Red Rock Wilderness Store's
Q. I've hear that kevlar canoes are fragile. How tough
are Souris River Canoes in kevlar?
A. Very tough. Unlike intentionally stiffened, racing kevlar canoes with the usual foam core in
the bottom of the canoe (usually a diamond-shaped piece in the floor of the canoe), Souris Rivers
are built from the ground up to withstand normal-use impacts while in everyday use. Most of the rest
of the canoe building world is pursues stiffer, more rigid hull designs which makes for efficient
paddling. While ultimate efficiency is great for racing, obstacles in the water tend to beat
up canoes that have stiff, unforgiving hulls. Knowing that the majority of the paddling world is
looking for lighter, stable canoes, Souris River developed a canoe hull system that when made with
epoxy resin can flex on demand. A hull that flexes only when you need it to flex, provides a
user-friendly canoe for common, everyday paddlers that still travels with very good efficiency in
the water yet can tackle obstacles that would damage an ordinary kevlar canoe.
Q. Since Souris River Canoes can flex; do they "oil-can"?
A. Oil-canning is a term used to describe the bottom of some canoes which flex up and down as a
wave passes under the canoe much like the flexing one must do to the bottom of an oil-can to pump
the oil out the nozzle. It is not uncommon to see linear (one sheet) polyethylene (plastic)
canoes with bottoms that flop up and down in the water. This makes for very inefficient
paddling and one usually sees this when paddling any of the cheaper plastic canoes plus a fair
number of expensive plastic canoes.
By jumping on the seats of a Souris River Canoe, one can make the bottom shudder and flex. But why would one jump on the seats? In ordinary paddling use, there is no movement of the floor. Occasionally, some Souris Rivers have been run through the gauntlet at a high-volume rental programs of some Boundary Waters outfitters. Many of these canoes have 3 or more complete lifetimes of paddling and abuse including, but not limited to leveraging over beaver dams, dragging over portages, and walking in them repeatedly while the canoe is "bridged" on rocks over dry ground. Unfortunately, not every seller tells the buyer about the history of that "super deal", used canoe, and once in a while, there may be one that flexes more that desired. If anyone ever mentions that their Souris River canoe oil-cans, it is advisable to raise an eyebrow and find out more about their canoe's history before drawing any misleading conclusions.
Q. What makes Souris River so different than all other kevlar or fiberglass canoes?
A. Four things: Flexible epoxy resin, a unique Flexible Rib System to stiffen the floor, stable hull designs,
and complete sheet canoe construction.
Q. Don't the other canoe makers use epoxy resin?
A. No. They use a vinylester resin because it's cheap, easy to work with and hence, more profitable. Epoxy resin is difficult to work with and more costly, but the overall product is much, much better.
Q. What happens when you run a Souris River over a rock, log, or other obstacle? You must see some type of damage because nothing is indestructible.
A. True. Nothing, including Souris River Canoes, is indestructible. They do scratch when they run over rock. No one has developed a scratch-proof hull to date. But unlike other canoes whose rigid bottoms can gouge, crack or puncture due to an unforgiving foam mat in the bottom or solid, fixed ribs, Souris River Canoes flex right over most obstacles without cracking or tearing the material. Except for a scratch
which will be less than 1/2 a millimeter deep, you hardly know you hit anything with the canoe afterwards because the ribs give
when they need to give. The ability to flex repeatedly without damage is due mainly to Souris River's epoxy resin
which very resistant to letting go of the cloth fibers.
Q. What is Duralite?
A. Duralite is a special cloth Souris River has developed as a more affordable alternative to
Kevlar. It generally weighs more than Kevlar does per canoe and retails for $200 to $300
less than kevlar. A Quetico 17 made out of Kevlar weighs about 43 pounds. The exact same Quetico 17 made from Duralite weighs about
52 pounds.
Q. What IS the difference between a Souris River Kevlar canoe and a Souris River Duralite canoe?
A. Weight and price. Kevlar is lighter and costs more money.
Q. Is Duralite tougher then Kevlar?
A. No. Kevlar fibers are actually stronger than Duralite. However, we have found our Souris River Duralite rental canoes to hold up equally as well as our Souris River Kevlar rental canoes. When one compares kevlar canoes made by other canoe companies using the usual polyester resins found throughout the canoe-building industry, Souris River Duralite canoes are, without a doubt, much, much tougher than those OTHER conventional, Kevlar canoes. In some cases, they are almost as light or lighter than those other well-known canoes and much more affordable! From durability to price, Souris River Duralites easily put those other conventional Kevlar canoes to shame.
Q. Why would I want Kevlar over Duralite?
A. You may or may not want Kevlar over Duralite. It's a fact that Kevlar provides you with the lightest available canoe. It's easier to car-top and portage. Picture yourself 10 years from now and think of how much weight you'll want to carry at that time.
9 pounds for every step on a 200 rod portage adds up differently for different people. If you are comfortable with the extra weight of Duralite, save the money and enjoy your Souris River Canoe! Note: Generally, we sell
far more Kevlar canoes than Duralite canoes.
Q. What is Le Tigre Kevlar?
A. Le Tigre is regular kevlar with a small set of died black, kevlar stripes woven in to the
same kevlar fabric. It is a cosmetic look and it mutes down the regular butterscoth color of
the kevlar from a distance. It's unusual looking, very distinctive and it refinishes
beautifully. It is our number one selling layup.
Q.
What is Carbon Tec?
A. Carbon Tec is a laminate that is very similar to Souris River's kevlar lay-up. To put it
simply, one of the sheets of kevlar has been replaced by a sheet of carbon-fiber which gives the
canoe that "stealth" look and lightens it up about 3 lbs. For all effects and purposes of
general canoeing, Carbon Tecs are as durable as Souris River's kevlar canoes. They're just a
little lighter and they look really cool.
Q. Do Souris River canoes "oil can" (the bottom bubbles up and down like an oil can bottom)?
A. No. The Flexible Rib System holds the bottom down stiff to promote efficient paddling and deforms only when you make contact with an obstacle such as a log or rock.
Q. Are these canoes hard to repair in case they do get punctured?
A. Being made out of epoxy resin actually makes them easier to repair than if they were made from polyester resin because this particular epoxy is easy to work with even after the canoe has been exposed to the elements. Polyester resin canoes can be very fussy to work with, and a repair patch may delaminate (separate and peel off) after curing has taken place.
Q. How UV resistant are Souris River Canoes?
A. Duralite is very UV resistant and requires little concern. Kevlar is photo-sensitive and can experience breakdown
of the fibers over time. It's best to store any clear Kevlar canoe in the shade when not in use.
Canoes stored in a garage when not in use should last 20 years or more.
Q. Do Souris River Canoes use gel coat on the outside?
A. No, Souris River has developed a new process called Woven Color.
Instead of using paint or otherwise adding 8 lbs. of weight with gel coat as is done by every other
manufacturer, Souris River developed this new technique in 2003 and now makes canoes in colors that
can't be scratched off. The canoe's outside finish can be still scratched, but no color comes
off on the rocks because it's inside the canoe. Restoring 95% of the color on a completely
scratched up Souris River Canoe can be easily done with a quality marine varnish in about 40
minutes of time.
Q. How stable are Souris River Canoes? I've heard that Kevlar canoes are tippy.
A. First of all, the material that is used to make the canoe, be it Kevlar, Duralite, or Carbon Tec, etc., has nothing at all to do with the stability of the canoe. This is a common misconception. However, the hull shape of the canoe has everything to do with stability. If it's a retired racing hull now declared a "wilderness" tripping canoe, it will most likely feel tippy,
narrow in the where the seats are, and be difficult to turn in rough water and wind. Racing hulls are made for speed. Souris River Canoes are built for recreational wilderness travel from the ground up. They are very stable and still quite fast but respond to
levels of paddlers and are much easier to control in the wind and waves.
Q. I've hear that Epoxy Resin rapidly breaks down. Is
that true?
As far Souris River Canoes are concerned, the answer is no. Epoxy resin does break over
time, but it depends greatly on the application. Souris River Canoes in kevlar which have
fried out in the sun for 5 years during summer and winter, may need some restorative work to
their outermost surface. The epoxy can microscopically break down on the surface and dust off
in the form of oxidation. To repair this, simply sand the canoe down to remove the oxidation
and roll on two coats of marine varnish with a UV inhibitor. 99% of the time this is all you
would need to do.
Q. How does vinylester resin compare to epoxy from a
"degradation" standpoint?
Vinylester resin is constantly curing (becoming harder and brittle) over the life of the canoe.
It is not uncommon for 5-year-old vinylester resin canoes to experience delamination (fiber
pull-out), plus because as they are becoming more and more brittle, they are more subject to
everyday damage with less and less effort. Unlike, vinylester resin, heat-cured epoxy resin is
done curing when it comes out of the oven. It does not change over time. It does not get
brittle.
Q. Are Souris River Canoes easy to repair?
Yes. We stock all the materials needed plus marine epoxy resin which is pre-mixed for
total simplicity. If needed, we can instruct someone over the phone or via email. To
repair a puncture in the field, use duct tape. When you get back home, simply sand down the
area of the puncture, give it a coat of resin and stick a pre-cut kevlar patch to the area.
Cover with a bit of plastic wrap stretched taut with adhesive tape. Squeeze the air bubble out
with your thumb. Repeat the process on the inside of the canoe less the plastic wrap and let
cure for 5 hours. Paddle.
Have a question? Call us toll free or e-mail us OR come to Red Rock for a FREE test paddle/demo!
1-800-280-1078 redrock@redrockstore.com