Tag Archives: Canoe

canoe tips and tricks. Types of canoes and gifts for canoers

Proper Technique to Paddle a Canoe

Paddle a Canoe

Canoeing can be enjoyed by people of all ages. To get the most enjoyment from canoeing, you’ll need a properly fitted paddle and knowledge of the proper techniques to paddle a canoe.

 

The Fit

It is difficult and inefficient to paddle a canoe with a paddle that is too short or too long. Fortunately, fitting a paddle is very simple. Place the blade of the paddle on the top of your foot. Letting the blade touch the ground is not a good idea; it can easily damage the surface of the blade.

With the paddle standing vertically, the handle should be somewhere between your nose and chin. A paddle that is too long will be difficult to manage; a paddle that is too short will not provide enough thrust, and you’ll feel as if you have to bend down towards the water to paddle.

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The Grip

Hold the paddle, one hand firmly on top of the handle.Grip around the handle; your thumb should be underneath and pointing towards the front of the canoe. Your other hand should be a shoulder’s width away from your top hand. It should grip the shaft of the paddle securely.

The Stroke

When actually paddling, the most important thing to remember is to use your back; do not rely solely done on your arms to paddle a canoe. You can visualize the perfect form by imagining that a string is attached your nose to the top of the paddle’s handle. Doing this insures the proper amount of back movement and twisting.

Canoeing is a wonderful sport and hobby. With a properly sized paddle and some simple techniques, miles of effortless paddling can be achieved by anyone.

Other Canoeing and Kayaking Articles:

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Canoeing Tips – Keep Your Trip Fun & Safe

Canoeing tips for beginners:

canoeing tips

Canoeing tips are better than tipping a canoe

First, know your equipment well. Don’t go into the water without the proper knowledge or without taking the right precautions. A haphazard canoeist can endanger not only himself, but his fellow paddlers as well.

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Inflatable Canoes

If you’re using inflatable canoes and floatation devices, be sure that you inflate them well at the start of the day; inflate them again after spending some time on the water. On spring days, the air bags will appear to deflate after a few minutes on the water. This is because the water in the spring is still cold. Remember that heat expands and cold contracts. the colder water temperature will contract the air inside the inflatable, causing it to deflate somewhat.

In hotter weather, the reverse will occur. When you put the inflated canoe into the water, the air inside it will expand due to the warmer temperature of the lake or river. To avoid bursting or over-inflating your canoe or floatation device it is best that you let some air out over the course of the day.

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Proper Stroke

If you’re handling too large a canoe, you might find that you have trouble reaching over the gunwale. In this situation your strokes will be too far away from the canoe. This will force the canoe to turn, rather than having a forward-driving force. The technique we recommend involves shifting weights.

[important]Canoeing Tips: Bring your knees together and shift your weight to the paddle side while paddling.[/important]

By shifting your body weight, the gunwale is lowered as you make each stroke. If you’re a beginner, don’t be surprised or scared. This position is actually very stable and the chances of capsizing are very slim.

From this position you can reach over the gunwale and keep your paddle in the vertical position. You’ll find it easier and more efficient to propel the canoe forward when you execute your strokes in this fashion.

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Get a Grip

canoeing tips

Finally, paddling a canoe can be easy or hard depending on your grip on the paddles. More often than not, holding a paddle with a relaxed grip will have better results. Holding the paddle too tightly can cause the blades to twist and turn on the water surface, which will affect the movement of the canoe. For more information on paddling technique see: Proper Technique to Paddle a Canoe.

[important]Canoeing Tips: A loose grip improves your feel for the paddle and, more importantly, reduces the tension in your arms and shoulders.[/important]

A loose grip will improve the way you bring the paddle blades over the water surface and will improve the way you steer your canoe.

These are only a few canoeing tips. There are more that will answer specific needs of paddlers. Canoeing is a skill that can be learned and enjoyed more with practice.

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[important]

Are you looking for an easier way to move your kayak or canoe

to and from the water?

Canoe & kayak carts offer a safe and easy way

to walk your craft to the launching site.

Check out this comparison of the top canoe & kayak carts.

[/important]

 

 

Other Canoeing Articles:

 

 

Canoes: Description and Construction

What is a Canoe?

A canoe is a small narrow boat, usually powered by paddling, although it can sometimes be powered by sails or small motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top.

Photo © by Jeff Dean

The paddler or paddlers face in the direction of travel, either seated or kneeling directly upon the hull. Paddling differs from rowing, where the rowers usually face away from the direction of travel and use mounted oars (though some canoes can be fitted with oarlocks and rowed). Paddles can be single-bladed or double-bladed.

The oldest recovered canoe in the world (about 10,000 years old) is the ‘Pesse canoe’ found in the Netherlands. This canoe is exhibited in the Drents Museum in Assen, Netherlands.

Materials

Wooden Canoes

The earliest canoes were made from wood, often simply hollowed-out tree trunks (known as dugouts). These are still used in some parts of the world. Modern wooden canoes may be wood strip, wood-and-canvas, stitch-and-glue, glued plywood lapstrake, or birchbark.

In North America, white cedar was used for the frame and bark of the Paper Birch for the exterior, with charcoal and fats mixed into the resin. A few modern canoe builders have revived and continued building birchbark canoes.

Aluminum Canoes

Aluminum canoes were first made by the Grumman company after World war II, when demand for airplanes began to decline. Aluminum allowed a lighter and much stronger construction than the wood construction. However, capsized aluminum canoes will sink unless the ends are filled with flotation blocks, and they are noisy.

Modern Composite Canoes

Composites of fiberglass, Kevlar and carbon fiber are used in synthetic canoe construction. These materials are light, strong, and maneuverable. Because they can be aasily portaged, these canoes allow experienced paddlers access to remote wilderness areas. Kevlar and Carbon Fiber are generally very expensive, but are usually more durable than other materials. Fiberglass retains the light weight, but cracks easily upon impact. On the plus side, Fiberglass can be very easily repaired, unlike almost all other materials.

Kevlar canoes

ABS, or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene,  is another synthetic composite material that makes an extremely flexible and durable hull, making it ideal for whitewater canoes. ABS canoes have been known to pop back into their original shape with minimal creasing of the hull after having been wrapped around a rock in strong river currents. Although very unlikely that the hull would be punctured, they are very difficult to repair. Additionally, they must be protected from continual sun exposure to prevent degradation of the plastic by ultraviolet light.

HDP (roto-molded high density polyethylene) is a cheaper and heavier material used for synthetic canoe construction. Its superior abrasion resistance and very low friction make it a popular choice in whitewater canoes. This material can be repaired with a hot air welding process if punctured.

The different constructions have different advantages depending on the intended use of the canoe. The wood-and-canvas canoe is more fragile than an aluminum canoe, therefore not as useful in rough water; but it is much quieter—making it better for observing wildlife. A wilderness canoe trip will require a canoe that is light yet durable.

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