Old Town Discovery Canoes have created a name for themselves over the years as a sturdy dependable canoe. This article will take a closer look at the Discovery line to weigh the positives and negatives of the canoe type, as well as how it compares to other canoes like the Mad River Explorer and the Coleman Journey Canoe. If you have never heard of the Old Town Discovery line of canoes, please read ahead to get great idea of their history and features.

To start with, Old Town Canoes are some of the most respected canoes on the water. They are a member of the Johnson Outdoor Family of Brands, which has been named one of the best places to work by Outside magazine. By combining a great work atmosphere with a passion for canoeing, Old Town Canoe has consistently been able to produce world-class canoe models.

The company itself has been around for over 100 years and produced more than a million canoes and kayaks. Their combination of history and with modern technology means that they can be on the cutting edge of technology while keeping the true and tested forms of the past. From the original wood and canvas canoe to the new Cross link 3 body, Old Town canoes have revolutionized watercraft.

The Old Town Discovery hull material and design are what really sets it apart. Cross link 3 is the patented hull technology that combines two layers of polyethylene with a thick layer of foam that is sandwiched in between. This combination creates a material that is equal to the more standard royalex, but with additional benefits.

Old Town's Discovery series hull material has all the floatation and lightness of the more traditional royalex hull material, but is much stronger and better resistant to abrasion. Both product types are made buoyant by their foam cores. The foam also allows them to be much lighter than a solid material core.

The difference is in the stiffness of the Discovery canoe foam core. This allows the canoe to be much lighter because no keel, supports, or ribs are necessary in the canoe framework. The space that would normally be used for this reinforcement is now available as storage space.

Unfortunately, there is no one canoe type that will work for all canoeing situations. The Old Town Discovery canoe is not designed as a small sporty canoe. Its size and weight, while perfect for multiple people and storage, might be too much for an individual canoer, so may not be for everyone.

The Mad River Explorer canoe and the Coleman Journey Canoe are two other brands that you will want to investigate before making your final purchase. The Mad River Explorer is a durable, well-suited to moving water and rugged conditions. The high-volume, shallow hull makes it stable, secure, and spacious. The moderate rocker gives it good maneuverability and the hull design also offers good flatwater performance.

The Coleman Journey canoe is both versatile and lightweight. It has exceptional stability and tracking performance, which is ideal for a quiet day on the water. The hull is built with the light and impact resistant ram-x hull material.

As you can see the Old Town Discovery Canoe series, Mad River Explorer, and Coleman Journey canoe are worth taking a close look at if you are considering the purchase of a canoe in the near future. Thanks for joining us in our examination of these canoes.