I have a Mad River Adventure 16' that I wouldn't take any amount of money for. It's a Yakanoe, or Hybrid, and a full spray skirt is available. They are around $299.00 at Dicks Sporting Goods. Mine handles Class V water easily (or as easily as I can handle it), is as stable as any canoe I have ever had, paddles and manuevers like my 9' SIT kayak, and has plenty of room for gear, 2 other people, 2 dogs and a large cooler. It weighs 65 lbs. and is easily managed by one person. I Car-Top everywhere. I have even used it in Fla. in the coastal areas and flats. I even took it once through the Okefenokee swamp, with no troubles at all.
As for materials, Royalex is my favorite material. it is light, rigid, but has a strong memory, so you can wrap it around rocks and trees, and it will bounce back into shape. It is very abrasion resistant, and virtually indestructable. It has natural bouyancy so it is practically unsinkable. Cons: Royalex is sensitve to direct sunlight, requiiring it to be stored indoors, or covered. Difficult to repair hull breeches, although they are rare.
Next, Kevlar has many of the same properties as Royalex, and is even lighter. Cons: Hideously expensive. Strong shock can crack the hull.
Fiberglass has the advantage of being inexpensive, easier to repair, and still lightweight. It is not suited for rough water, because shock can crack the hull. It is sensitive to sunlight and chemicals.
Wood, Cedar Strip or Birchbark canoes are absolutely beautiful works of art, and paddle like a dream in flat water. They will not survive rough water. You almost have to have a Trust Fund to purchase one, and they are very high-maintenance. Also, they require extra bouyancy.
Aluminum is the heaviest of all the materials. It is cold, in cold weather, dents, is difficult to repair, and must have bouyancy chambers. Suitable only for very calm water.
Polyethelene, the mainstay of Old Town's Discovery Series, is a great all-around choice. It is done in layers, with foam sandwiched between them, and is called Crosslink. It is light, bouyant, inexpensive and handles well. It will handle most whitewater acceptably.
Now, for designs, there are 3 factors to consider: beam, rocker and length. The beam is the width. A wide boat will be more stable, but much slower than a boat with less beam. Rocker is the curve of the hull from front to back. A Hull with more rocker is more manueverable, but less stable than one with a flatter rocker. And lastly, a longer boat (compared to the beam) is faster, and easier to paddle than a shorter one.
For fishing in calm water, where you won't need to cover a lot of distance,, I would recommend a model made of Crosslink, or Royalex with a wide bean, flat rocker and 9' for solo, or 12'-14' for doubles.
For general all-around use, a Royalex, or Crosslink 14'-16' foot model with a medium beam, and meduim rocker.
For touring, serious fishing, rough water, the ocean and adventuring in general, a 16' Royalex, or Crosslink with a narrow beam, and medium to full rocker. For ocean traveling, outriggers, and sails are available.
Hope this helps.
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