Let’s Go Canoeing
General perception of canoes are that they are unstable thus can be easily capsized. However, this is only the case if you don’t use the canoe properly. All boats for that matter can be unstable due to improper use. There are some things that you need to remember when rowing a canoe. First, lay as low as possible.
This lowers your center of gravity making the canoe more stable. Also keep in mind that despite its appearance, canoes can actually move along swift rapids. You just need good communication between paddlers.
When paddling a canoe, if you are a pair, you need to paddle on opposite sides. If the person in the bow paddles left, the one at the back paddles right. When you hold the paddle, you should put your left hand just above the blade and the right hand at the top end of the paddle. When you paddle, the left hand acts like a pivot while the right arm supplies most of the power. The roles of the hands reverse as the person on the canoe paddles on the other side.
Canoes do vary in shape, sizes and varieties. Earlier canoes were made from dugouts of tree trunks or bark of trees reinforced by strings and resins. On the other hand, modern day canoes are more varied, usually made with specific designs and materials. One type of modern canoe is the touring canoe or tripping canoe which is made from very light materials. Another is the prospector canoe which has a notable symmetrical hull and a continuous arc from bow to stern.
There’s also the whitewater canoe which is made from tough man-made materials, such as ABS or Kevlar. Some whitewater canoes are covered and decked, which makes the appearance pretty much like a kayak the only difference being the paddler of a decked canoe still position itself in a kneeling position in contrast to the sitting position of a paddler in a kayak.
Other kinds of canoe include the playboating open canoe which is a kind of whitewater canoes and used primarily for whitewater plays and tricks, the square stern canoe which is more often used for lake travel or fishing, the racing canoe or sprint canoe which is used for racing on flat water thus are made long and narrow in order to reduce drag, and, of course, the inflatable canoes which are made from durable materials and are used mainly for flat waters.
Tags: canoe, canoe basics, canoe designs, kayak