Canoe Material
Material
The material used to make a canoe has a dramatic impact on how much your
canoe will weigh, how much abuse it can withstand, your ability to repair
damage, rigidity and overall cost.
Material
There are a handful of materials that canoes are made from.
Plastic (polyethylene)
- Inexpensive
- Extremely durable
- Very heavy - difficult to portage
- Deforms over time
- Challenging to repair (use heat to weld)
3-ply Polyethylene
- Durable
- Stiffer than single layer poly
- More affordable than may other materials
- Still heavy but floats
- Difficult to repair
Composite
- Uses fiber fabrics with resin
- Can be shaped in creative ways - better performing shapes
- Hold shape much better than poly
- Much lighter than poly - portage option
- Can be easily repaired
- Much more expensive than poly
- Many options
- Fiberglass
- Kevlar
- Carbon Fiber
- Fancier and more lightweight options are very expensive
Laminates
- Vinyl outside; ABS walls; Foam core
- Very light weight compared to poly
- Little heavier than composites
- Deforms, but pops back to original position
- Difficult to repair
Royalex Laminate
Royalex was a game changer when it became
popular. It was light, durable and could take abuse. It is no
longer produced and Royalex canoes are very difficult to find are are
often overpriced.
T-Formex Laminate
T-Formex has more or less replaced Roylex.
Metal
- UV resistant - leave it out in the sun
- Heavy
- Loud - makes noise when paddle hits gunwale
- Ideal for scouts camps where gear gets abused
Wood
- Pretty
- Required maintenance to avoid rot
- Expensive
