Product Reviews > Canoes > Souris River Canoes > Quetico 16

Reviews for Quetico 16 Canoe by Souris River Canoes

Rated: 8.15/10 Based On: 13 Reviews

Length: 16' 2" - Width: 34.0" - Starting at: $2645.00
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08-22-2011
Submitted by: R.PLACE - Rating: 10 of 10

We love our Quetico 16. Used it up north in Manitoba and now in BC. Very stable, never had a problem. I feel very confident in it. Even the best canoes can be a problem in a high wind. Great canoe!

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12-13-2009
Submitted by: kencanoe - Rating: 10 of 10

In October I purchased a Q16 red tigre wood gunwales. It is a beautiful boat. Just what I expected. The people at Souris River were great to deal with, answered all my questions and shipped my boat to the east coast without a scratch. Amazing! I can't wait to get it out on an extended trip...and put some scratches on it. I'll post an update after I do.

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09-23-2009
Submitted by: PaddleMaestro - Rating: 5 of 10

Got the LeTigre and after six months of use on rivers and flat water:

Handling Loaded (1.5/2.0): Good stability and would get full marks but its slow.

Handling Solo/Loaded 0.5/2.0): Prone to wander and impossible in wind. No tumblehome so more than a few cracked knuckles.

Fit & Finish (0.5/2.0): Poor for a canoe in this price range: several rivets not put in right leaving a gap between the gunwales and kevlar, cutoff material sticking out from gunwales, yoke has a feather crack, seats are cheap with straps poorly stapled, layup on float tanks rippled. Nothing catastrophic - just disappointing.

Technology and Design (1.5/2.0): Right on weight, quality thwarts, little beam deflection even when loaded. Hate the riveted seat brackets - would rather have them hung from the gunwales so they could be easily moved.

Overall Impression (1.0/2.0): Performs very well when loaded, very difficult to handle as a solo boat unless it is calm. Light and strong but lost several points for F&F - inspect yours very carefully when you pick it up.

Total: 5.0/10.0 by my scoring.

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06-28-2004
Submitted by: wildernesswebb

- Rating: 9 of 10
My Quetico 16 was the Duralite layup. Was impressed with the demonstration from Joe at Red rock when he placed a fist-sized rock under the canoe and proceded to step inside the boat with rock underneath. But, toughness aside, paddling charachteristics are what sold me on this canoe. Initial and secondary stability very good from the first paddle. I am comfortable fishing from this canoe. Speed was above average for a 16' boat. Tracking also above average. No problem maneuvering the boat tandem or solo, responds readily to your paddle stroke. Boat works well solo with it turned arround, paddling from the bow seat with a bit of ballast in front of you. If you use intend to use this solo exclusively, it works excellent as a wilderness tripper, but only fair for soloing with a light load on day trips. If you only need a solo for day tripping, there are hulls better suited to that use than this one. Have used the boat tandem in the BWCAW with two 200+ lb guys out for 5 days, and solo day trips on class one rivers, and every other scenario in between. Solo and tandem, loaded and unloaded, boat performs well in all uses. There are faster boats, more maneuverable boats, boats that haul more gear, and boats made to solo better, but this is THE best "Do it all" hull I've paddled. It is similar to the glass or kevlar Mad River Explorer with just a bit less volume, and easier handling. I purchased mine with the painted-on color, which added weight and scratched easily, it was NOT similar to a gel coat. If you want a "Colored" boat, they now make this with the coloring impregnated into the Duralite or Kevlar. This is much better than the painted on version. You can also get it in a "Skin" coat. The kevlar version is the typical yellow transleucent color, while duralite has a white, "Milky" transleucent coloration. I would give this boat an "8.5," but no decimal points can be used, so my final score will appear here as a "9."

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06-10-2004
Submitted by: pattersr

- Rating: of 10
Had my 7 yr old for 3 years now, rides like duck in 2-3 ft slly breaking waves, short enough to be agile in flooded creeks. Use rudder only in stiff wind/occasionally in 2+ ft waves if I�m lazy. Not fastest boat but good speed & v forgiving. Good fit in creeks / fishing/photog. Likes to be loaded. Surfs 1.5+ ft waves but needs close attention. carries well upside down on my 6 ft truck rack / no or minimal symmetrical distortion which works out after loading.(not usu >70 deg f here in alberta). Very satisfied

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08-27-2002
Submitted by: --- - Rating: 9 of 10
I purchased a Souris River Quetico 16 in the new LeTigre Kevlar.It has gold aluminium gunwales, ash web seats and weighs 40#. It is a super canoe. I bought it for the dual purpose of solo canoeing and fishing with my 2 kids 7&8 years old. This canoe does both extremely well. It is stable, tracks well,is not so wide as to make it uncomfortable to solo from the front seat,and it portages easily. It is also extremely durable.If you are considering a duo purpose canoe this is it! If you are not planning on doing any solo paddling check out the Souris River Quetico 17.If you are planning on purchasing a canoe you owe it to yourself to test paddle a Souris River before buying any other brand. Wenonah, Mad River, and Old Town canoes can't match Souris River in durability in combination with lightness. Souris River is also superior in tracking and turning. Souris River makes canoes that work well for both wilderness tripping and recreational paddling. These are not merely racing hulls marketed as suitable for wilderness tripping.

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04-03-2002
Submitted by: --- - Rating: 9 of 10
I bought a quetico 16 several years ago. I think that the quetico 16 is one of the most versatile canoes made, it solos very well (try using a spring creek solo yoke) it is also excellent day tripper for me and my wife, and our dogs don't cause any problem with stability. It's a tad small for extended tripping with two persons, but it will get you by. This canoe is no compromise, it's very stable for fishing, great for teaching kids, and I love the duralite layup, I actually prefer it over the kevlar, it's not sun sensitive, and is more translucent than kevlar, not to mention cheaper. The epoxy layup is very tough, but it will scratch easily. I always use a kayak paddle and have little trouble keeping up. I have seen this canoe described as slow, I don't but that, it's just not fast, theres a big difference, if you want fast, get a prism (got one,love it) but forget about the rock solid stability, and the dog.

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06-11-2001
Submitted by: --- - Rating: 10 of 10
Wanting a lightweight solo canoe big enough for my 6'2" and 250lb, I ordered a Q16 from Red Rock Outfitters. I opted for solo configuration, but the factory riveted in the tandem seat brackets for possible future use. Wood gunwales and extra second thwart. it is lovely, and the workmanship almost flawless. It weighs less than 50lb. In the water it is even better. After Mad Rivers and Old Towns, this is the first canoe I have been in that allows me to relax. You can forget about stability -- it's just there. It is rock stable, primary, and I think you would have to consciously roll it to defeat the secondary. Not all that fast, but a great glide that goes on forever. It cuts through waves and shoulders the water aside, rather than going over them. Slow to turn, but it is made to go straight for long hauls, and so far it does that very well. The wind does catch it, if riding high with a minimum load. If I ever need a tandem, I will go for the Q17. I can't imagine a better solo than this one for big folks who need to carry stuff.

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04-30-2001
Submitted by: --- - Rating: 9 of 10
The Souris River, Quetico 16 Duralite, loaded with two and a week's food and gear, surpassed anything I've ever witnessed. Be sure, however, to have the stem reinforcements. Try one for a week or two in the BWCWA and you will never consider the proprietary brands that dominate the major outfitters. Expect to see more Souris Rivers among the experienced as time progresses. The Red Rock outfitter (Northwind Lodge) proved to be the most personable and knowledgeable dealer from whom two Souris Rivers were purchased. He is located east of Ely, MN, near the little town of Winton, MN. I suspect that the largest outfitters in Ely are tied in with special contracts from the "big W" for rentals and sales.

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04-03-2000
Submitted by: mcwood4

- Rating: 9 of 10
My Souris River Quetico 16 Duralight Canoe was simply the best 16' 2" aouund! I passed up Bells, Mad Rivers, and all the rest after saving, looking and testing canoes for over four years. This canoe makes an outstanding solo as well. If you are primarilary going tandum with gear please look at the new 17' Souris. With the Duralight you do not need the expence of kevlar. It is not really the fiber that you should look at with the most critical eye anyway, but the glue. Souris River's epoxy resin is far superior to the poly resins used by almost all of the other manufactures. The only canoe I would reccomend above the Souris River is a Custom Verlen Kruger. My Souris is for sale as my Kruger will be done in two weeks. (see canoes for sale, Michigan) Again he uses a far superior resin in his canoes and kayaks and his designs are superb. If you paddle a Kruger, you'll have to have one! Don't paddle a Kruger unless you are ready to plop down $3,500, plus or minus, it takes to have one built! If you are ready go see Verlen and paddle up river with him or Scott three or four miles and you will believe!

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05-04-1999
Submitted by: DHL - Rating: 10 of 10
I absolutely love our kevlar Souris River Quetico 16. My wife and I had a "big name" kevlar before the Quetico and the Quetico blew it out of the water in handling, stability, and durability. It scratches but it doesn't puncture on every little rock or obstacle like our other kevlar did. This epoxy resin system with flexible ribs is fantastic! We can live with scratches and in two years we've never repaired any leaks. Souris River is going to replace that old-tech kevlar with ease!

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04-18-1999
Submitted by: RDL - Rating: 8 of 10
This is a very versatile canoe...it can handle moderate tripping gear loaded with two people or makes a very nice solo canoe. It is very versatile. The Souris River epoxy and flex rib system is the best kevlar system I've seen.

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09-29-1998
Submitted by: --- - Rating: 8 of 10
I purchased the Duralite model three years ago in Ely, MN. Since then it has been on three trips to the BWCA. I have found this canoe to be all the manufacturer claims it to be. It is light and very tough. The flexibility of the epoxy/duralite hull makes it very resilient. I have scraped rocks with it, gotten hung up on rocks and actually abused it in some low water rocky areas as well as during loading and unloading at portages. It scratches, but does not break or delaminate. Despite the abuse, I have not had to make any repairs to the hull.I would recommend the optional skid plates on the stems. My only concievable criticism of the canoe is that it is a tad slow. This however is typical of a 16' canoe loaded with two heavyweights and a weeks worth of food and gear. I would not hesitate to recommend this canoe to anyone interested in a tripping canoe, especially in light of the difference in price between this and a kevlar canoe. An additional nice feature is that the canoe works very well as a solo by reversing it. There is no front thwart so you can sit in the bow seat facing the stern seat. It handles very nicely even in a pretty stiff breeze.

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