First Canoe

[Morgan]

I am planning on buying my 1st canoe early this spring. I really do not have a firm grasp of what kind of boat I need. My price range is anywhere from 500-800 and I will mostly float the Buffalo, Mulberry, and Elk. Can anyone give me some direction and good ideas for my 1st boat? Thanks.

[robkanraft]

You need to provide a little bit more info, and then there might be a hundred opinions offered!

Do you want to float solo or tandem with a partner? There are some boats you can do both, but most are designed for a specific use and perform best in the world they are designed for.

The other piece of gear needed is a minimum of two paddles and two good PFD's. Welcome to the party!

[Cowper]

For what you describe, I would say it is hard to beat a 16' Buffalo Canoe.
http://www.buffalocanoes.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Brand spanking new, with sales tax, it might bust the top end of your range, but with a bit of searching or getting a blem from the factory you should be able to stay within that range.

Anything cheaper than a Buffalo, new, will be made out of a type of plastic that "oil cans" too easily, and/or is much heavier for a canoe of this size.

The 16' will be a "jack of all trades, master of none."

It is big enough to paddle tandem (two people). If the people are "average" size, it can carry two people plus overnight gear. For two people, a multi-day trip requires you to "pack light" to some degree. (Not "backpacker light", just don't bring the kitchen sink.)

It is small enough to paddle solo. Just sit on the FRONT seat, facing backwards. Paddled solo, you can EASILY carry enough gear for a multi-day river trip.

The hull is light enough for one man to load it on a car top, heavy enough to be tough and give years of service.

The hull design is identical to the old Blue Hole canoes; once considered "THE" whitewater canoe, the decendents of this design (like the Buffalo) are is still the primary rental boats not only on the Buffalo River, but also on Whitewater streams like the Mulberry and the Big Piney.

If you really go crazy about the sport like some of us and buy a more specialized canoe later, you'll want to keep your Buffalo Canoe for those overnight camping trips, and to loan to friends. I've got a Blue Hole Canoe that I purchased almost 30 years ago, it is still going strong.

EDIT: I should also plug another canoe company that is assembing canoes right here in Arkansas, Mohawk Canoes. They make several boats in the 16' range to choose from. http://www.mohawkcanoes.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I'm not plugging these Arkansas companies just because they're "home grown", I'm speaking for them because they make good canoes in the sub-$1000 range. Most of the major manufacturers like Old Town, Mad River, Esquif, etc get $1200 and up for Royalex hulls. The other sub-$1000 boats you see are typically some type of polyethelene, which is a very tough material, but more subject to "oil canning" (loss of shape, bowing up in the middle which causes canoe to handle sluggishly on the water).

If you're nervous about getting your canoe advice from the man you see in the Avatar, well, on the internet, you just never know who you're really dealing with....

[Lupe]

I'll just add a couple points:

1) while you can find cheaper options at some big box sports retailers, in the long run the extra money spent will be well worth it if you end up regularly paddling. So beware of being tempted by the cheapest models!!!

2) don't forget to also budget for pfd's (life jackets) and paddle(s): this is another area to ask for direction from paddlers. While paddling specific pfd's can run more, getting a low profile pfd designed for paddling will be much more comfortable than the bulky style you'll find locally that are more for watersports like skiing or tubing. A good (light weight) paddle also can really make paddling way more enjoyable than a heavy stick, so consider your options there, too!

3) Finally, even if you've done a good bit of canoeing in rentals, etc. around the area, you might want to consider signing up for one of our club's instructional events. We have the "School of Recreational Paddling" usually sometime in June each year up on the Spring River and you'll learn lots of good safety info and paddling techniques that will make getting down the river easier. You could sign up for that as a solo or tandem depending on what you get and what you want to learn.

Happy Canoe Shopping!

Cheers

[Sasquatch]

For what you describe, I would say it is hard to beat a 16' Buffalo Canoe.
http://www.buffalocanoes.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Brand spanking new, with sales tax, it might bust the top end of your range, but with a bit of searching or getting a blem from the factory you should be able to stay within that range.

Anything cheaper than a Buffalo, new, will be made out of a type of plastic that "oil cans" too easily, and/or is much heavier for a canoe of this size.

The 16' will be a "jack of all trades, master of none."

It is big enough to paddle tandem (two people). If the people are "average" size, it can carry two people plus overnight gear. For two people, a multi-day trip requires you to "pack light" to some degree. (Not "backpacker light", just don't bring the kitchen sink.)

It is small enough to paddle solo. Just sit on the FRONT seat, facing backwards. Paddled solo, you can EASILY carry enough gear for a multi-day river trip.

The hull is light enough for one man to load it on a car top, heavy enough to be tough and give years of service.

The hull design is identical to the old Blue Hole canoes; once considered "THE" whitewater canoe, the decendents of this design (like the Buffalo) are is still the primary rental boats not only on the Buffalo River, but also on Whitewater streams like the Mulberry and the Big Piney.

If you really go crazy about the sport like some of us and buy a more specialized canoe later, you'll want to keep your Buffalo Canoe for those overnight camping trips, and to loan to friends. I've got a Blue Hole Canoe that I purchased almost 30 years ago, it is still going strong.

If you're nervous about getting your canoe advice from the man you see in the Avatar, well, on the internet, you just never know who you're really dealing with....

What he said