The Quiet Water Series

Mad River Canoe's efficient quiet-water designs are perfect for family camping trips or lazy afternoons on a local lake. The original Mad River, the Horizon, our flagship cruiser, still makes an ideal expedition boat or the perfect weekend family camping craft. These stable and family-friendly designs combine efficient glide and outstanding construction for a lifetime of worry-free paddling performance.

An excellent first canoe in rugged but lighter Royalex® construction for a combination of light weight and reliability. Its excellent stability makes it ideal for fishing and recreation on slow moving rivers, lakes and ponds, especially where rocks are involved. Available with wood or aluminum gunwales.

The Tahoe 16’s generous beam, friendly shallow-arch hull and lighter Royalex® construction produce greater cargo capacity and speed. A family-friendly boat that’s just right for the kids, the dog, and the rocky bottoms of slow-moving rivers, lakes, and ponds. Available with aluminum gunwales.

Our flagship lake tripping boat is all about speed, with flare in the bow to enhance dryness in choppy conditions and waves. Shallow-arch hull and moderate beam are designed to deliver velocity and tracking. Lots of room for gear and a standard bow sliding seat to adjust trim when running without a load.

Kevlar® Expedition

A hybrid of Kevlar® cloth and Airex™ foam. The combination makes a very stiff, very strong hull that is extraordinarily resilient. Ideal for river and mixed water expeditions and touring. Available with wood gunwales.

Kevlar® Lite

Our flagship lake tripping boat in an ultralight Airex™ construction is excellent for bluewater crossings at maximum speed—and great for portages. Available with aluminum gunwales.

Our fastest Royalex® performance hull. The asymmetrical shallow arch shape, gear swallowing capacity and initial stability make this canoe a pleasure to paddle distances, whether loaded or unloaded. Tumblehome at the center for efficient paddling, and flare in the bow keeps you dry in a variety of conditions. A cruising canoe for rocky areas or families with “high hazard” kids. Available with wood or aluminum gunwales.

Our best flatwater solo boat. A pleasure to paddle, the Independence carries good hull speed and is maneuverable when leaned. The narrow, low design is well-suited to a “sit and switch” style of paddling and is less susceptible to wind. There’s good cargo capacity for the solo paddler, and the sophisticated hull is a variation of the Shallow-V that nearly transitions into a shallow arch amidships for outstanding solo performance. Tumblehome at the paddling station means even easier paddling while flared ends keep the canoe dry.

Kevlar® Expedition

Kevlar® cloth and Airex foam construction make a strong, light, and rigid canoe. The material of choice for mixed water touring or expeditions. Available with wood gunwales.

K-Glass

K-Glass is the best material for lakes and gentle rivers and when the weight of the canoe is not a paramount concern and the price is. Available with wood gunwales.

Kevlar® Lite

The lightest construction offered, best suited to deepwater paddling or where the portages are long and numerous. Available with wood gunwales.