Last Chance to Buy a Royalex Canoe

Building the last of Royalex Canoes at We-no-nah Canoe!

Since the 1970's Royalex has been the go-to material for anyone seeking a relatively lightweight, impact resistant canoe suitable for running rocky rivers. It changed the way people paddled and many traded their old 80-90 pound aluminum canoe for a lighter, easier paddling Royalex model.

Unfortunately, last year the company that produces royalex stopped production of this material. By October of 2014 We-no-nah has run out of sheets for many of their canoe models. We were simply unable to get some of the canoes we wanted for our retail business. Now, just after the first of the year they have no sheets of royalex remaining and only a few dozen models canoes left in their warehouse. Most other manufacturers are likewise out of royalex. We are indeed at the end of the line for royalex canoes.

What comes next is still the big question. Manufacturers need a material that possesses similar qualities, such as impact resistance and long-term durability. Ideally it will be similar in weight and price, while also allowing the use of the old molds.

While most canoe manufacturers wait for the emergence of a new material, several companies are working in-house to produce their own. Two companies who are garnering the most attention are Nova Craft and Esquif.

Nova Craft has developed a material they are calling Tuffstuff. It's a combination of basalt fiber (melted basalt rock) and Innegra fiber, which is mostly polypropylene. These two are woven together to create a highly durable canoe. In fact, they threw one off the top of their warehouse, a distance of almost 100 feet. After the fall they picked it up and went paddling with it. Certainly, this would appear to make it a top candidate for replacing Royalex, although it doesn't appear to be as flexible (bad for slipping over rocks, good for more efficient paddling).

Esquif, a canoe manufacturer in Quebec, is touting another possibile replacement for Royalex. They've set up a factory to produce the new product they are calling T-Formex. Like Royalex this is a layered sandwich consisting of a foam cor, layers of abs plastic, and an undisclosed outer material. New canoes made from T-Formex are supposed to be available in 2015.

While these two options provice hope for a sooner rather than later solution, nothing is yet certain. In the meantime it appears that demand for used royalex canoes will increase as will the asking price. New royalex canoes will soon be impossible to find as retailers sell out. Some retailers may hold onto their stock and rais the price as demand increases. CanoeSport Outfitters is treating them as a discounted model. This means it's time to find them new homes for put them to use! From March 5th-8th we'll be selling all remaining in-stock royalex canoes at 25% off. After this weekend any that remain will be pulled from stock and used as rentals at Lake Ahquabi for the remainder of the season. So, this will be the LAST opportunity to purchase a new royalex canoe at CanoeSport Outfitters! Get them while you still can!

For a list of available models visit our website!

SUP Yoga Class

What does the Indianola YMCA, yoga, and stand up paddling have in common? SUP Yoga in the pool! Awesome idea right! CanoeSport has teamed up with the YMCA in February to offer SUP Yoga in the pool. Normally done out in calm water SUP Yoga is a calm and relaxing way to combine the art yoga with the water. In Iowa in February this means pool time instead of a snowy lake shore!

All lined up ready to launch!

 20 people showed up for 2 sessions and after getting oriented to class and boards students were launched into the pool. We set up the boards to have an anchor to help keep students grounded and not float around the pool. 10 students in each class eagerly awaited the moment of departure from the stable deck of the pool to the deck of a floating board!

Happy students before class.

We started off with poses that were low to the board to allow everyone to get comfortable and practice their stability. This was the first time on a SUP for the majority of people.

Sitting allowed students time to practice balance before standing!

Then with the warm pool water calling our name and people ready for the extra challenge we began to lift our bodies from the board! Starting with standing people began to notice that slight shifts side to side sent their board slipping along the surface. From standing warrior poses were introduced. Students had the option of doing warrior poses standing or from a kneeling position.

Working on our balancing!

Those in standing quickly learned that lining their feet up one in front of the other left no ability to balance left to right. Many quickly found the water and others were left looking like a windmill trying to stay upright. The yoga flow kept going with people falling into the water as muscles began to fatigue. With a low profile boards are very easy to re-mount and jump back in.

Going from sitting to standing took courage and a lot of laughter!

No headstands were attempted at this time (due to safety to self and others) but many are looking forward to upping their yoga ability to the next level. SUPs offer a great challenge because unlike land you now have to have the ability to balance left to right. All the major and minor muscle groups that get a break on land now have to engage to keep your body centered on the board. Looking for a great all body workout? Try SUP Yoga!

Plenty of room to stretch out and work out

CanoeSport is excited to offer another round of SUP Yoga courses through the YMCA in February. During the summer CanoeSport offers SUP Yoga at Lake Ahquabi Tuesdays in June and July 6:30-7:30pm. ($5 for board rental, no reservation required.) For more information on stand up paddling or SUP Yoga please visit www.canoesportoutfitters.com!