There are several hundred canoe manufacturers that are available. Each having an endless assortment of models and also their own private classification system. On top of it all, there are those opinionated canoeists which go out of their way to tell you that you have brought the wrong boat, just at the very moment you bring it home. Honestly, buying a canoe could be even more stressful than purchasing a car, with just as many models out there. Like a golfer, that would be required to choose the best club in order to get the ball down the green, the canoeist would also select the best suitable boat for the strength of water before paddling each trip.

Obviously, owning a dozen canoes could be a little expensive and storage in your backyard would tend to be problematic. If you purchase eight of them then chances are that you might run out of room. For most canoeists, your best bet would be purchasing a versatile canoe. The most important elements which would determine a good canoe trip are the dimensions, material and shape relative to the water conditions.

The activity of canoeing is sure to prove as a rewarding experience. If you are planning to lose weight and tone your body but you can’t stand staying in crowded gyms or sweating in running shoes, then canoeing might be for you. If you are recently experiencing a lot of stress, then nothing could be better than cruising on the soft waters, feeling the sunshine and the breeze on your skin and hearing gentle lapping of water to clear your mind.

Aluminium Canoes

Canoes can be found in several materials, one of these being the aluminium canoe. Aluminium canoes or popularly known as the Grumman canoe are usually for the purpose of instructional/ organisational usage, being that they are inexpensive and durable.

Aircraft technology was given to the almost indestructible canoes. These canoes are made from identical halves of an aluminium mould which join at the keel using stem plates and then are riveted over the longitudinal seams.

The aluminium on own is a little soft for the canoe construction so other metals were added to give the light metal some strength and hardness. There are better quality aluminium canoes that are made from an alloy called 6061-T4. It is a material that contains silicone and magnesium which has been heat hardened and also is considered as one of the best materials for building an aluminium canoe. Some cheaper boats could be made from the cold formed alloy known as 5052-H32 which is a weaker and softer material.

Irrespective of the alloy you are using for the construction of an aluminium boat, it still will have the characteristic of sticking to the rocks due to the sticky quality of aluminium. Some additional drawbacks would include being cold in spring and hot in summer, and noisy all round the year due to the loud echoing sound when the paddle hits the gunwales. The aluminium canoe can lack the aesthetics of the canvas or wood canoe. They are mainly flat bottomed and have unattractive, slow lines. Despite all the disadvantages, and in face of the stiff competition, the aluminium canoes can still be quite popular due to there durability.

Touring Canoes

The touring canoes are specially designed for the lakes and other such flat waters. They make use of the more traditional designs and are mostly built for stability and comfort. They are also popularly known as tripping canoes or recreational canoes. The touring canoes could be found in two main types – the prospector canoe having a symmetrical hull and arched body, and the long distance touring canoe having a rounded hull, cockpit, higher rims and lower gunwale lines for keeping in the boat drier.

White-water Canoes

The White-water or the river canoes are mostly used for paddling in the white-water rapids, the water body characterized by highly aerated and fast water flow. They are mostly made from some tough materials like fibreglass, polyethylene and carbon fibre. They are all designed so as to withstand the aggressive paddling and the rough impact of the rocks. Most of the models of white-water canoes have an internal lashing point for keeping the floating bags, spray decks and harness in its place. Subtypes known as play boating, banana boat or open canoeist are typically designed for the competitive slalom and canoeing tricks. They are mostly short and have higher rockers.

Square Stern Canoes

The Square Stern Canoes are asymmetrical having flat and squared off sterns designed in order to hold outboard motors. They are generally used for the purpose of paddling and fishing on the lakes.

Racing Canoes

The racing canoes or the sprint canoes are mostly used for fast paddling and racing on flat waters. They are usually long and have the narrow beams that reduce drag and also increase the boat’s speed. However, it would also make it more vulnerable. They are mostly paddled on one side while the canoeists are kneeling on one of their knees.

Inflatable Canoes

Inflatable canoes have bows and sides that are made from inflatable flat, tubes and flexible floors. They are quite light and are ideal for the rough white-water travels, but don’t work well on the flat waters.

Canoes put very basically are small and light boats that have pointed ends and long narrow bodies. They are mostly propelled by the human power by usage of single bladed paddles, with one or even more than one paddlers depending on the capacity of the canoe. Some canoes are designed for sailing and propelled by sailing rigs. These canoes are generally used in the small water bodies like at rivers and lakes.

A canoe might seem identical at both of its ends but each end is constructed differently and both of them serve different purposes. The front end of the canoe is known as the bow and it a contains entry line where the boat would slice through the water. The back end of the canoe is known as stern and is a little smaller which mostly contains a foam block or the flotation compartments. The aluminium canoe mostly requires buoyancy chambers for assisting it to keep it afloat. The seats are generally located next to bow and the stern which allows the paddlers to steer the boat from both of the ends. Running across the bow and the stern is the hull that makes the main boat body and would prevent water from entering. The top edge of the hull is known as gunnel or gunwale. The hull holds it together by a horizontal crossbeam which is known as thwart.

Beam

The beam refers to widest point of the canoe which is typically at the hull. You need to select a canoe that has a wider beam if you wish to have better stability and a narrower beam for the purpose of faster travel. A wide hull wouldn’t sit deeply into waters, thus making it much easier to manoeuvre but it is likely to be carried along by strong winds and currents.

Length

If you choose a canoe that is long and narrow it would allow faster travelling on flat waters. The long canoes are quite easy to track or for keeping in straight line. They are are very useful for paddling on lakes and smaller water bodies.

Rocker

The rocker is basically a curved part towards the bottom of the boat. A highly rocketed boat would have a bottom that is deeply curved which allows for easier turning. The canoe needs to have a high rocker for the fast turn while avoiding the rocks and any other obstacles in the water. However, rockers do tend to compromise tracking and speed. Thus, it would be wise to select a canoe that has a gentle rocker for the purpose of general paddling.

Flare

Select a canoe which sits at reasonable distance above water level, mainly at the widest point. This feature is known as flare or the timberline which would further keep you dry even in the rough waters.

Keel

The keel is basically one strip of a rigid material that runs across the length of the boat. Thus, it is best to choose a canoe with a sturdy keel. It is not necessary for all the canoes to have a keel. However, a keel would further keep the rocker together and would improve the tracking. But, it could also make it harder for the boat to turn.

Paddles

When canoeing at first became quite in vogue, the canoe paddles become accompanying devices to the canoe. It means a certain canoe went with a particular pair of the composite canoe paddles. In recent times of mass production, most of the canoe paddles that you would see are made by machines.

If you are planning to take up a small canoe trip along with your friends then make sure that the paddles are in the right place so as to aid sailing along. The composite canoe paddles, also called blades are mostly made of wood or metal. However, modern paddles are these days constructed from some other materials too like plastic or fibreglass. The shaft, grip and blade make three main parts of the canoe paddle. Blade is the wide flat end of the paddles which is used for pushing off water. Shaft is the longest part of paddle and is also called a handle. Grip is the little crux that prevents the paddle from slipping out of the hands.

Therefore, in order to purchase the right aluminium canoe you need to be determine what type of water conditions you will mostly be on.

If you are looking forward to purchasing aluminium canoe paddles then you could look for them over the web or at some sporting stores. If you wish to purchase the aluminium canoe at ease, then purchasing online can be an option. However going into a boating store and seeking professional advice can help you to choose the right canoe for your particular requirements.

Canoes can be found in various materials, having separate merits. While just one material might excel in the condition of white waters, another one could be a better choice for flat water touring. Materials that are used for making canoes do have a tremendous impact on the cost of the canoe and the purchaser should be aware of this.

The aluminium, once a standard for the middle-of-the-line canoe, has taken the back seat to all new resin and synthetic materials that are available on the market today. True aluminium is about the heaviest material that you could get in a canoe. It is durable, tough and would take being dragged over the bottom. It doesn’t have a gel coat or the polyethylene skin that would make it subject to abrasion. The outer hull would not be as subjected to degradation or fading from long term exposure to sunlight. The extremes of cold and hot don’t affect the materials, just the comfort of the canoeists.

On the other hand the aluminium canoe doesn’t have the memory and would dent when it takes a little harder hit. Aluminium material is also a little sticky in nature. This means it tends to hit and drag on underwater objects. The heavy weight of some aluminium canoes can make manoeuvring for the amateur paddler difficult and would make it even more difficult for portage (carrying it over land to avoid obstacles in the water). Also if the aluminium gets punctured by hitting a rock, it may become difficult to repair and evidence of repair could become harder to hide away than fibreglass.

Aluminium canoes are great for the flat waters. Ideal for a lake front property where the canoe would get stored outside all round the year and could be used for the casual paddling and excursions on the calm water. However if you plan to canoe in whitewater or in a rocky environment then the aluminium canoe is not the best choice. Long and adventurous touring also is not wise in an aluminium canoe because of its weight for portage.

Having said that the blended aluminium allows canoes to be lighter, thinner and stronger as compared to true aluminium. Some of the alloy constructed canoes could be even lighter than the synthetic cousins. In case you are planning to use the boat for the purpose of touring and portage, you would want to test the light alloy boat in order to make sure that the claims of the lightness are quite true. All boats are not necessarily created equally and while considering lightweight aluminium canoes, you need be sure the claim is accurate.