Grip and Posture
For paddling a canoe, the proper grip is to have the grip-hand on the top, or handle, of the paddle while the shaft-hand is about a shoulder-width away, holding firmly onto the shaft of the paddle (figure A).
With the grip-hand, you control the angle of the blade while the shaft-hand pulls the stroke cleanly through the water. During an ordinary stroke, reach forward and keep the shaft as close to vertical as possible through the entire stroke (figure B). End the stroke at about the point where the paddle reaches your hip.
When you're paddling properly, most of the energy expended will be used to push the canoe forward. To conserve energy and paddle with the greatest efficiency, keep the arm of your grip-hand (your right arm, if you're paddling on the left side) as straight as possible (figure C). It may seem stiff and and awkward at first, but with practice it will gradually come to feel more natural. This technique focuses paddling exertion into the shoulder and waist muscles, which are a lot stronger than arm and wrist muscles. Correct paddling involves rotating the torso and keeping the stroke parallel to the center line of the canoe.
Tip: Watching the blade of the paddle all the way through the stroke is one way to help ensure that you're paddling correctly. It forces you to turn your body as you stroke. That way, you're working the proper muscles for greatest paddling efficiency.
Steering and Turning
Since the two paddlers in a canoe don't paddle identically or in perfect unison, the canoe may tend to veer off a little. To adjust, the person in the rear can use a J-stroke, an ordinary paddling stroke with a slight outward push at the end (figure D). If he's paddling on the right and the canoe is veering left, the slight outward motion at the end of the stroke -- resembling the hook in the letter J -- will give the canoe a slight push to the right.
If the canoe is veering right, then another method of making a minor adjustment is for the two paddlers to simply switch sides, each paddling a few strokes on the side opposite from which he had been paddling (figure E). This should cause the canoe to veer back in the opposite direction. As soon as the correction is made, switch back to paddling normally.
The J-stroke and side-switching techniques also come in handy for paddling by yourself. To keep the canoe moving straight through the water, either use a J-stroke periodically or simply alternate sides every few strokes.
To turn a canoe abruptly for a complete change in direction, use a wide, sweeping stroke (figure F). Rather than keeping the paddle vertical, lean out and sweep in a big arc, away from the canoe and back. A sweep like that provides greater leverage and will turn the canoe in the direction away from the side on which you're paddling. This is a strenuous and tiring stroke, but it can be beneficial if used occasionally.
To turn faster, reverse that stroke. Place the paddle in the water behind you and push it forward. This will make for a very quick turn, but it brings the canoe to a stop.
When moving quickly through the water, the person in the rear of the canoe can steer simply by placing the blade of the paddle in the water and using it as a rudder (figure G). Place the blade of the paddle in the water, with the top of the shaft tilted forward. If you're paddling on the right and you turn the blade away from the canoe, you'll veer right. If you turn the blade in toward the canoe (figure H), you'll veer left. It sounds confusing when described, but with a little practice, you'll get a feel for it.
Specialized Strokes
The draw and the pry are two special strokes that can help get you out of a jam. They are used to turn the canoe quickly or move it laterally in the water.
In the draw, the paddler leans out over the side of the canoe with the blade parallel to the canoe, then inserts the blade into the water and draws it inward (figure I). Once the paddle reaches the canoe, turn it so the blade is perpendicular to the canoe and slide it straight out of the water.
The pry is just the opposite of the draw. Place the paddle under the canoe and pry it out (figure J). Like the draw, prying can turn the canoe or move it sideways in the water.
If the stern paddler draws while the bow paddler pries, or vice versa, the canoe can also be moved sideways. This can come in particularly handy when negotiating a narrow channel.
The bracing stroke is another specialized stroke. It's a safety stroke, and it may keep you from capsizing. If a canoe begins to tip, the bracing stroke can help stabilize it. If the canoe is tipping toward the side on which you're paddling, simply stick the paddle far out of the canoe so that it's parallel with the water, bring the blade down onto the surface of the water and quickly thrust backward (figure K). This action of pushing against the water can be used to force the canoe back upright. In an emergency, simply extend the paddle quickly and slap the surface of the water.
If you canoe with the same person for a while, you should get a feel for the way you work together. Communication with your partner will become instinctual and possibly almost silent -- with each partner anticipating strokes, practically eliminating the need to speak commands to one another.
Portaging
In many instances, part of a canoe trip will involve carrying a canoe over a stretch of land -- moving from lake to lake, around rapids, bypassing a shallow part of a river, etc. This overland transport is termed portage, and it requires a bit of technique.
Most modern canoes are equipped with a carrying yoke, a bar that extends across the center section. Move to the center of the canoe, reach down and grip the near side of the yoke, lift up and tip the canoe onto its side (figure L).
Reach over with the other hand and grasp the far side of the yoke and prepare to lift up (figure M).
As you lift the canoe, position the carrying yoke across your shoulders. (This maneuver takes some getting used to.)
Use caution to avoid striking trees or other objects as you carry the canoe balanced on your shoulders (figure N).
RESOURCES :
REI (Recreational Equipment Inc.)
A comprehensive site with equipment and clothing for camping, hiking, climbing, cycling, paddling, fly fishing, rock climbing, canoeing, kayaking and other outdoor activities.
REI
Sumner, WA 98352-0001
Website: www.rei.com
Great Outdoor Recreation Pages (GORP) -- paddling; canoeing
Great Outdoor Recreation Pages (GORP) is an informational Web site about outdoor activities.
Below is the link to their section on canoeing.
Web site: www.gorp.com/gorp/activity/paddle.htm
Canoe and Kayak magazine online
The online version of Canoe and Kayak magazine.
Web site: www.canoekayak.com/
paddling.net
Online canoeing and kayaking information including buyers' guide, product reviews, outfitters, etc.
Web site: www.paddling.net
American Canoe Association
Web site: www.acanet.org
Links re: International Scale of River Difficulty
Web sites:
www.canoeclub.barrie.on.ca/mwscale.htm
http://members.aol.com/boatful/ratings.htm
US Geological Survey page on U.S. streams
Web site: http://water.usgs.gov/waterwatch/
National Oceanographic and Aeronautic Administration (NOAA) River-conditions info
Web site: www.nws.noaa.gov/oh/hic/current/river_flooding/index.shtml
Canoeing : The Complete Guide to Equipment and Technique
Model: 0811724263
Author: David Harrison
Stackpole Books
Website: www.stackpolebooks.com
Basic Essentials Canoe Paddling, 2nd Edition (Basic Essentials Series)
Model: 0762706627
Author: Harry Roberts, Steve Salins
The Globe Pequot Press
Old Saybrook, CT 06475
Phone: 203-395-0440
Fax: 203-820-2329
American Whitewater
Web site: www.americanwhitewater.org
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