materials include, in descending order, fiberglass and Tuf-weave, wood, and carbon ultralight.

The bottom line

Next consider pricing. Obviously, Kevlar products and hand crafted wood canoes rank at the top. If you choose a wood canoe, you'll pay top-dollar but will get a gorgeous canoe that performs exquisitely. Flex-core Kevlar is commonly believed to be the gold standard material, but is cost-prohibitive for most. Don't get fooled by Ultralight Kevlar, as you'll only want this if less weight is your primary concern. Royalex is a nice middle of the road decision in terms of durability and cost.

Weight factors

The lightest of the bunch is Carbon Ultralight followed closely by Ultralight Kevlar. Each of these sacrifice durability for their light weight, and repairs can be difficult and costly. Next in line are Royalex, wood, Flex-core Kevlar and Fiberglass. This is a difficult feature to gauge, due to the design and size of individual canoes and kayaks, so they should just be general guidelines. For example, polyethylene canoes and kayaks weigh the most. At about 17 feet, you should expect it to weigh 85 pounds. An Ultralight Kevlar canoe of similar size would weigh under 50 pounds, with Carbon Ultralight even less than that.

How does it handle?

This is also something of a subjective issue and will be answered differently by many professionals. But as a rule we rank Kevlar products, wood, and fiberglass about the same, while Carbon Ultralight taking the lead. The carbon products are very lightweight and stiff, making it easier to glide through the water. The remaining materials make fine canoes and kayaks as well, but not quite as nice as these.