What Are Recreational Canoes?

Relish nature and explore your local water grounds with a recreational canoe. Novice paddlers can tackle calm waters with a stable and easy-to-use water vessel such as a recreational canoe. Rent one from your local boat dock or visit a state park with a boat rental concession to test-drive one. Other types of canoes include multi-purpose, whitewater, racing and river canoes.

  1. Definition and Uses

    • Recreational canoes are designed for flatwater paddling and are characterized by their ease of use. They are stable and easy to maneuver, making them popular for novice paddlers. Unlike lighter and more agile boats, recreation canoes are tough to capsize or flip over. Ideal uses include general paddling, birding, fishing and photography. According to Canoeing.com, recreational canoes are also often called "cabin" or "city lake" canoes. Though best suited for casual day trips, they are also capable of overnight excursions.

    Size

    • Recreational canoes are typically designed with shorter length and greater width proportions compared to other types of canoes. The length ranges from 13 to16 feet with widths of over 36 feet. Choose longer recreational canoes for speed and for easier paddling in long distances. Longer canoes are also ideal if you need more storage space. Shorter boats are more convenient to transport and are also easier to maneuver. If your local waters have narrow inlets and streams, opt for recreational canoes with a shorter length.

    Hull Shape

    • Canoes come in different hull shapes. According to REI Expert Advice, there are generally four hull shapes to consider: flat, round, shallow arch and V-bottoms. Recreational canoes with flat bottoms are most ideal for flatwater paddling because of its excellent initial stability. However, flat-shaped hulls tend to be quite slow especially when fully loaded with gear. Rounded hulls are built for speed but are mostly available on high-performance canoes.

    Material

    • Various materials are used to construct recreational canoes. Aluminum, fiberglass, Kevlar, wood and Royalex are just some of the choices you may find when shopping for a boat. Canoes made from aluminum are durable and maintenance-free but typically suffer from poor design. Complex and sleek hulls are hard to achieve with aluminum, according to Canoeing.com. Fiberglass canoes are stiff and provide paddling efficiency. They have enhanced abrasion resistance and are easy to repair because of their thick layers of woven fabric and polyester resin.