• Pick Your Style: Canoe, Kayak, or Raft

• Select a Material: Natural or Manmade

• Be Prepared With Water Crafting Accessories

• Find Canoes, Kayaks, and Rafts on eBay Australia

• Buy Canoes, Kayaks, Rafts with Confidence

• Need More Help?

• Legal Disclaimer

Pick Your Style: Canoe, Kayak, or Raft

Pick Your Style: Canoe, Kayak, or Raft

Canoes, kayaks, and rafts come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Choose a watercraft based on your budget, experience, and how you want to use it.

Canoes

These popular boats are small, light, and usually very narrow. The rower either kneels or sits on supports in the hull of the canoe while propelling it with single bladed paddles. While canoes are usually open at the top, slalom canoes are closed like kayaks.

Canoes are famous for their instability (which can be fun), hence if two people are rowing a canoe together, good communication and coordination is needed. Round bottom canoes are more “tippy” but are more resistant to capsizing. Flat bottom canoes are generally more stable. However they capsize fairly easily once you pass a “tilt threshold".

Kayaks

Kayaks are covered with a deck and smaller than canoes. The paddle sits in a hole in the center of the kayak and paddles with a double bladed paddle. A spray skirt prevents the kayak from becoming filled with water. It is possible for skilled paddlers to completely capsize and then bring the kayak upright again.

Paddlers in a kayak are positioned at a lower centre of gravity compared to in a canoe thus making kayaks fairly stable. Most recreational kayaks are between 9 and 14 feet long.

Rafts

Unlike canoes and kayaks, rafts do not have a hull. Instead of displacing water to keep afloat as with canoes and kayaks, rafts float paddlers on top of the water by their buoyancy. Rafts are mainly used for navigating whitewater rapids and recreated. Most rafts are paddled with a single bladed paddle.  

Select a Material: Natural or Manmade

Select a Material: Natural or Manmade

Now that you have a better sense of what kind of boat you want to buy, it’s time to figure out what material you’d like. There are numerous natural and synthetic materials available, and they all have their own distinct benefits.

Canoe construction

Traditionally, canoes are made out of wood but aluminum and fibreglass have become increasingly popular. Aluminum and fibreglass are very lightweight making it easy for rowers to carry the canoe (or portage) if required, and at the same time they are strong enough to withstand river travel. 

Antique or craftsman canoes can be constructed from canvas stretched across a wooden frame, or thin strips of wood.

Kayak construction

Most modern kayaks are made of plastic. Plastic kayaks are light, rugged and cheap to manufacture. Kayaks used for whitewater rafting are often made out of an extremely durable high impact plastic.

Antique kayaks are often made out of animal skins stretched tight over a wooden frame. Some are even designed to be collapsible and are called folders.

Raft construction

A raft can be made out of any material, as long as it is buoyant and can float on the water. Flexible PVC plastic is most commonly used for inflatable rafts. Although this material is puncture resistant, it is still a good idea to have a patch kit with you.

Be Prepared With Water Crafting Accessories

Be Prepared With Water Crafting Accessories

After picking out your watercraft, there are still a number of other things you need before you are ready to hit the water.

• Paddles: You can't control your watercraft without a paddle. Paddles come in a variety of shapes and sizes. You will need a single bladed paddle if you're rafting or canoeing while kayakers will need a double bladed paddle.

• Personal flotation device (PFD): Having a personal flotation device, or life jacket, is of utmost importance when playing water sports. Make sure you buy a personal flotation device that is durable, reliable and fits well as it can mean the difference between life and death. It is recommended that a PFD be worn at all times when boating. Most canoeing fatalities happen when the person involved is not wearing a PFD so be sure to buy and wear one that fits you properly.

• Appropriate clothing: Wear comfortable and loose fitting clothes that dry fast. Don't forget to bring sunglasses and a cap if it's a hot day. 

• Sunscreen: Make sure to bring and wear sunscreen to protect your skin from the UV rays and from getting sunburnt.

• Drinking water: It is very important to have a supply of clean drinking water with you as all boating activities can leave you dehydrated. Brands that make durable products for a variety of outdoor activities include Camelback and Nalgene.

• Patch kit: Even the best quality boats can spring a leak so it's handy to have a patch kit around to provide an extra measure of safety. Some small holes can be patched with something as common as duct tape but be sure to read the instructions from your boat’s manufacturer on what to do to adequately repair a leak.  

                                         

Find Canoes, Kayaks, and Rafts on eBay Australia

Find Canoes, Kayaks, and Rafts on eBay Australia

Once you know what type of canoe, kayak, or raft you want, go to the Sporting Goods portal.

• Categories: The Categories list will help you narrow down your listings by item type. Click the Canoes, Kayaks, Rafts link under Boating & Water Sports.

• Keyword search: Search eBay Australia title listings for specific words. For example, if you want to find sea kayaks, type "sea kayak" (without quotation marks) into the Search box. Click "Search title and description" to expand your results. Visit eBay Australia's Search Tips page for more tips on searching with keywords.

If you can't find exactly what you want, try shopping eBay Stores, tell the eBay Australia Community what you want by creating a post on Want It Now, or save a search on My eBay and eBay Australia will email you when a match becomes available.

Buy Canoes, Kayaks, Rafts with Confidence

Buy Canoes, Kayaks, Rafts with Confidence

Before making your purchase, make sure you know exactly what you're buying, research your seller, and understand how eBay Australia and PayPal protect you.

Know your purchase

Carefully read the details in item listings.

• Figure delivery costs into your final price. If you spend a lot of money, make sure the seller will insure the item when it ships.

• If you want more information, ask by clicking the "Ask seller a question" link under the seller's profile.

• Always make sure to complete your transaction on eBay Australia (with a bid, Buy It Now, or Best Offer). Transactions conducted outside of eBay Australia are not covered by eBay Australia protection programs.

• Never pay for your eBay Australia item using instant cash wire transfer services through Western Union or MoneyGram. These payment methods are unsafe when paying someone you do not know.

Know your seller

Research your seller so you feel positive and secure about every transaction.

• What is the seller's Feedback rating? How many transactions have they completed? What percentage of positive responses do they have?

• What do buyers say in their Feedback? Did the seller receive praise?

• Most top eBay Australia sellers operate like retail stores and have return policies. Do they offer a money-back guarantee? What are the terms and conditions?

Buyer protection

In the unlikely event that a problem arises during your transaction, eBay Australia and PayPal are there for you.

• Pay safely with PayPal: PayPal enables you to pay without the seller ever seeing your bank account or credit card numbers. In fact, PayPal protects buyers 100% against unauthorised payments from their accounts. Plus, with PayPal Buyer Protection, your purchase can be covered up to $1,500.

• eBay Australia Security & Resolution Centre: Visit the Security & Resolution Centre to learn how to protect your account and use eBay Australia 's quick and efficient resolution tools.

Need More Help?

Need More Help?

Visit our help pages or start a thread on one of our Community Discussion Boards - If you have a quick question that needs answering, try posting it on our community Answer Centre - there's bound to be a seasoned eBay Australia veteran with just the information you're looking for!

Legal Disclaimer

Legal Disclaimer

Buying Guides are intended merely as a guide or review for members when considering what products or services they may be interested in bidding on or purchasing. eBay does not make, and nothing in these Buying Guides is intended to constitute, any warranties, guarantees, representations or assurances about the accuracy of the information or content contained in these Buying Guides. Furthermore, eBay does not make, and nothing in these Buying Guides is intended to constitute, any warranties, guarantees, representations or assurances about the nature or performance of the products or services appearing in the Buying Guides. Content, trademarks and brands referred to and contained in the third-party links provided are the property of their respective owners, and eBay has no control over and accepts no responsibility for their content. eBay is not affiliated with nor does it endorse the use of any particular product or service.