Our paddling centre is no longer staffed for the winter months. But if you have questions or would like to come see us, drop us a note at [email protected] or leave us a message at 705-203-2955. We’d be happy to make an appointment for you to check out our inventory.
Don’t see what your looking for? Email us [email protected]
Our Parry Sound Town Store is OPEN Monday – Saturday. We have lots of gear and clothing and we’re here to help you!
No Guff, 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
Boat isn’t your cup of tea? No sweat! Just return it for exchange or refund within 30-days (based on condition).
Accesories ~ we’ve got it all
We have a everyting you need to partner with your Kayak, Canoe or SUP.
PFDs – we carry Canadian-made Salus PFDs for kids and dogs and you too.
Paddles – For kayaks we have Aquabound, Bending Branches, Werner and Gearlab brands. Canoes we carry Canadian made Owl paddles, and for SUPS we have Blu Wave and Aquabound.
Safety gear – we have spray skirts (Brooks, Immersion Research, Level 6 & Delta) & safety gear such as throw bags, bilge pumps, paddle floats, whistles, waterproof lights, and compasses.
Transportation kits – we carry straps, foams and rope so that you can secure your new craft to the roof of your vehicle.
Spare parts – we also carry bungee cord, hardware and hatch covers for a range of kayaks.
Clothing ~ we have neo booties and gloves, drysuits & paddling jackets, hats, sunglasses and base layers.
Other – we also have maps & cases, dry-bags and camp food, sleeping bags and cookstoves – and anything else you need to get out into the great big outdoors.
Buying a Kayak
Buying a kayak is exciting and fun, but there is a lot to consider. Answering these few questions can help to guide your selection:
Generally boats can be organized into three categories:
1) Recreational
These boats are shorter and super stable; anyone (even your dog) can jump in and out fairly easily without too much worry about falling over. Usually between 9 and 12 feet long, they’re a bit wider than most other kayaks.
They’re easy to use, have fewer ‘extra’ features and are intended for playing around your favourite lake, bay, beach or cottage for a couple of hours.
You also have the option of sit-on-top recreational kayaks. Typically made out of polyethylene (like Tupperware plastic), these boats are very durable! You can get them lighter made through a Thermoform process (kinda like the material that a lot of car bumpers are made out of).
Boats of this type in our inventory commonly include:
| Manufacturer | Sample Model of Boats |
|---|---|
| Delta | 12AR |
| Ocean Kayak | Banzai, Malibu 11.5, Malibu two (tandem) |
2) Light Touring
These kayaks are intended for longer, faster day paddles. They’re a bit narrower than recreational kayaks and a bit longer (13 – 15 feet or so). They’re intended to get you on the water for a day trip, or a faster pleasure paddle. A bit more efficient on the water, you could paddle all day with ease or even take them on short overnight trips.
There are few more feature options such as more hatches, rudders or skegs as well as a number of added safety features (deck lines, bulkheads etc…)
Boats in this category range from polyethylene, to thermoformed, to composite (fibreglass, kevlar etc) and come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes.
Boats of this type in our inventory commonly include:
| Manufacturer | Sample Model of Boats |
|---|---|
| Delta | 12s, 12.10, 14 |
| Riot | Edge 13 (skeg) |
3) Full Touring
These kayaks are a bit longer again and are fully outfitted to allow you to safely and effectively undertake trips of multiple days. They can also readily be used for day paddles. Usually a bit more efficient than the other two categories, you’ll find you’re a bit faster. There are also a lot more outfitting and features that can help you on your day or week-long paddle.
These boats come in polyethylene, thermoform and composite (fibreglass, kevlar etc). We also predominantly use these in our rental program so you can find a range of used and new boats in our fleet.
Boats of this type in our inventory commonly include:
| Manufacturer | Sample Model of Boats |
|---|---|
| Current Designs | Sirocco |
| Delta | 14, 15s, 15.5, 16, 17, 17.5 Tandem |
| Boreal Design | Baffin P2, P3 and Epsilon P200, P300 |
Buying a Paddleboard
Types
There are two general types; all round and touring.
All round boards look like bigger versions of surfboards…and well, that’s pretty much what they are. They’re fun, versatile boards for playing around a local watering hole whether that’s touring along the shore or playing around with pivot turns or finding new ways of getting wet!
Touring boards have pointy front ends that are a bit more efficient (sometimes a lot more depending on the design) through the water. Some touring boards start to get a bit narrower to become yet more efficient. Make sure to try out a touring board; they’re surprisingly quick and if your main intent is to explore and/or work on fitness, they might just do the trick.
Whoo hoo – you’re thinking about a paddleboard. These are a fun, easy way to explore our lakes & rivers with a lot of potential to discover that world in new ways.
Some thoughts on buying a board:
Materials
Soft-Top boards are composite or thermoformed boards that are ‘wrapped’ in foam or other durable materials that protect the board from bumps and bruises. The tradeoff here is that they often weigh a bit more and over time the foam doesn’t always age as well as a straight composite board.
Thermoformed (an acrylic material similar to the bumper on your car) provide for a fairly durable board and lighter than polyethylene. They also more closely resemble a surfboard design.
Composite (layers of cloth and resin) provide the lightest and most performance oriented boards they make.
Inflatable boards are light weight and pack up for easy transport and easy storage!
Design
Basically, the shape of the board is determined by the width, length and volume. Longer boards mean it’s a bit faster. Width provides a bit more stability. The volume of the board affects flotation – the greater the volume, the larger the person it’ll float.
The more advanced folks start to look at the shape of the board as it might relate to performance…a curved or rockered bottom will be a bit slower on flatwater but more readily maneuverable for playing in waves.
Added Features
There are a number of neat features that help along the way including:
- tie downs if you intend to take a camera bag, snack, or any equipment for a longer paddle. Some touring boards have a few extra tie downs than usual in case you want to try an overnight trip.
- Yoga designed boards have a few well placed tie down spots and extra deck padding to help with your stretching.
Buying a Canoe
Buying a canoe is exciting and fun, but there are a few important things consider. Answering these few questions can help to guide your selection:
- What do I want to do with the canoe? Is it for fishing, short trips around a cottage or out on a lake? Do I want to go tripping with it?
- Do I want/need a super light boat?
- Am I, or the people using the boat, going to treat it roughly or be careful with it?
- How much do I want to spend?
Canoes come in many materials:
Polyethylene & ABS (plastic) boats that are heavier but more durable and tend to be the least expensive boats you can purchase.
Fibreglass boats are a fair bit lighter and are fairly durable as well.
Kevlar and Carbon kevlar canoes (and there are a variety of blends of these types of fabric) are the lightest canoes.