Does waxing the hull make the canoe slower?

[lowangle al]

So you can do multiple applications for more smoothness and longevity?

 

[ScottS]

An average sped difference of as little as .05 mph can make the difference of more than an hour finish over the distance of the 1000 mile Yukon River canoe race. Doesn't sound like much but it can mean the difference of a couple of thousand dollars in prize money for the place. Other iintelligent factors make even more difference. I have been there and experienced the result. Just a little extra effort is well worth it. We use 303.

Dang, I forgot about all of those thousand mile races. I stand corrected.

 

[Woodpuppy]

Based on my research and what I've learned here, I'm going to use 303 on my inflatables and Graphene wax on my composite boats.
Hard shell plastic boats are a bit of a question mark, but I'm inclined to use the Graphene wax on them too.
If you had a Bentley, you'd wax it. Wax is good stuff.

If I had a Bentley, I’d pay someone else to wax it

 

[ScottS]

If I had a Bentley, I’d pay someone else to wax it

I'd sell the Bentley and buy a bunch of canoes...and pay someone to wax the canoes.

 

[Idiot Savant]

The only reason this even came up is because I was recommending the newer Graphene waxes to a friend and even suggested it would make his canoe faster and he replied, via email, that he'd heard that wax made a canoe slower. I found out that Northstar tells you not to use wax because it increases friction, and use 303 instead.
I have immense respect for Northstar, but this is one case where I think they blew it. Wax may not make your canoe faster, but I doubt if it slows it down noticeably either and goes a long way toward protecting it.

 

[Mason]

You could always paint it red.

 

[tketcham]

The only reason this even came up is because I was recommending the newer Graphene waxes to a friend and even suggested it would make his canoe faster and he replied, via email, that he'd heard that wax made a canoe slower. I found out that Northstar tells you not to use wax because it increases friction, and use 303 instead.
I have immense respect for Northstar, but this is one case where I think they blew it. Wax may not make your canoe faster, but I doubt if it slows it down noticeably either and goes a long way toward protecting it.

So what's this really about, I.S.? You have shares of Graphene stock?

There's no universal right or wrong answer here. Personally, I don't use anything on the hulls of my canoes because I don't like the idea of introducing any more contaminants into streams and lakes than they're already getting from the roads I drive on to get to them. (How's that for rationalization? Plus, I'm lazy.)

 

[ScottS]

I waxed my canoe a couple times. It didn't make any difference other than it was a bit shiny, until I used it. The time would have been better spent canoeing. By the way, Northstar says in one of its videos, if you're only going to 303 your canoe a couple times a year, then don't bother. So, much for the endorsement. "Don't bother" wins for me.
And, if 303/graphene made your boat faster, 3M would be all over it in their advertisements.

 

[lowangle al]

Shiny, smooth to the touch, easy to clean, slides easy on the ground and the supposed UV protection, are enough reasons for me. That being said I don't treat all of my boats that well, only the ones nice ones.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

Northstar says in one of its videos, if you're only going to 303 your canoe a couple times a year, then don't bother.

I decided not to bother years ago. I used to 303 my composite canoes until I noticed when I was driving in the rain with those canoes on top, there was considerable 303 in the water dripping off the canoes and onto my windshield. From that, I concluded that 303 doesn't stay very long on a canoe in water and probably pollutes the water.

 

[Jim Dodd]

Maybe try RainX ?
It lasts on my Windshields of my vehicles !

Jim