Before you buy a canoe, you need to decide what type of construction materials best suits your needs and your budget.
Basically, there are only six main construction materials/methods that produce canoes in a variety of price ranges and with several characteristics. These are presented below.
Canoe builders have tended to stick with the tried and true designs and have adapted them to the different materials available.
Weight, tradition, visual appeal, wear and tear, and cost are major considerations.
Check my links to Canoe Builders for an idea of what is available.
Cedar/Canvas (traditional)
The cedar/canvas canoe evolved as an adaptation of the aboriginal birch bark canoe. Planks of cedar are fastened to ribs that are steamed, then bent over a form. The completed hull is then covered by stretching and fastening a single piece of canvas over the canoe. The canvas is made waterproof by applying a filler to seal the cloth and a couple of coats of paint to finish.
The Prospector model has been synonymous with the backwoods throughout Canada. Recently, Bill Mason, a Canadian canoe icon, showed a real preference for the prospector.
To build a cedar/canvas canoe takes quite a bit of skill, but fervent hobbyists have done so. Be prepared to invest hundreds of hours! These canoes require a little more care in handling and more maintenance than others, but if you are careful, they will last a lifetime.
See my cedar/canvas restoration page.
Fiberglass
Using fibreglass in the construction of canoes has reduced their price to where they are affordable by almost anyone. Newcomers to paddling often chose fiberglass as the material for their first canoe but will usually graduate to another material as their needs change.
Fiberglass canoes are among the easiest to repair and require very little maintenance.
ABS/Polyethylene
ABS used extensively in the plumbing industry was quickly recognized as a material that was strong and easily shaped. In canoe construction, a five-layer laminate sheet is heated until soft enough to be molded. Seats, thwarts and gunwales are added, making it a low maintenance, very durable craft.
Canoes made from ABS are preferred by people who need a tough, long lasting canoe which can be used in white water or on long wilderness trips.
Polyethylene is also now used to build canoes. They are a bit heavier and don't maintain their shape as well as ABS, but they are cheaper and more resistant to abrasion.
Folding canoes
These canoes, made from the same type of material used on white water rafts (PVC) should be seriously considered if you are flying in and/or out of a trip. They can be broken down and put into a 'hockey bag' sized package.
Because of their construction, they handle a little differently, but are easy to get used to. They have proven to be tough and carry a heavy load.
Cedar Strip
These canoes are made from narrow strips of wood that run the entire length of the hull. These strips are glued to each other on a form, then sanded smooth and covered with a transparent layer of fiberglass and epoxy glue inside and out. This makes a strong and durable canoe. These are produced either in limited numbers by builders in small shops or by hobbyists who want to build their own canoe.
Building your own is rather time consuming, but requires less expertise and tools than a cedar/canvas canoe.
The appearance of fragility of a stripper is only that - appearance. They are actually quite tough. Because they are constructed from fibreglass, storage out of the sun is a must. The fibreglass will eventually break down when stored in an unprotected location.
Aluminum
Aluminum is the only metallic material used to build canoes. They are an outgrowth of the aircraft industry. These boats were once the most common rental canoe and can still be found at most rental facilities, though they are becoming less popular recently. They require virtually no maintenance, but are noisy to paddle and can be quite uncomfortable due to air and water temperatures tramsmitting through them.
Aluminum will not slide over rocks as readily as other materials.
Kevlar/specialty cloth
Kevlar and other lightweight materials have become popular with wilderness trippers. They are strong, durable and light (making portages a lot easier). The building methods are similar to those used in making fiberglass canoes, but the materials are a lot more expensive.
Their light weight makes them less stable in the water than canoes made with heavier materials.
Polyester Dacron
Polyester Dacron is a tough synthetic material manufactured for use in the light aircraft industry. When used on a canoe it offers two significant advantages over canvas.
Its low weight is its primary benefit. Replacing traditional canvas on a 16' canoe with Polyester Dacron removes 4 to 5 kilograms of weight. This makes it extremely popular with trippers who do a lot of portaging, as well as with small or elderly canoeists who are experiencing difficulty in moving their canoe around on land, or preparing it for transport. The second great advantage of Dacron is its rot resistance, guaranteeing a long worry free life span for your canoe's covering.
My Preferences (assuming 2 paddlers)
Lake travel with few portages - Wood/Canvas
River travel with whitewater - ABS
Lake or river travel with many portages - Kevlar