Two of the most popular polyethylene models on the market today are made by Coleman , branded under the Ram-X name, and by Old Town Canoe branded under the CrossLink 3 name and used in their Discovery series. Coleman overcame this problem by creating a frame work of aluminum to form a keel, ribs, gunwales, and cross braces to stiffen the canoe. Polyethylene is flexible, and takes to smoothed dings very well. However, it is relatively soft, and branches, rocks, and sharp edges tend to cut the material. The material is not naturally buoyant, and most true poly canoes have buoyancy chambers.
Abrasion is the number one cause of death for a polyethylene canoe.
Polyethylene is relatively easy to repair, but due to it's relatively low cost, most canoes damaged to that point are usual disposed of and replaced. Old Town Canoe came up with a different solution for Polyethylene. The resulting product line was called Discovery and the line still sells today. Due to the stiffness of the foam core, the Old Town Canoe does not require a framework of keel, ribs, and supports. Also because it has a foam core, the canoe is naturally buoyant, leaving the bow and stern section of the canoe open for storage.