Choose wisely when buying canoes, kayaks

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 22/05/2015 (3251 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OK, so the gorgeous weather is back, you’re dying to get on the water, but you don’t have access to a boat.

Not so long ago, that dilemma was easily solved by a quick scan of the classified ads and the hasty purchase of a dented, ancient aluminum canoe. Today, you can probably still find a noisy, grippy Grumman on Kijiji, but there’s a much wider variety of paddlecraft to choose from.

It’s always a good idea to try before you buy, which means renting or borrowing first.

Impulse buying is a terrible way to select something you can expect to use for a decade or more.

If you’re starting from scratch, here are your options:

Recreational canoes

If your idea of a perfect paddle involves a short ride along a placid Prairie river or a gentle day along a lakeshore, you’re not alone: The majority of canoes are used for family and fishing use.

The least expensive rec canoes sell new for less than $1,000, but they are heavy plastic or ceramic. Spend more and you can acquire a boat light enough for shorter, multi-day trips. If performance is not a consideration, price is the only factor to consider.

Tripping canoes

If you’re into longer flatwater trips, you want a tripping canoe. They are about five metres in length, because longer boats track better in open water. They also need to be deep enough to store your gear and shed waves. If you spend any time in Canadian Shield country, where portages between lakes are numerous — for example, the Whiteshell, ELA or Quetico — you’ll want to spend the extra bucks for a lighter hull material.

Whitewater canoes

Whitewater boats need to be tough, but they also need to be manoeuverable. That’s why a river canoe will be shorter than a tripping boat and have more rocker, which means less of the belly of the boat sits on the water at all times. Weight is less of a consideration, because your portages will be shorter. But if you have the cash for light and strong, go for it.

Sit-on-top kayaks

Sit-on-tops are like the kayak version of a rec canoe, albeit more useless. They tend to be cheap and easy to use for novices, but most are unstable, making them annoying on wavy Lake Winnipeg or Lake Manitoba. You’re buying one of these for calm-weather paddling, and that’s it.

Playboats

Short whitewater kayaks are built to be highly manoeuverable in rivers and heavy waves, but you don’t need to be an expert paddler to use one. On large Manitoba lakes, they shed waves far better than sit-on-tops. They’re also easier to cart around than sea kayaks, as most playboats can be strapped to any sedan. Best of all, they’re an immense amount of fun.

Sea kayaks

If you go touring on Lake of the Woods or elsewhere, or you want to cover large expanses of water quickly, take the plunge and buy a full-blown sea kayak. There’s no faster way to travel on the water under your own power. They also have large enough holds to carry many days worth of gear.

Stand-up paddleboards

For most Manitobans, a stand-up paddleboard means a touring SUP, which is designed for flatwater and is relatively easy for novices to figure out. But there are also shorter surfing SUPs for whitewater, longer racing SUPs for speed and even yoga SUPs with grippy material and anchors. The cheapest are inflatables, but you’re sacrificing stability for price. Without the rigidity of a hard board, you’re basically paddling a sunbathing raft.

What if I still can’t decide?

An excellent place to check a variety of vessels — or wessels, if you prefer to speak like Pavel Chekov — is MEC Paddlefest, which returns to Fort Whyte Alive on Sunday, June 7, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Mountain Equipment Co-Op, the Wilderness Supply, Hardcore Paddleboards and Winnipeg Canoe Rentals will have boats and other gear for sale. Organizers of the free event are also planning a gear swap this year, so this is the perfect place to dump off an old PFD or paddle you no longer need. You might even find something you want.

The day-long event also offers canoe, kayak and SUP instruction on FortWhyte Alive’s lakes. Courses are $5 each. A full list is online at wfp.to/RTq.

What if I’m really cheap?

If you can’t afford new but don’t want to deal with the hassle of sifting through online classifieds, be patient all summer and wait for Saturday, Sept. 26, when the Wilderness Supply holds its annual rental sale.

This is when all the canoes and kayaks that see heavy use all summer are sold off on a first-come, first-served basis. Overnight lineups are common, so be prepared for some urban camping if you want a crack at the best boats.

bartley.kives@freepress.mb.ca