The NuCanoe Blog

Canoe vs. Kayak

Are you trying to decide if a canoe or kayak best fits your on-water needs? While canoes and kayaks have a great deal in common, they are different enough that you need to carefully consider what you want out of your boat. What do you want to use it for – kayak fishing or family fun? Do you want to bring gear and/or other people? Is comfort a concern? How about safety and stability? Let’s examine the pros and cons of both.

Canoe Pros:
Space: Room for your gear, your cooler, and your family
Comfort: Room to stretch your legs and move about
Canoe Cons:
Speed and Control: Slower, harder to steer and turn
Efficiency: Less efficient, more affected by wind
High Draft: Limits where you can take it – requires deeper water

Kayak Pros:
Speed and Control: Faster, easier to steer and turn
Efficiency: More efficient, less effected by wind
Lower Draft: Fewer limits on where you can go, easy to launch off shallow beach
Kayak Cons:
Comfort: No room to stretch out, often requires cramped position with minimal back support
Space: Very little room for your gear, usually no passenger space
Re-entry: It can be difficult to re-enter a kayak if it capsizes

Now lets consider the activities for which you intend to use your boat. How about kayak fishing? Clearly a kayak is best for that, as you will need to maneuver efficiently in a variety of water conditions. But naturally you also want to be comfortable and bring along your gear.

Or how about a day on the water with the family? A canoe would be the best choice, but you understandably don’t want to sacrifice efficiency and control. If after examining the pros and cons of both boats you find that you want a boat with all the positives and none of the negatives, well, you are in luck. Meet the versatile NuCanoe!

The NuCanoe brings you the best of both worlds, without the negatives. The NuCanoe come in two sizes, 10’ and 12’. It can be configured for 1, 2 or 3 passengers so you can enjoy solo kayak fishing or spend the day on the water with your family. You can paddle, row, or install a trolling motor on your NuCanoe. You can take it out on rivers, lakes, salt water and fresh water. You can sit comfortably supported, stretch your legs, and stand confidently in this stable boat.

No other kayak, canoe, or small watercraft gives you this much flexibility, stability, comfort, safety, and on-the-water fun!