Canoe width or beam can be somewhat confusing because manufacturers often supply several measurements but once you know what each number means this is invaluable information. Generally a wider canoe will be more stable while a narrower canoe will be faster and more efficient. Narrower canoes will also generally track a little better than a wider canoe.
Typically manufactures will provide the following measurements:
- Gunwale Width:
- As you might expect this is the width of the canoe at the gunwales. This width is important because a canoe that is wide at the gunwales will be difficult to paddle particularly for smaller paddlers.
- Widest Point/Maximum Width:
- This is the widest point of the canoe. This will help you determine whether the canoe has tumblehome or not. Tumblehome is when the sides of the canoe go out wide but then come back in to allow for ease of paddling. Tumblehome is common on whitewater canoes.
- Width at the 4" Waterline:
- This measurement is the most important when determining how the width will effect the performance of the canoe. This is taken when the canoe is fully loaded (sitting down 4" into the water). Typically this measurement will be less than your widest point.
As always feel free to ask us any questions you may have!
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