“Inflatable canoes have a poor reputation but the recent rise of SOAR (Somewhere On A River) boats might change that,” says Ned Morgan, the managing editor of Mountain Life Magazine who went and tested a SOAR 14 inflatable canoe.

 

 

On a recent trip down the rocky Beaver River (at night), Morgan and friends were impressed by the durability of the SOAR inflatable canoe. “Everyone in our overloaded canoe laughed as we skidded over more rocks and logs, and kept going. We even hit the bank several times,” says Morgan. “If we’d been on this haphazard twilight photo shoot in any other canoe, we might’ve worried about scratching, denting, or flipping it. But in the rubbanoe [as someone dubbed it], we were content to just bounce along, cushioned all the way.”

The SOAR inflatable canoes come in three sizes: 12-foot, 14-foot and 16-foot and are made from DuPont Hypalon which can pack in a lot of abuse. The company also stands behind their product with a 5-year-warranty. According to the SOAR website, their canoes are highly versatile and can be paddled (with canoe or kayak paddles), rowed, sailed or motored to any destination.

For Morgan, SOAR canoes work exceptionally well on rivers and even bouncing around on rough waters in Georgian Bay, although he doesn’t recommend using the craft on extended flatwater journeys for two reasons: “wind and chop hinder steering” and “a hard-shell will easily outpace you.”

“Whitewater is the SOAR’s true element—especially tricky little rivers like the Beaver, which can throw new surprises your way each season,” recommends Morgan.

To learn more about these canoes or to purchase one, go to their website: www.soar1.com

Source: Mountain Life Magazine, mountainlifemag.ca

Photos: courtesy of Glen Harris

 

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