Would like to take a class from an instructor on solo canoeing. Specifically from a dedicated solo canoe. I find that the canoe strokes for soloing a tandem canoe don't apply to a real solo canoe. Using the search function people have suggested the ACA, but their website is useless. Type in event by state, MN, and an event for October 12, 2019 in Freeport Maine comes up. Can someone suggest a name or organization that provides this type of training in MN?

What strokes aren't working for you? I've done mostly solo canoeing for the last 35+ years, and offhand can't think of a stroke that works in a tandem paddled solo but not in a solo canoe. Solos are just more responsive, and allow you to paddle closer to the keel line for better efficiency.

It's not organized training but Dan Cook used to post regular Twin Cities paddle get together's. Real good sampling of solos and paddling by BWCA members. Something to watch for when it warms up some. MReid hit the differences on the head.

butthead

Watch this Bill Mason video then, go put your paddle in the water. The water, your paddle and your solo canoe will teach you.

Good luck!

The "Bill Mason Lean", shown in the video referenced above, is limited to tandem canoes paddled solo, so there's the whole spectrum of Mason's techniques that probably don't apply to dedicated solo canoes. If what you've learned is based on Mason's techniques, then there are some differences to take into account. And also, it depends on the type of canoe and seat style--some solo canoes are designed for maneuverability, etc. for freestyle canoeing, with maybe only a thwart, whereas others have tractor-style seats for going fast and sit-and-switch paddling. In general, you don't heel over tripping solo canoes (other than rotating your hips a bit), but many of the solo strokes are the same. Heeled over tandem canoes have a very short waterline, and considerable rocker, so they are very responsive to paddle input. Dedicated solo canoes are designed to be paddled flat (centered), and so respond differently. In general, dedicated solo canoes will be much more efficient going in a straight line. The "lean" is fun to do on flat water, but is not effective when things get more rambunctious.

MReid: "What strokes aren't working for you? I've done mostly solo canoeing for the last 35+ years, and offhand can't think of a stroke that works in a tandem paddled solo but not in a solo canoe. Solos are just more responsive, and allow you to paddle closer to the keel line for better efficiency."

When I paddle my 16 foot prospector backward I can J stroke and get along beautifully. In my 14 foot Phoenix, a J stroke is not enough to keep the force of the stroke from turning you. I have to goon stroke to go straight. When your in the center of the canoe it changes everything.

OCDave: "

MidwestFirecraft: "Would like to take a class from an instructor on solo canoeing. Specifically from a dedicated solo canoe. I find that the canoe strokes for soloing a tandem canoe don't apply to a real solo canoe. Using the search function people have suggested the ACA, but their website is useless. Type in event by state, MN, and an event for October 12, 2019 in Freeport Maine comes up. Can someone suggest a name or organization that provides this type of training in MN?"

Watch this Bill Mason video then, go put your paddle in the water. The water, your paddle and your solo canoe will teach you.


Good Luck"

Dave,
Thanks for the link. Watched it many times. I really like the reading white water video he has. I just find that a true solo where you sit in the middle reacts much differently than a tandem canoe paddled solo.

"When I paddle my 16 foot prospector backward I can J stroke and get along beautifully. In my 14 foot Phoenix, a J stroke is not enough to keep the force of the stroke from turning you. I have to goon stroke to go straight. When your in the center of the canoe it changes everything. "

I think you just need to work on your stroke, and maybe make more of a "c" at the beginning, which brings the bow over to your paddle at the start of the stroke.

MReid: ""

When I paddle my 16 foot prospector backward I can J stroke and get along beautifully. In my 14 foot Phoenix, a J stroke is not enough to keep the force of the stroke from turning you. I have to goon stroke to go straight. When your in the center of the canoe it changes everything. "


I think you just need to work on your stroke, and maybe make more of a "c" at the beginning, which brings the bow over to your paddle at the start of the stroke."

Just so I'm understanding you correctly, like the pitch stroke in Mason's video? this would make sense.

MidwestFirecraft: "

OCDave: "

MidwestFirecraft: "Would like to take a class from an instructor on solo canoeing. Specifically from a dedicated solo canoe. I find that the canoe strokes for soloing a tandem canoe don't apply to a real solo canoe. Using the search function people have suggested the ACA, but their website is useless. Type in event by state, MN, and an event for October 12, 2019 in Freeport Maine comes up. Can someone suggest a name or organization that provides this type of training in MN?"

Watch this Bill Mason video then, go put your paddle in the water. The water, your paddle and your solo canoe will teach you.



Good Luck"

Dave,
Thanks for the link. Watched it many times. I really like the reading white water video he has. I just find that a true solo where you sit in the middle reacts much differently than a tandem canoe paddled solo. "

I'd contend that the strokes are the same. You just need practice to refine how they move your solo boat. Heeled or flat, the strokes are the same.

Yes, I am not sure what happened to the ACA sight. I referred someone to it last year and the list was pretty large. It looks like they only report 2 canoe instructors in MN now.

MidwestFirecraft: "Would like to take a class from an instructor on solo canoeing. Specifically from a dedicated solo canoe. I find that the canoe strokes for soloing a tandem canoe don't apply to a real solo canoe. Using the search function people have suggested the ACA, but their website is useless. Type in event by state, MN, and an event for October 12, 2019 in Freeport Maine comes up. Can someone suggest a name or organization that provides this type of training in MN?"

Where do you live,, roughly? Let's just paddling!!

Kent

Not in MN., but Rutabaga in Madison, WI. gives group as well as private solo lessons for a very reasonable fee. It was worth the drive from Illinois for a private lesson. The solo canoe for the lesson was provided by Rutabega. My instructor sat in the front on the bottom of the canoe, facing me, and talked me through and taught me the various paddle strokes for forward, backward, and side movements, as well as steering the canoe. In a couple of hours I learned and practiced with her in a very relaxed setting. After my lesson, I was able to go home and practice by myself what I had learned from the instructor. It was a very good experience and worth the drive.

Arcola: "

MidwestFirecraft: "Would like to take a class from an instructor on solo canoeing. Specifically from a dedicated solo canoe. I find that the canoe strokes for soloing a tandem canoe don't apply to a real solo canoe. Using the search function people have suggested the ACA, but their website is useless. Type in event by state, MN, and an event for October 12, 2019 in Freeport Maine comes up. Can someone suggest a name or organization that provides this type of training in MN?"

Where do you live,, roughly? Let's just paddling!!"

Mendota Heights

My take on Canoe instruction.
Videos and books are nice introduction, but quality instruction on the water can't be beat; as you will receive constructive criticism on how your form does not meet your intent. practicing the strokes / maneuvers incorrectly builds muscle memory that is hard to break when you realize you have been executing it poorly.

Solo Canoe strokes are similar to tandem strokes in many cases, but there are some solo strokes you will never do in a canoe while paddling tandem; for example the C stroke is for a solo paddled canoe only. Applying power in the forward stroke to far back is easily overlooked in a tandem, but has critical results in a solo canoe. (most common cause of having to do very strong "J" corrections to keep a straight line)

Stokes are often taught in a "pure" form. Canoeing often takes those stokes and nuances them together with other elements to achieve what the paddler wants the canoe to do. I feel it is important to be able to do the strokes pure to know (have the muscle memory) of how the paddle (you) is forcing the hull to do. Instruction and practicing correctly in windless, glassy, and currentless water is the best way to isolate what your paddling is forcing the hull to do. Your paddling efforts get confounded by how you have heeled the canoe, bow to stern trim, the shape of your canoe hull and the momentum (force vectors) leading up to your current paddle stroke.

I hope to do some paddle nights this year. With Karen's cancer and passing this past June I have not been able to give much time to instruction the past 3 years. I have usually done paddle nights on Lake Nokomis, as it seems to be a lake folks can get to easily for a fair number of folks. Informal instruction is free during these "events", often folks boat swap to get a feel of different hulls. If I do I will post times/ places on this message board as well as the Cooke Custom Sewing facebook page. I am planning on being at the Gunflint Trail June event, where informal instruction can take place as well as deadfish polo. I have done private lessons.

I would recommend any of the Freestyle events for those wanting to take their paddling to the next level.
June Freestyle event

DanCooke: "Solo Canoe strokes are similar to tandem strokes in many cases, but there are some solo strokes you will never do in a canoe while paddling tandem; for example the C stroke is for a solo paddled canoe only. Applying power in the forward stroke to far back is easily overlooked in a tandem, but has critical results in a solo canoe. (most common cause of having to do very strong "J" corrections to keep a straight line)"

Thank you for your detailed response. I pull the forward stroke pretty far back so I would imagine this is a large part of my problem. I will study the c stroke this winter. Will keep an eager eye out for the Nokomis opportunity.

I went to using a yak paddle for most of my Solo canoeing.

riverrunner: "I went to using a yak paddle for most of my Solo canoeing. "

+1 Could never seem to get the "C" stroke perfected, and the constant need to switch sides grew tiresome.

Now with the kayak paddle straight line travel is no problem and control in wind and waves is MUCH easier. I only use a regular paddle when going downstream or in tight quarters.

There are several good threads on kayak paddle technique and utility. Main thing is to raise paddle at a much lower angle to avoid water dripping into the boat and use a fairly long paddle. Mine is a full 8 feet but breaks in half when portaging.

Solo Canoeing a tandem Canadian Style uses the same strokes as you use in a dedicated solo but in a dedicated solo you also can use cross strokes.

The forward stroke is the same. The C stroke counters the yaw you generate when you start up from a standstill. It is hardly ever used when underway; its dropped by the third stroke. As the pivot point moves forward underway there is no need for it.

There is a Wisconsin Canoe Symposium in June.. Open to all levels solo and tandem you will find most paddlers there have dedicated solo boats. Instruction has a better pay back than videos. While you might have memorized the video often students are not actually doing what they think they are doing. And try taking a book on the lake... not productive either.

One of the follies of the forward stroke is the tendency to pull the blade as far back of your hip as you can.. The old days of long and slow.. This is always a sweep stroke.. Biomechanically you cannot avoid a sweep once the blade gets in back of your hip.. So with the generation of a sweep you have to do a hard J or rudder to break that yaw. Too much work.. Better to avoid the sweep and paddle in front of you. This really negates yaw and makes a little J only needed every few strokes,

Wisconsin Canoe Symposium

gkimball: "

riverrunner: "I went to using a yak paddle for most of my Solo canoeing. "

+1 Could never seem to get the "C" stroke perfected, and the constant need to switch sides grew tiresome.


Now with the kayak paddle straight line travel is no problem and control in wind and waves is MUCH easier. I only use a regular paddle when going downstream or in tight quarters.


There are several good threads on kayak paddle technique and utility. Main thing is to raise paddle at a much lower angle to avoid water dripping into the boat and use a fairly long paddle. Mine is a full 8 feet but breaks in half when portaging.




align="left" > "

Purchased a 260 cm double blade, wish I went with the 280, but I kept up with the tandem canoes from Lake 1 to Insula.

yellowcanoe: "One of the follies of the forward stroke is the tendency to pull the blade as far back of your hip as you can.. The old days of long and slow.. This is always a sweep stroke.. Biomechanically you cannot avoid a sweep once the blade gets in back of your hip.. So with the generation of a sweep you have to do a hard J or rudder to break that yaw. Too much work.. Better to avoid the sweep and paddle in front of you. This really negates yaw and makes a little J only needed every few strokes,A HREF="http://freestylecanoeing.com/wisconsin-canoe-symposium/" TARGET="_blank">Wisconsin Canoe Symposium "

Dan mentioned that as well, and I know I am guilty of it. As you both mentioned I would love to have an instructor teach and correct before I develop these bad habits. Surprising no instructors in the Twin Cities area. Thank you for your reply.

I was a certified ACA Freestyle instructor, but let it lapse during Karen's cancer treatments. In Lino Lakes on the north side of the Metro.
It often is a hard sell to have folks take canoe instruction. I was in my mid 30's before taking professional instruction. It was only then did I realize how much I did not know about canoeing, even though I had read all the books worked as a guide in the BWCA, taught paddling to camper and clients.
My first freestyle symposium, my instructor (Bob Mann) was very patient as I was often in the water after testing my limits. I feel the professional instruction has deepened my enjoyment of paddling greatly.

MidwestFirecraft: "Would like to take a class from an instructor on solo canoeing. Specifically from a dedicated solo canoe. I find that the canoe strokes for soloing a tandem canoe don't apply to a real solo canoe. Using the search function people have suggested the ACA, but their website is useless. Type in event by state, MN, and an event for October 12, 2019 in Freeport Maine comes up. Can someone suggest a name or organization that provides this type of training in MN?"

You might want to checkout the Wisconsin Canoe Symposium. $100 for 3 days of instruction, reasonable housing and food options. Over the 3 days you work with 3 different instructors which I found useful since you hear and see the same thing 3 different ways and maybe 1 time it sticks. I find a lot of the freestyle demo videos off-putting - kind of like Olympic figure skating competitions. But the basic classes are focused on technique, not performing for a crowd.

Classes are kept small, I think 5 or fewer. I attended the Midwest one last year and feel it was worthwhile. A lot of the techniques really shine when you kneel, but I can't kneel. None of the instructors pushed me to kneel, they worked with what I could do and helped me find variations when my shoulder couldn't do certain things. Real life applications, which was my goal.

There are also 2 instructors listed in WI (one of whom is Dan Cooke).

http://freestylecanoeing.com/wisconsin-canoe-symposium/

http://freestylecanoeing.com/find-a-freestyle-instructor/

DanCooke: " In Lino Lakes on the north side of the Metro.
It often is a hard sell to have folks take canoe instruction."

You've sold me. If you have a private lesson left in you I would be more than happy to drive to the North Metro and pay for instruction.

arm2008: "

MidwestFirecraft: "Would like to take a class from an instructor on solo canoeing. Specifically from a dedicated solo canoe. I find that the canoe strokes for soloing a tandem canoe don't apply to a real solo canoe. Using the search function people have suggested the ACA, but their website is useless. Type in event by state, MN, and an event for October 12, 2019 in Freeport Maine comes up. Can someone suggest a name or organization that provides this type of training in MN?"

You might want to checkout the Wisconsin Canoe Symposium. $100 for 3 days of instruction, reasonable housing and food options. Over the 3 days you work with 3 different instructors which I found useful since you hear and see the same thing 3 different ways and maybe 1 time it sticks. I find a lot of the freestyle demo videos off-putting - kind of like Olympic figure skating competitions. But the basic classes are focused on technique, not performing for a crowd.


Classes are kept small, I think 5 or fewer. I attended the Midwest one last year and feel it was worthwhile. A lot of the techniques really shine when you kneel, but I can't kneel. None of the instructors pushed me to kneel, they worked with what I could do and helped me find variations when my shoulder couldn't do certain things. Real life applications, which was my goal.


There are also 2 instructors listed in WI (one of whom is Dan Cooke).


http://freestylecanoeing.com/wisconsin-canoe-symposium/


http://freestylecanoeing.com/find-a-freestyle-instructor/ "

Thank you for the links. I only wish it was in July when my family will be in the Dells for a week. It's not the money but the time to drive 4 hours to WI for 3 days. I am in construction and that is the time I make hay, so would really like to find someone local in MN.

MidwestFirecraft: "

arm2008: "

MidwestFirecraft: "Would like to take a class from an instructor on solo canoeing. Specifically from a dedicated solo canoe. I find that the canoe strokes for soloing a tandem canoe don't apply to a real solo canoe. Using the search function people have suggested the ACA, but their website is useless. Type in event by state, MN, and an event for October 12, 2019 in Freeport Maine comes up. Can someone suggest a name or organization that provides this type of training in MN?"

You might want to checkout the Wisconsin Canoe Symposium. $100 for 3 days of instruction, reasonable housing and food options. Over the 3 days you work with 3 different instructors which I found useful since you hear and see the same thing 3 different ways and maybe 1 time it sticks. I find a lot of the freestyle demo videos off-putting - kind of like Olympic figure skating competitions. But the basic classes are focused on technique, not performing for a crowd.



Classes are kept small, I think 5 or fewer. I attended the Midwest one last year and feel it was worthwhile. A lot of the techniques really shine when you kneel, but I can't kneel. None of the instructors pushed me to kneel, they worked with what I could do and helped me find variations when my shoulder couldn't do certain things. Real life applications, which was my goal.



There are also 2 instructors listed in WI (one of whom is Dan Cooke).



http://freestylecanoeing.com/wisconsin-canoe-symposium/



http://freestylecanoeing.com/find-a-freestyle-instructor/ "

Thank you for the links. I only wish it was in July when my family will be in the Dells for a week. It's not the money but the time to drive 4 hours to WI for 3 days. I am in construction and that is the time I make hay, so would really like to find someone local in MN."

It's hard to come up with a schedule that fits for all.. There are not that many canoe instructors and the ones at these events often have a sixteen or more hour drive to teach. There are other events in New York and New Jersey and Ohio so you see they are widely scattered.

But if you can drive four hours for a day or two , you need not attend all three days.

I took a basic ACA two-day course in Iowa ($50) a few years back, sponsored by DNR guys who were also ACA certified instructors... and mainly for younger folks (naturalist-instructors from various counties). They looked at me a little bit like, what are you doing here; but they were able to help me on technique... Never too old and still learning. I think they only advertised a bit, maybe via the Iowa DNR site.

MidwestFirecraft Please Shoot me your email and I can send private lesson information. dancooke@cookecustomsewing.com

I think if you can get instruction from Dan Cooke that would be great.

The Minnesota canoe association has regular rookie sessions on Monday evenings as soon as it's spring.
Look at

Minnesota canoe association.

They have a group called rookie racers, which meets Monday evenings either at Cedar Lake or the river by the U of M. This is a group that does the marathon canoe race stroke, which is efficient. You could do the first visit in a tandem, to meet others and then bring your solo. This is how I learned, and I really enjoy all of it.

there is also a mncanoe facebook page.

MN canoe facebook

Hope this helps. As the season starts the group also gets together for informal paddles somewhere in the twin cities. There are lots of options.

You could try Jeff Pilgrim. He is in the Rochester area.
Hope you find something that works for you

I am going to get set up with Dan when his schedule permits during paddling season. Could not be more excited! Thanks for everyone's input.

http://www.pilgrimpaddles.com

https://rapidsriders.org/training

Very cool!

Freestylecanoe.com has a list of instructors by state. Dan is on there