Reading a different post got me thinking how some folks new to paddling worry about the unimportant aspects of how to paddle.

Spring is approaching and the BWCA paddling season is starting. For those people that are first timers with a trip planned to canoe country, this post is meant to cover the very, very basics of how to paddle a canoe on a lake without using technical terms like flat water, stern, bowman, trim, J-strokes, etc. I just don't want you to be "that" boat doing S-curves down the lake cuz you can't convince the boat to go straight.

Front person should paddle on one side of the canoe and set a steady rhythm. When you reach forward to put the paddle in the water, make sure most of the wide flat area of the paddle goes into the water before pulling (and this is important, you have to pull the paddle not just dip) the paddle. Stay on this side of the canoe until the person in the back says "switch" or when you start feeling tired. THAT'S IT- simple as can be. Your job is to set a steady cadence and provide some power to move the canoe. Resist the urge to switch sides if the front of the canoe starts going the wrong direction- that's not your job. A benefit of being in the front is you can gawk at stuff like loons as you go by- just make sure you keep paddling as you enjoy the views all around.

Rear person should normally paddle on the opposite side of the canoe that the front person is paddling on. This helps to go straight normally. Paddle in the same fashion as I described above while trying to match the cadence that the front person is doing (that's their responsibility). Your responsibility is to control the direction the canoe is going. I don't like the word steering. You need to pay attention to the front of the canoe/front person's head in relation to a point in the distance where you are trying to get to. Don't let those 2 focal points diverge too much or else you will be too late to correct the turning of the boat. As soon as you see these points diverging, paddle harder or lighter to compensate. If that doesn't get the front back in line, maybe you need to switch sides. Or maybe tell the person in the front to switch. You are in charge of the boat's direction so that means you have to be the captain of the boat. If you lose control of the boat's direction, you will be forced into now "steering" the boat by ruddering with your paddle. Ruddering causes a lot of wasted energy and should be avoided if possible. Unlike the front person, you cannot afford to gawk at loons and stuff, only quick glances- lest you end up going in circles.

That's it - the very basics of getting somewhere and going straight according to BeaV.

The picture shows this basic good technique.

Well written!

I like the soft manner of switching sides when the person in back says switch or when the bow person gets tired. To minimize the need for talking, we have my wife in the bow choose the switches unless I feel the need for my own muscles or guiding the boat. If we have a big headwind, we might choose to switch every 5 or 10 strokes. But if I was ever saying switch or hut on a frequent basis, neither of us would be having fun.

If you are married 142 years and your wife is the bow paddle...telling them they are paddling wrong is usually a way bad idea. When she switches side then I switch. If she doesn't paddle straight then I just J stroke or whatever necessary. If things get way windy on a lake and I can't keep things straight in the stern I will beg her to paddle on a certain side...
gotta make sure she doesn't see this

do you know kayakers are former canoeists that don't get along? :-)

Happy wife...happy life

I still marvel over your Alaska trip Beav.

Have a great summer

dr bob

Thanks andym and DrBobDerrig. So from your comments, you both seem to be telling me that adding a spouse relationship to the canoe complicates my "simple" plan? Got it. Will add that to my plan just in case...

quote BeaV: "Thanks andym and DrBobDerrig. So from your comments, you both seem to be telling me that adding a spouse relationship to the canoe complicates my "simple" plan? Got it. Will add that to my plan just in case..."

Haha, yes and other we'll say stubborn people. Haha! But yes BeaV, good information. I've actually had to have the bow paddler quit paddling for a moment so I could maneuver properly. Some of us as we grow older have gotten stronger on one side... more like weaker on one side and can't paddle as long on that side. But it's usually longer than most people can paddle on one side so not too big a deal. I like my canoe to be straight as an arrow from point a to point b. Tandem or solo!

My wife is the stern paddler, if I switch sides more frequently than every 20 minutes, I hear the back seat driver saying.
Stick to one side.

Good Advice! Bill Mason makes his basics a little more complicated.
Path of the Paddle: Doubles Basic
I can get from Point A to Point B efficiently, but what he does is art.

When in the bow, I like to put the paddle blade in the water and then watch it drift past my hip, before repeating the process... For some reason, this tends to irritate the heck out of the stern paddler...

Thanks BeaV for the directions, but oh if were only this simple. Most trips I travel with 5-7 other guys. Only one of them knows the way to paddle. The others are all over the page. One guy in the front paddles on one side for a few strokes then switches for two strokes then switches again. Others Lilly dip the paddle causing the group to slow. Others don't know the J stroke. On the first lake you travel is not the time for lessons or advice, makes for a long trip. Others zig-zag all over the lake. It's so bad that I only can paddle with my buddy who knows what's going on in a canoe.

One more facet to the is never, and I mean never correct your Wife on her canoe skills. You will be in for a long day.

A few years ago I had the chance to paddle with my daughter-in-law for a day up in WCCP, now she's a good strong paddler and an even stronger portager. When we got into the canoe my son pulled me aside and said "Dad she will slowly slide to the left side on the canoe so you might need to adjust". Sure enough the longer we fished the more she slid over to the Left, we got along just fine. I told him later "we should have brought some double back tape along", he didn't think that would have been a good idea. FRED

If a person could learn paddling in a scout camp etc where they don't mind yelling at you etc...a person could learn to avoid those bad habits.

I had a pair of newbie scouts start a trip from lake one EP. The river wasn't wide enough to keep them in a straight line. But they got along without accusations and didn't seem to mind paddling 3-4 time further than the rest of us. By the 3-4 day they began to figure it out

But obviously it gets down to relationship and sometimes one has to bite their tongue.

dr bob

I'm in the stern and we are not in a big hurry. I switch when the guy up front switches and I make corrections as needed. No directions back and forth unless there is a big wind. We get along great, but again not in a big hurry, we both like to look at the sights. We go pretty straight unless I need to take a drink but then we get back on course and it is no big deal. If it was HUT - HUT - HUT or switch every ten strokes (counting them) I would not like that, too much like work. We get where we are going OK.
Edit: Also meant to say that BeaV's advice for beginners is great.

quote Big Tent: "I'm in the stern and we are not in a big hurry. I switch when the guy up front switches and I make corrections as needed...."

That's my routine as well. I tell the bow paddler (usually my wife) to switch when they need to and I'll adjust as needed.

i think my daughter in law wasn't impressed by my son in the stern

quote jwartman59: "



i think my daughter in law wasn't impressed by my son in the stern"

One picture is worth a thousand wives in the bow.

quote Savage Voyageur: "
One more facet to the is never, and I mean never correct your Wife on her canoe skills. You will be in for a long day. "

When I WAS married and had to make up some time, I'd sort of agitate things a little and being the hot head she was you could water ski behind us. Lol

"Never correct your wives paddling skills"
My husband and I started paddling together over 30 years ago. He is still alive.

30 years ago we adventured down many rapid filled rivers in a rock magnet canoe. Couples should not do that until they are very comfortable with the other persons paddling skills on flat water and slow moving rivers. Surprisingly he is still alive (yes you can take that 2 different ways!).

this is going way beyond paddling....
:-)

dr bob

quote BeaV: "Thanks andym and DrBobDerrig. So from your comments, you both seem to be telling me that adding a spouse relationship to the canoe complicates my "simple" plan? Got it. Will add that to my plan just in case..."

I actually thought your simple plan was pretty close to what we do.

If your plan was for the stern paddler to call switches on a regular basis then it might be cause for divorce.

or become yakers or SUP-ers
:-)
dr bob

quote jwartman59: "



i think my daughter in law wasn't impressed by my son in the stern"

That's funny :)