Pure Baloney and Hype

When you are trying to decide which canoe will be best for you, consider these claims made by various other kevlar canoe manufacturers and the facts as best I know them. Sure, they're all worrying about "making the sale" with name-brand kevlar canoes that have obviously developed "inferiority complexes" with the advent of Souris River Canoes rising up in the Boundary Waters and Quetico Park. Souris River has re-written the way paddlers can get what they need in a canoe, not just what the canoe seller happens to be selling. Be informed and don't get caught up in the Baloney Vortex.

Note: This information is gleaned from my personal observations, and research, also from discussions with customers, chemical engineers, and canoe outfitters.

Baloney Vortex Includes Baloney, Hype and other misinformation about Souris River Canoes and a few other things:	Actual Reality about Souris River Canoes:
NEW Baloney: Same song - new twist: I just heard this same, old, lame story being spread by the sales rep from Brand X Canoe to Gunflint Trail Outfitters "that NOW you can't get repair kits for Souris River Canoes because they're "illegal" in the US."	If the USA does not allow a highly profitable but nonetheless polluting Swedish car into the US because it's bad for us then why would they allow Souris River Canoes into our country if they considered them illegal here to begin with? (read about the car) If the US knows the details surrounding the construction of the rather complex Swedish car, and apparently they do, do you think they know that Souris River Canoes are made with kevlar and epoxy resin? One final question, if Red Rock Wilderness Store (that's us) has literally gallons of marine epoxy on hand plus kevlar cloth that we ordered from US suppliers with no special licensing whatsoever, is epoxy resin illegal in the US? I don't think so. What a bunch of baloney! I don't mind a good clean fight based on actual facts and reality. However fighting dirt-bags who tell tall tales to outfitters (who are supposed to actually know something about canoes and canoeing) gets old. Brand X Canoe operates like a life insurance salesman desperately trying to sow the "seeds of doubt" to increase the policy size. "Are you sure that you have enough insurance?" Illegal kevlar repair kits - what next?!
Baloney: "Epoxy Resin is nasty, nasty, stuff and highly toxic and dangerous to all who approach it."	Epoxy Resin is used all over the world and readily available to anyone without age restrictions right off of grocery store shelves in the convenience aisle. If it's so dangerous, how come anyone can buy epoxy resin with no restrictions? Uncured (still wet) epoxy resin is a skin sensitizer to just about all people and their reactions can vary from person to person just like bee stings will cause differing allergic reactions in different people - some bad, some no-big-deal. There are many different types of epoxy resins which perform in different ways, Souris River's epoxy resin is a special mix of epoxy resin and multiple hardeners and not readily available to the consumer market. It has less additives making it purer, stronger and pretty hard for you and me to work with without all the dispensing equipment, ovens, etc. As far as the ridiculous hype and misinformation put out by other canoe shop's sales staff - it's all bogus and designed to instill doubt in the mind of the potential canoe-buyer. You cannot believe how many people ask me about "how dangerous these canoes are" after listening to a lame sales pitch used by some other canoe shop. The sad part is that a few misguided paddlers end up buying the wrong canoe for their needs based on false fears about cured epoxy resin.
Baloney: "Repairing a Souris River Canoe (like that actually happens a lot) is very dangerous due to the epoxy resin."	Making repairs with West System marine epoxy is no big deal. In fact, epoxy resin is substantially easier to mix properly and control than any vinylester or polyester resin on the market today. Just wear disposable rubber gloves, work in a ventilated area, try not to lick it and don't put it in your eye. Use common sense and follow instructions. Like vinylester resin and most other resins, epoxy resin becomes inert when cured. Technically, you could make dinnerware out of epoxy resin and eat an egg off of it without problems AFTER it's cured, of course. Now, if it were true that epoxy resin canoes are so dangerous to humans, how is it that you never see or hear of someone who had a bad thing happen to him/her as a result paddling a Souris River Canoe? You'll hear of the fiberglass irritation which is addressed below - but that's minor, rare and not even remotely life-threatening. Right now there are literally thousands of SR's out there. If they were dangerous to people, we flat out would not sell them...what business would? Just to be sure, keep an eye open for sick looking paddlers as they zip along in a Souris River Canoe. If they look really green and are vomiting over sides of the canoe while paddling by...then you'll know...
Double Baloney: "Souris River Canoes can build epoxy resin canoes in Canada because Canadians have relaxed environmental laws. They wouldn't be allowed to build in the US."	If this baloney were true, how does one account for all the industries in the US who use epoxy resin around the clock for building relay switches, computer parts, the auto industry, et cetera? I know General Electric uses epoxy resins and a bunch of different resins as well to name just one big example. I know this because one of our customers works at a GE plant where they fill electronic relay boxes which house circuit boards for the auto industry with epoxy resin. On occasion, some technicians within that area of GE develop allergic reactions to the epoxy and have to be moved into other areas to work. I just recently heard this environmental baloney statement by yet another customer who is buying a Souris River Canoe. HE was told this made-up misinformation by a dealer for Wenonah canoes while he was test-paddling a Wenonah Champlain. Funny thing was that he ended up purchasing a Souris River Quetico 17 even in light of the possibility that the canoe was made under "relaxed Canadian restrictions" because the Quetico 17 handled so much better on the water and was so much more durable overall. He asked about the restrictions after buying the canoe and I explained the competitive Baloney Vortex to him presented by canoe builders who obviously feel they are losing the war. Instead of improving their old-technology in canoes which would cost BIG bucks and lower their profits, they'd rather try to tear down Souris River Canoes. I find it interesting that they can't beat Souris Rivers simply on merits and have resorted to fear-mongering. What a bunch of baloney!
Baloney: "Epoxy resin rapidly degrades!!!!!!!"	Ohmygosh! We're going down, Bertha! Our epoxy resin canoe is dissolving rapidly!! While it's true that epoxy resin degrades, the competition forgot to mention how it degrades in the scope of things, and (ooops!) that their vinylester resin also degrades a bit differently and with a worse result. It's a little-known (or spoken of) fact that vinylester resin remains in a constant state of curing which means it is becoming harder and more brittle with age and sunlight over time. Meanwhile, epoxy resin as it comes out of the oven, is done curing forever. It never changes later and it does not become brittle. Epoxy degradation that we've witnessed lies in the outer surface of some (not all) canoes that have been literally frying out in the sun for 5+ years like on an outfitter's canoe rack. The outer finish can get microscopically chalky and in some cases the outermost surface of the final layer of protective fiberglass (not all of it) can become exposed with this minor sloughing off of cured epoxy resin. People with sensitive skin brush their exposed skin against the fine slivers of fiberglass when they are moving the canoe around and develop redness in the exposed area. The immediate and erroneous conclusion by the uninformed is that the epoxy resin is causing the irritation when in reality it is the glass fibers prickling the skin. Of course, in an attempt to discredit Souris River Canoes in any way possible, the opposition jumps on this in a desperate attempt for a "sales toe-hold" on the customer via fear. They blow it way out of proportion for shock value declaring epoxy resin as "dangerous" and implying that their canoes are safer to own. In actuality, the epoxy resin has nothing to do with the irritation and one would get the same redness/itchiness by rubbing one's arms in pink fiberglass insulation. To solve this problem on an older Souris River Kevlar canoe, simply give it a coat or two of marine varnish. It'll instantly look better and your "degradation" problems go away when the varnish dries. Oh, and after 5 years, let's drop the vinylester resin kevlar canoe and the Souris River epoxy resin kevlar canoe on the same rock from the same height and compare the actual resin degradation.
Baloney: "Souris Rivers are just like other kevlar canoes."	Just because SR kevlar canoes look like other kevlar canoes, doesn't prove anything except that they are all watercraft. We've even heard the "Lexus vs. Mercedes" comparison in which an opposition sales person states that Souris Rivers and other kevlar canoes are essentially the same but Souris like Lexus is the new kid on the block. Then they ask, "so why not buy the tried and true Mercedes". Trust me - nobody on the planet makes a kevlar canoe that can that can flex on demand 3500+ times with no problems except Souris River. Some companies use the word "flex" in their descriptions of the materials layup of various hulls they build, but don't be misled into thinking that any vinylester resin canoe is on equal footing with an epoxy resin canoe, particularly a Souris River. I know several outfitters who'll attest to that. Don't be fooled by cliché' terms applied to Souris River canoes in an attempt to make them on par with other inferior canoe brands.
Hype: "Other brand kevlar canoes are more efficient in the water."	Hull efficiency means speed, period. Sure, racing kevlar canoes ought to be faster since they were made for racing. With the exception of Souris River Canoes, the other well-known, name brands, (Mad River, Wenonah, and Bell, and others) all were, and still are, racing canoe manufacturers or some type of a field-specific, specialty canoe builder. That's not to say Souris Rivers aren't specialty canoes as well, but Souris Rivers are built from the ground up for different purposes. SR's are specialty general/recreational canoes suitable for wilderness use. Those other guys make fast, stiff, great canoes for folks who want to race and it seems that they are always announcing some new racing hull they've designed. With racing lines built into the canoe hulls by these guys, many of their models experience difficulty in turning, inability to climb up and over big waves, low sides (freeboard) when loaded with gear, and do not provide a lot of durability for accidentally piling into a submerged rock. Souris River on the other hand, designed canoes from Day One looking for increased durability, better control on water (for the "common-man" not the racer), and more secure, payload hauling abilities. Instead of following in the same footsteps and marketing "retired" racing hulls to the general public seeking lighter canoes, Souris River built lighter canoes more suited to the general public from scratch. So, when you paddle a racing kevlar on a calm day without a payload, you'll zip along at a fast clip. If you load that kevlar racing canoe up with weight and a Souris River canoe with the same size load and weight, both canoes tend to travel at about the same pace even despite differences in hull length. Racing hulls aren't really designed to hold anything more than two paddlers and light gear so what they are selling is hype. You'll hear the "sizzle" terms like "hull efficiency" and "performance" bantered about in the sales pitch and discussions. They never really tell you that racing hulls conk out somewhat when loaded with gear and they shouldn't forget to tell you that. A lot of sales staff don't even know what the canoe will do in a loaded gear situation. Racing canoe builders often point out the merits of low freeboard which supposedly allows the wind to blow over the top of the canoe while not affecting the course of the canoe. That's great if you are in a race and traveling empty. Taking water over the side of the canoe is never good. In rough water, the racing canoe, unless paddled by total experts, needs to sit on shore and wait until the wind dies down. Souris Rivers provide general paddlers with a different type of "performance" better suited to a less race-oriented market. On calmer water, an empty racing canoe will beat a Souris River by a few minutes. On rough water, a Souris River will beat a racing canoe by a few hours. The differences in canoes appear subtle to the untrained eye, but remain huge when the canoe is on the water and even larger still when you are suddenly stuck in rough water. Unlike many other manufacturers, Souris River does not offer a new canoe hull every year and hype it up. Instead, they tend to make small improvements to their existing hulls.
Double Hype: "Some canoe manufacturers have "Green" aspirations about improving the environment and somehow tie it in with canoe building and, of course, buying their canoes because of their "beliefs' never mind their actions."	Yeah, and I've got some swamp land for sale in Florida that would be great for canoeing, as well. I suspect (it appears to me - I don't know for sure) that these guys think that by portraying themselves as "green" and sending a couple of bucks to "environmental" groups, canoe sales will stay solid especially among the "true" believers and others who need to feel warm & cuddly inside. They talk the talk, but are they really walking the walk? One particular canoe builder touts environmental positions all while using lots of toxic chemicals in their plant. For example, vinylester resin is usually thinned out with liquid styrene so they can make it more runny to soak through kevlar/cloth fibers in a vacuum mold. Without a doubt, you've smelled white polystyrene foam beer coolers. That's what liquid styrene smells like only 100 times stronger. It is really overwhelming to my nose as are polyester and vinylester resins. I have read that styrene is considered as a potential carcinogen to humans who come in contact with it. The study I read somewhere on the internet was unclear as to whether it was thru skin contact or breathing vapors. Now, I'm not a scientist or a researcher, but I would think that using a ton of (we're talking actually VERY nasty) liquid styrene to build each canoe and jettisoning its fumes outside via vents so the workers don't pass out may not so be good for the environment, OR the neighbors down the block. Who knows what it does to the ozone layer? I'm not concluding or implying that styrene does anything, but I remain unsure and I bet these "environmentally friendly" canoe builders are NOT doing a lot of research to find better products. That brings me to my pet peeve about tall tales by outfits who say one thing and do another. Don't you find it irritating to read about how a canoe company touts it's environmental beliefs all while using all sorts of smelly, possibly dangerous chemicals to build their canoes? One could take their stance as an implication that no other canoe builder "cares about the environment" like they do. Now there's a joke! Here's yet another example to consider: How about their Royalex line of canoes? How many barrels of petroleum were used to make all that plastic needed to build those thousands of Royalex canoes? What is the air-quality like in the neighborhood next to the Uniroyal Plant in Indiana where Royalex is made? How many natural resources are burned to heat the Royalex sheets they use to form into the shape of canoes at the canoe factory? Their environmental position is designed to appeal to empathic, environmentally-minded, customers with big hearts and even bigger pocket books. Hey, nobody wants to see pollution of any kind anywhere, but I'm sorry, reality dictates that you can't build one single canoe (or anything else), without adversely affecting the environment in some way, period. How many Winking Pippersnookies will die with each canoe built today out of any material? Buy a canoe that does what you need it to do for you - minus all the hype. If you need to feel all warm and cuddly inside, get a puppy. And remember....each morning, when you hop into that hot shower; in about 10 minutes flat you've personally polluted about 25+ gallons of water, destroyed another chunk of the ozone by burning natural resources to heat that same water and wrecked the land by having a house with a hot shower built there in the first place. Don't get sucked into the environmental Baloney Vortex while canoe shopping - or anything shopping for that matter. If we all died tomorrow, just think of the massive pollution all the bunnies would be left with and who'd be there to talk about cleaning up the mess? How would the executive director get paid?
Baloney: "Souris Rivers are hard to repair because of the epoxy resin."	Not true at all, in fact just the opposite is true. If this keeps up I'm gonna start making sandwiches.
Misinformed: "Use gel coat to recoat a scratched Souris River Canoe"	Here's a classic example of a canoe shop who's staff doesn't know anything at all about Souris River Canoes. Gel coat was recommend to a Souris River owner by the repair guy at prominent mid-western canoe shop. Good thing the Souris River owner called me first before actually getting started. SR's are designed to flex on demand over obstacles. IF, you could actually get gel coat ( = vinylester resin with silica sand and pigment) to stick to an epoxy resin canoe, it would all crack off in big pieces as the hull flexed over obstacles. You cannot use gel coat on a Souris River Canoe. You can do a nice job with a simple, premium grade, marine varnish. If the shop is not a Souris RIver dealer, chances are good they'll have no clue. Heck, I've now been in several shops and found that their staff had no clue about their own brands of canoes. Sad, but true.

If you've made it to this point and aren't fuming at my un-political-correctness, my hat's off to you! My goal is to not make anybody upset, but sometimes that just happens. The truth is the truth...no baloney! Thanks for reading the Baloney Vortex! -JB-

Red Rock Wilderness Store
P.O. Box 690
2267 Fernberg Road
Ely, Minnesota
1-800-280-1078 or (218)365-4512

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