Supreme durability with
surprising performance

Royalex® is a highly durable canoe material that is strong, flexible, and abrasion-resistant. It is the preferred material for a canoe to be used on large, tumbling rapids, or on shallow, rocky streams. Royalex can also be a wise choice if you will encounter those threatening conditions occasionally.

Royalex, however, isn't generally noted for being light, nor for creating fine-paddling canoes. Many builders, it seems, feel that toughness alone is enough to make a Royalex canoe saleable, so they devote little attention to achieving lightness or performance.

We take a different approach. We've built a reputation upon canoes that are lighter and perform better than others of similar type. Our Royalex canoes are no exception.

A Wenonah canoe - every Wenonah canoe - is designed first to meet paddling goals. To create most of our Royalex models, we began with proven hull designs that we had already perfected while building them as composite canoes. In some cases, duplicating those shapes using Royalex was a challenge. But we have succeeded, and the result is that our Royalex hulls are sleeker and more-efficient than is typical. While our Royalex models don't quite match the performance of our composite versions, they are much more rewarding to paddle than Royalex canoes from other builders.

In addition, we've found inventive ways to make our Royalex canoes lighter without compromising durability. Our internal reinforcing scheme is one way, and you can learn about it in the Royalex Canoes, Structure section.

Our Royalex canoes are durable, to be sure, but we aren't content for that to be their only attraction. When you select a Wenonah Royalex canoe, you get performance and lightness that exceed the norm, and you also get the high durability of Royalex material