Canoe stabilizer can make your canoe safe for canoeing in the wild water. Not all of us, who love to do canoeing in their free time, are expert paddlers.
That means, if you are not an expert paddler, that doesn’t mean you can’t go for paddling and use your weekends in the best way.
You can go for a canoe trip making sure you’re safe using a canoe stabilizer with your canoe.
If you are looking for the best canoe stabilizer for you, you’re in the right place. Here we’ve reviewed high quality canoe stabilizers, which are suggested by expert paddlers.
First Look
Best Overall:Spring Creek Manufacturing Hydrodynamic Canoe Stabilizer at Amazon
Best Budget: #4 Scotty #302 Kayak Stabilizer System at Amazon
Canoe Stabilizers Review
#1 Spring Creek Manufacturing Hydrodynamic Canoe Stabilizer
This Hydrodynamic Canoe stabilizer from the well-known Spring Creek Manufacturing is the best canoe stabilizer.
This stabilizer has every feature you need for paddling safely in the water. It is made of Polyethylene plastic, which is very durable and lightweight.
This is very easy to use and keeps your canoe upright and stable. This canoe stabilizer comes in different sizes and stylish colors.
#2 Meter Star 2Pcs Kayak Inflatable Outrigger Stabilizer
If you are looking for an inflatable canoe stabilizer, you can check this one. This one is from the MeTer Star Manufacturer. This is made of PVC raw materials. you will get 4 repair patches for absolutely free.
You can use this if you puncture your stabilizer accidently. This is a universal fit size stabilizer which means, you can choose this for any size canoe.
#3 Brocraft Kayak Outriggers/Stabilizers
Though this stabilizer is made for kayaking, you can use it on your canoe. This is a high quality outriggers/stabilizers from the Brocraft. It is made of PVC floats which are durable molded. It is a very durable stabilizer, as they used high quality material.
You will find many positive reviews, if you search about this product. You will get a full two years limited warranty.
#4 Scotty #302 Kayak Stabilizer System
This Scotty 302 kayak stabilizer from the Scotty manufacturer is the best inflatable stabilizer for canoe we have found online. This stabilizer is made of very high quality material. Scotty is a Canada based company.
You can paddle very safely with this stabilizer. You can inflate them with an air gun or any compressor. The reason we liked this inflatable stabilizer is because they are very easy to carry and easy to store.
#5 Hobie Sidekick Ama
This is also a good quality canoe stabilizer from the Hobie manufacturer. This stabilizer is very easy to install and easy to use. You can paddle in the water very safely and can go the extra mile as it does not slow you down much.
It’s hardware is made of stainless steel and built for long lasting. You can do anything (like: fishing, shooting photographs, and sailing etc.) while out in the water without any problem.
How To Choose A Canoe Stabilizer
Choosing a right stabilizer for you is important. So, before you buy a canoe stabilizer you need to consider some facts and features. If you don’t know what to look for to choose the best canoe stabilizer for you, you can read this section carefully. I’ve discussed some features briefly. This will help you find a stabilizer which will keep you safe in the water.
Stability
You are buying a stabilizer for good stability in the water. So, this is important to check how much efficient it is to provide you stability. There are different types of canoe stability problems they can solve. If your canoe is heavy or you are going with your friends then your canoe will be loaded full.
For this situation, you need to buy a stabilizer which can handle that much pressure. If your stabilizer is unable to handle heavy weight, then it’s better to go solo. If you go for canoeing solo, you will be fine with most of the canoe stabilizer you will find.
Inflatable or Solid PVC
You will find two types of canoe stabilizer out there. First type of stabilizer is inflatable and solid PVC. So, which type of stabilizer will you buy? To choose from these two type stabilizers, you need to know about both of these two types.
Inflatable – This type of stabilizer is a bladder within a tough outer membrane. You can easily inflate them by your mouth when you hit the water. You can store this type of stabilizer very easily, as they require very small places to store and also they are very lightweight when you deflate them.
The only downside of this stabilizer, it doesn’t matter how strong they are, It can be punctured. This type of stabilizer is not recommended for heavy use and also if you are going in a place where debris could be a problem.
Solid PVC – This type of stabilizer is made for robustness. They are very strong and made of very high quality material. To create buoyancy It uses solid floats. If you are going to a pace where robust can be a problem, this type of stabilizer will be a good choice.
Without any problem you can run your fishing trip or canoe expedition. The only downside of this stabilizer is, they are not easy to store as they can not be deflated. They will take up a lot of space and are difficult to carry. If you can solve this problem, you can go anywhere without an issue.
Stabilizers Will Slow You Down
Do you know that stabilizers will slow you down? It’s true that stabilizers are great for safely paddling but it will slow down your canoe and will make your paddling hard. This is the main reason many people don’t like to use canoe stabilizers.
In a nutshell, the narrower the boat is the faster you can go and the wider your boat the slower your speed will be. A canoe stabilizer makes your canoe wider and for this reason, your travelling speed slows down.
For this reason, you need to choose a small size stabilizer depending on the size of your canoe and weight. You can go faster if you choose small and narrow size stabilizers.
Installation and Mounting Systems
This is another thing to consider before you choose a canoe stabilizer. Installing and mounting on the canoe part is very important. If your canoe stabilizer installation is not easy and takes a lot of time then you will lose your travelling energy before you start your canoe journey.
It is also important in which part of your canoe you install your stabilizer. If you are going fishing then you need to determine how long clear water you need to fish.
Some canoe stabilizers are very easy to mount with a canoe. On the other hand, some stabilizers need some work to install. For that matter, you need to learn the same basics to install stabilizers in your canoe. Just follow the manufacturer’s guideline, which will be provided with your stabilizer, and you will be just fine.
Price
You need to check the price before you buy a canoe stabilizer. If you are looking for a budget stabilizer, you can choose inflatable canoe stabilizer or If you are looking for the best quality canoe stabilizer you can select solid PVC canoe stabilizer. Good quality canoe stabilizer’s price is high but if you age going solo in the calm water you don’t need to choose a high priced stabilizer. A medium quality stabilizer will do the work just fine.
Brand
Check the stabilizer manufacturer, if they are a well known brand or not. If you choose a stabilizer from a well-known brand, you will get some extra benefits, which you will not get if you buy a stabilizer from a unknown brand. However, there are some brands who make good quality stabilizer.
Wrap-Up
There are a lot of canoe stabilizers out there but we have reviewed the best canoe stabilizers. You can choose a canoe stabilizer from this list.
Make sure you are buying a stabilizer based on your needs and your stabilizer’s price is within your budget range. You also need to install it properly and If you don’t know anything, you can ask help from someone who knows these things very well.