Quetico 18.5

Just picked one of these up a couple of weeks ago. Absolutely love it and would recommend to anyone looking for a large ultra light canoe. I've had it out on a couple of day fishing trips with the wife and kids (3&4). The stability and performance is outstanding. My kids can lean over the edge to put their hands in the water, and the boat barely moves. They can actually walk back and forth carefully from the middle seat, to the front compartment of the boat. Initially stability is amazing. Only had one little scare where my son leaned over the gunwhale a bit too far, hardly an incident though as the seconday stability is also great and kept us upright. Looking forward to taking this into the back country. I know it'll work great with the family, or to get 3 people and gear into one canoe (usually have 5 in my group).

Updating an older review: Owned the Quetico 18.5 Le Tigre for 3 years now and have a 90 plus days of tripping with this canoe. We have two young kids and a Lab and this boat easily holds us and all of our gear for 3+ week trips. On the water it is fast when loaded and handles rough water very well. Big swells or white caps it handles them well while fully loaded and does not ship any water. This is a boat that you can paddle on those days that smaller boats will be staying ashore. It tracks very well; well enough that it is easy to handle with a 6 degree bent shaft at the stern. It is nimble enough to handle moderate moving water, but it is not a whitewater boat. The build quality is outstanding and it is a true wilderness tool. Designed for the job, not to look pretty. It has been hauled over beaver dams and had nothing but dry landings. Light, strong and it yields and does not brake, when stressed. Using epoxy and not resin makes all the difference.

After 3 years this boat has held up remarkably well. It has run rivers and been scraped hard along rocky river bottoms, hit a submerged rock or two. Many, rocky and gravel landings at portages and campsites. It has withstood everything it has been through. It has more than its share of scratches and nothing is more than cosmetic. Like I said earlier, it is a true wilderness tool that is well designed for its purpose.

After extensive research, I bought a one year old Quetico 18 (rental) from Killarney Outfitters this spring (2015). I absolutely love it! They had completely resurfaced it so it was essentially brand new. I've used it on 3 trips this year and multiple days at the beach. On our last trip, we had 4 people (approx 650lbs) and probably close to 200lbs of cargo, for a five day trip, and a 3km (2miles) portage.

Probably the best money I ever spent (about $2000). If I ever buy another canoe it will be a Souris River, and most likely an 18.5. And most of my friends are saving up for one. It glides amazingly, with just 2 people paddling, but can easily carry 4, which makes portages way easier, because you only need half as many canoes. There's so much more to say, but you probably are sick of reading:) If you only plan on day trips or even extended trips with 2 people, go with a 16 or 17 though, the 18.5 is a bit extreme and you can save weight and money.

I've paddled a Quetico 18.5 since 2004 or so. Purchased from one of a few US dealers at the time and am extremely satisfied. It has held up to a substantial bit of use over the years, ranging from occasional klutz moment to some wicked rock shore in howling winds.

I am a big guy, paddling with dog, packs and often others of not-small denomination. The center seat on mine had a wood flaw that only became apparent when I was hurriedly trying to solo back to a previous portage to collect gear left by a younger crew member - pulled quarter-size bit of hull loose with it....BUT Souris folks were GREAT about fixing the seat and I came away at least as satisfied as I already was.

Souris folks were/are excellent, product has been superior in some wind and waves that were challenging - better than several comparable tripping canoes I've paddled at other times. I think the flexing hull design holds up as promised and has worked better than other approaches on similar canoes built more along a racing model. Hey I just can't find anything I don't like about this boat and I've used it a LOT. I would also pick it over the 17s for larger paddlers or paddlers looking to haul kids or dogs.

My wife and I have owned the Quetico 18.5 composite canoe for about 8 years now. We have paddled the canoe in Northern Ontario for extended trips ranging from 3-10 days. We have also used the boat for coastal paddling in British Columbia and the East coast for trips ranging from 2-12 days.

The boat is certainly built for capacity and tracks very well. It is not the most agile boat in moving waters and the composite material is not really designed for running large rapids (ie. Rocks). We have taken it through short runs up to Class II rapids while tripping and it has done the job. We have also paddled it in tidal currents and it has provided surprising stability when caught in thermal winds opposing tidal currents on the coast of BC (however, this was unplanned and not recommended...)

The capacity is second to none and has held gear, food etc for 12 day trip along with 2 labrador retrievers quite handily (with third seat removed). For a large boat it is also quite light for portages (~50lbs with third seat removed). We have also enjoyed it with the third seat installed for taking others around on short day trips.

The lightweight materials do require some maintenance and I have give the hull a light sanding and finished with spar varnish (as per recommendation from manufacturer) every year and the material has stood up. The boat is very well used however, still looks like new. That being said we have treated it very well by always storing indoors and preventative maintenance as stated above.

I would highly recommend this boat especially for a tripping boat.

A great canoe!! We have made 5 trips to the Woodland Caribou region of Ontario with this canoe....some 65 days and over 200 portages across large lakes, up creeks, and over beaver dams. Our load includes my wife and myself, four Duluth packs, and two Labradors. It handles big waves well, portages easily, takes the tight corners on the small creeks, and handles the rugged nature of the country. We fish from this canoe, paddle solo on after meal expeditions, and have run some class 2 whitewater with this boat. A great canoe to handle the needs of big water, and gear for a long trip.

I purchased a Souris River Carbon Tech Souris River 4 summers ago. I have two other kevlar canoes, a 17' Quetico and a 17' 6' Bell Northwind Kev Crystal. The 18.5 Quetico gets the most use as friends borrow it for weekend Sylvania trips. This is a large stable Lake Canoe that carries four packs easily. The 18.5 length gives it good gliding qualities for a wide canoe. The folks who borrow it like the stability for fishing. If I had to keep one tandem canoe, a wide light 18.5 foot canoe is my choice. 17' canoes are a bit easier to portage, but if you can afford the light carbon tech 18.5 Quetico, it is my choice for the ultimate wilderness week long tripper canoe.

I give the Souris River Quetico 18.5 9/10. I would not give any canoe a 10/10 because no canoe is perfect. I have the Le Tigre model weighs about 45-48# (depending on brochure you look at.

What I can say is that this model is perfect for me.

Positives: STABILITY--I don't know if there is a more stable canoe out there. This canoe great on rough water or unstable loads (i.e. dog or children). Great to fish out of. I have been in 3-4 foot rollers (not suggesting you should do this) with my wife and never once felt like we would tip--once again stability was awesome. Has an internal skid plate so reduces drag. I have had my canoe in the BWCAW/Quetico for over 56 days of hard use. It has stood up well. I do not abuse my equipment, but I do not baby it either--I maybe would qualify myself as rough on equipment. So far I have been happy with it's durability.

The one negative I can think is the flatter bottom which gives the 18.5 more stability and lets it ride higher in the water makes it a little susceptible to wind blowing it off of course--especially if it is not trimmed well or has no load. This will also make it a little slower than comparable models. You have to give up something for the added stability. The speed is not that noticeable to me and it more than makes up for it when the waves are high---you will appreciate the stability and then it becomes faster than comparable brands. We are always passing people when wind/high waves are an issue.

Final analysis: Stable canoe that can haul big loads and handle rough water.

I have had this canoe for 5 years. I love it. As far as a tripping canoe it is incredible. Very, Very stable it would take a lot of effort to tip this canoe. Faster than it is given credit for I have no problem keeping up with or leading my friends Bell Northbay. This canoe has enough room for major excursions. I also use it on smaller rivers. At 18.5 it can be tricky on really small creeks but has enough rocker to turn well. Most of all durability is amazing. I moved up from Wenonah, and I am amazed on every boundary waters trip the beating this canoe can take and show little to no wear. I have the duralight version. Kevlar would be nice depending on prices at the time.

We rented a Q 18.5 in Kevlar last week for a trip in the BWCAW. Our group of 8 was spread out in 3 canoes. With my 240 lb. self in the stern of the Souris and my wife and 61 lb. 6 year-old in the bow (plus the 80 lb food pack) it paddled like a dream. We had to stop and wait repeatedly to allow our crew to catch up in the Grumman and the fiberglas cheapie. When it got late in the day and we got in a campsite race, we really poured on the coals and easily made the claim (sorry to the other group heading for the same site on Lake 3). It was stable as can be with two adults and a squirmy kid, hauled plenty (we had three other bags in addition to the food pack, plus our personal stuff), and moved and manuvered like no canoe I have ever paddled before. If there was some heavy wind or rough water, I bet it could have made a 10. As it is I'll give it a 9, expecting more. The blessing of Kevlar made it even better. At 48lbs, it felt like nothing to portage. I suppose too, that is saying something about the quality of construction when an outfitter rents a kevlar canoe as opposed to a heavier layup. There were some scratches when we got it and the stems were crunched from past renters "bridging" the boat for portages (why?), but we enjoyed even wet-footing to be responsible to the outfitter. I want one.

After looking for quite some time I purchased a Souris Quetico 18.5 in Durra-Tuff. In August I took it on a 96 mile loop in the BWCA. After hauling my 86 pound Grumman, the 56 pound Durra-Tuff seems light as a feather. I did back to back 280 and 240 rod portages and my canoe is light enough to allow me to carry a small pack with it. It handles big water really well and it has lots of leg room for my bow paddler. It is slower than a MNIII but that is not a problem for me as I am not into racing from place to place. I like the rib system they use as it doesn't flex unless you run it into a summerged rock. I hit one on Oyester lake. Being the stern paddler I was able to see the canoe flex in and then pop back. When it was happening I was sure I would have to repair it, but all it came away with was some scratches.

The seats are web which I find comfortable even after paddling all day. I did raise them up a couple of inches to a height I prefer.

My criteria in choosing the Quetico 18.5 was enough volume to handle a 6 week wilderness trip, able to handle big watrer, and strong.

As to durrability, I am seeing more Souris canoes than any other type when I paddle in the BWCA. Most of the outfitters seem to have switched to using them. After years of watching renters abusing canoes, I guess they must know the Souris canoes can take it.