What Are the Advantages to Owning a Kevlar Canoe?

Canoes, body armor and military helmets can all be produced using Kevlar, a synthetic fiber developed in the 1960s at DuPont. You may not be stopping bullets with your canoe, but for the water sportsman who scorns placid water and asks his craft to take a beating, Kevlar is a durable, light material that will keep performing long after you've left the rockiest, most treacherous waters.

  1. Superior Strength

    • Originally designed for industrial applications, Kevlar is increasingly being used in consumer products, including composite materials for canoe hulls. One of Kevlar's most attractive properties is its unusual strength, as it features a tensile strength over 5 times greater than that of steel. Woven together, it creates a durable product that can absorb quite a beating. Canoes reinforced with Kevlar feature a high resistance to dents and scratches, making them ideal for even the toughest conditions.

    Low Weight

    • As much as 20 percent lighter than fiberglass canoes, Kevlar canoes are very low in weight, making them easy to carry to and from the water, and increasing your ability to portage across long stretches of land. Even in composite form, Kevlar canoes tend to be the lightest canoes on the market, making them the ideal choice for the bulk-minded paddler.

    Excellent Performance

    • The superior tensile strength and weight of Kevlar results in a canoe that is also capable of high speeds in water. Decreased weight reduces the effort required to propel the canoe, and increased damage resistance will limit the amount of drag encountered in water. This makes Kevlar a fantastic choice for whitewater canoeing, as the canoe will more easily cut through the violent currents.

    Kevlar-Fiberglass Composites

    • Kevlar is often combined with fiberglass to create a composite that is less expensive and even more durable than an all-Kevlar hull would be. Though durable, pure Kevlar can crack under extreme shock, but in composite form it maintains its light weight and superior strength and becomes even more damage resistant, creating a long-lasting canoe that will perform admirably in the water. A fiberglass composite also reduces the amount of fraying that can occur with pure gel-coated Kevlar, leaving your canoe sleek and smooth.