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Lightweight Canoes and Open Boats

Canoes and Pack Boats constructed from modern, ultralight yet strong composite materials.

We import lightweight canoes from the birthplace of canoeing- Canada. The downside to most large canoes is in their weight, and lifting a canoe on and off a car roof rack or to the water’s edge can be problematic for many people. The main advantage of building a canoe from composite materials is that the weight can be significantly reduced (compared to plastic canoes), by more than half in some cases. The disadvantage with composite boats is that they are much trickier to manufacturer, the materials are more costly, and they won’t stand up to the same punishment as plastic canoes. We don’t recommend any composite canoes for use on UK white-water for example.


However, by utilising the best and lightest materials such as Carbon-fibre, TuffStuff, Kevlar, TeXtreme or Innegra. These canoes are a dream to lift and carry, and paddle exceptionally well whilst on the water. Here at Manchester Canoes, we have been paddling and retailing lightweight canoes for many years and are happy to discuss any questions that customers may have when choosing lightweight canoes. The myriad of material choices and custom options are almost unlimited, and we enjoy passing on our knowledge and experience in this field.


If you have any questions relating to lightweight canoes or would like to discuss a custom boat build (from either Swift or Nova Craft) and how to pre-order into the UK, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch with of the team here at Manchester Canoes who would be happy to help.


Email:sales@manchester-canoes.co.uk


Telephone:01925 818437

We import the best-selling, lightweight canoes based on UK paddlers requirements and these are displayed here on our website. However, these manufacturers do offer a huge array of material options, outfitting choices and custom builds. If you would like to design you own ‘super canoe’ or are looking for a model or spec. not shown on our website then please don’t hesitate to get in touch with of the team here at Manchester Canoes who would be happy to help, and discuss your potential order.