Our Prospector Kevlar canoe is great to handle and looks good too. The only trouble is my friends keep wanting to try it out!
— Glen Hagel (Education Minister & MLA, Moose Jaw)
Thought I’d drop you a line to say how pleased we are with the Souris River canoe we purchased from you a few seasons ago. The canoe has been on many trips and continues to look great. The canoe has met and exceeded our expectations with respect stability, cargo capacity, and ease of paddling.
We’ve had the canoe out in some pretty rough weather, but the canoe handled the waves without any problems even when the waves broke over the bow of the canoe!! I’ve taken it out with 2 adults and 2 teenaged daughters on trips and it still handles great. As an expedition canoe, it’s perfect and we are so happy with it that we’re considering buying another Souris canoe for my kids some time in the future.
—Damon Nadrowski (Information Systems Manager, Yanke Transfer, Saskatoon)
Our Souris River Prospector canoe is the ideal one for us as a family to do wilderness trips in lake country. We bought this kevlar canoe for doing speedy portages. It is so light – it is wonderful, like no other canoe of its size that I’ve had the privilege to try with my family. On the other hand, it has a wide body to accommodate a family with children and several canoe bags. It has been a lot of fun to use this canoe. With some luggage it is stable in the water and steers very nicely. I have never regretted this purchase, ever.
Michael Oelck (Biotechnology Consultant, Germany)
Our new Kevlar Prospector canoe has made our annual canoe trips more comfortable. Its low weight makes the portaging more bearable and it seems to slip through the water with very little effort, reducing our time as we traverse large lakes in northern Saskatchewan.
Jean & Richard Cassidy (Counselor, and U.of S. Prof., Saskatoon)
We bought our first Souris River Canoe around 1990 after owning a couple of second hand fiberglass and aluminum canoes. It was a green Durafibre Prospector model with ash trim that I believe weighed 55 lbs. We used this canoe for 7or 8 years for flatwater and moderate whitewater tripping. After cracking some of the ribs on our more adventurous trips, and knowing our plans included longer trips into more secluded areas, we wanted to upgrade to a stronger canoe. For a year we talked to many people about their canoes. We looked at and tried a number of different styles, composites and makes of canoes before deciding that we couldn’t give up the good qualities of our Souris River Prospector. We felt safe in our canoe. It is a big volume canoe that not once in our experience came anywhere close to taking on water in any of the large wave/large lake situations where we really should have stayed on shore (but didn’t). It is too large to be a play boat, even as a tandem, but as our only canoe, it is what we use. Again, its large volume allows for more error (and believe me there is lots of that!), while still having the right shape for maneuvering. In the end, we decided to replace our old canoe with the same model, except we went to a clear kevlar with aluminum gunwales. With the new flexible rib system, we now have a stronger, lighter canoe with all the good handling qualities of the original.
Wayne & Brenda Ridsdale (President & Information Systems Manager, Ridsdale Transport, Saskatoon)
I love the Wilderness 18 Duralite canoe I bought from you. It is wonderfully fast, holds the whole family, and handles waves and chop better than any other canoe I’ve known. I can’t imagine a better canoe for flat-water paddling!
Peter Gose (Prof. of Anthropology, U. of Regina)
Danny (my son) and I took our kevlar Prospector on three trips — Missinipe to Cumberland House (17 days, 400 km), McLennan Lake (3 days), and French Lake (3 days). On the long trip, the major advantage, of course, was the light weight. I think we had about 22 portages. For short portages, we just unloaded the big packs, left the paddles and small stuff in the canoe, and carried the canoe between us, each carrying a small backpack. That is probably something we couldn’t do with a heavier Grumman. For long portages, one of us could carry the canoe without too much trouble. I wouldn’t say easily, because it still feels like a lot more than 50 pounds after a kilometer!
I remember one time on our 400 km trip on the Churchill River, landing toward evening at the portage to go around the Grand Rapids several lakes east of Stanley Mission. We missed seeing the camping site which is just to the right of where you land, and portaged all we could carry across to the other end of the portage, expecting to find the campsite there. We saw the campsite only when we arrived back to get our packs. So we felt foolish having to go back and retrieve our first load, which included the canoe. Of course, we portaged everything over the next morning. We found on this long trip there was plenty of room in the canoe for packs and everything.
Dan Beveridge (Professor, University of Regina)
I’m impressed with how well our Jensen Huron 18 handles with a family of four, and how nicely it moves through the water. Kathy says it accommodates the whole family, but she can still carry it herself without needing a few days afterward to recover!
Bob Godwin (Ecologist, Sask. Research Council) and Kathy Meeres (Wildlife Technician, CWS, Saskatoon)
I have owned a Souris River Kevlar Prospector for several years. I have done numerous flatwater and whitewater trips including the Sturgeon Weir, Paull, Churchill and Clearwater Rivers. This canoe tracks very well on flatwater and feels stable in waves. In fast water and whitewater its maneuverability is excellent. I would recommend this canoe to anyone interested in doing wilderness canoe trips.
Jeff Mark (Credit Union Manager, Bruno, SK)
We’ve had our Souris River Kevlar Prospector for over three years, and it has proven to be a reliable companion on many lake and river trips. We’ve outfitted ours with graphite skid plates, knee pads and gear tiedowns – and it performs admirably well in class II-III whitewater. It is dry, maneuverable and leans reliably. While not made for everyday whitewater abuse, its lightweight kevlar lay-up (sub 50lbs) makes those inevitable portages quick and easy. The canoe has kissed a few boulders fully loaded with speed and come out unscathed. The Flexible Rib System has proven to be a canoe saver on more than one occasion. I highly recommend this boat – it’s fast, dry and roomy. If you can only own one boat – this one’s hard to beat!!
Rob (Cabinet Maker/River Guide) & Samantha Kelly (Biology Research Technician), Saskatoon.
