So I have eleven grand kids of various ages, from 0 to 10, who need to canoe and camp. And in two or three years, BWCA canoe/camp. Most of them are girls, but that makes no difference to me. We have started the older two in the front of our tandem canoes paddling the chain of lakes at Hartman Creek SP in Wisconsin. They will soon be ready for the two of them to tandem those small lakes.

What small tandem canoes should I be looking for beginner 10 year olds? No camping, just warm weather day paddling. Something durable to last thru all the kids, but not so heavy that two cannot carry it.

Thanks.

Based on your criteria, I'd suggest something in the 15-16 foot range. Wenonah has the 15' Heron, the 16' Adirondack, and the 16' Aurora. The Aurora might have more depth than is required for the potential load and use, so the other two might be more appropriate. The Heron is 50 pounds in the heaviest layup.

If you find a Royalex Wenonah Adirondack, I think that might be a good one.

The Adirondack in a lighter weight is interesting.

The Heron is also....

Would the no rocker straight(er) tracking of the Adirondack make learning easier or tougher?

Also, should they learn on a straight paddle or bent shaft? They are using bent shaft now in the front of our tandems, but by themselves in their tandem what should they start off with?

HowardSprague: "If you find a Royalex Wenonah Adirondack, I think that might be a good one. "

I'm with Howie on this one, at least in that general type of boat. Both Royalex (and it's newer version) are durable and can take the 'abuse' of a bunch of kids having fun as well as anything on the market. Paddling is good, weight is so-so (a 16 footer probably in the 60# range) and it's just a durable material. There's a reason that Royalex-type canoes are the dominant rental canoes on local lakes and rivers.

Here is something that is a bit unusual, in my opinion, but might be good for you to investigate:
Nova Craft Teddy 12' Kids

That Teddy looks like a practical durable just-right-for-kids boat.

I will have to adjust my thinking a bit. Right now I have couple Hemlocks, a Bell and a Willits. A plastic boat is, ah, well, the Teddy looks like a good indestructible choice.

I will give another shot out to the 16' Adirondack. I love my royalex Adirondack. I take it on family camping trips all the time and kids do great in it.

johnhh: "Would the no rocker straight(er) tracking of the Adirondack make learning easier or tougher?

Also, should they learn on a straight paddle or bent shaft? They are using bent shaft now in the front of our tandems, but by themselves in their tandem what should they start off with?"

Good questions. Should you think about making it easier to turn or to paddle in a straight line? I don't know. Maybe the differences would be too subtle to worry about. Folks who have taught lots of kids might have a definite opinion.

As for the paddle design, I've wanted paddles that are properly sized for kids rather than worrying about whether they are bent- or straight-shaft. For novices, my guess would be that corrective strokes would be easier to learn with straight-shaft paddles. A straight shaft would eliminate one extra complication. For myself, I've found that pry strokes, for instance, are more difficult and less effective with a bent shaft.

The best tandem for two young girls may be a solo. I remember putting my two young nieces in my Wenonah Rendezvous and they just knelt on the floor and took off like a bullet and were doing just fine almost immediately with just a few pointers. If one of your Hemlocks is a Peregrine let them try it. Or get a Swift Shearwater which can handle up to 320 pounds and is a friendly boat that will handily outrun any tandem. Giving them a boat with some performance that also matches their weight range may well make it more fun for them since they may enjoy watching you struggle to keep up.

I had not considered just dropping them into a solo.

I will give that a try.

I have both the Kestrel and the Peregrine. I was talking to Dave today about the Eaglet. (I do like the Hemlock boats)

If you look carefully, the Teddy is their Trapper 12' solo with two seats installed. The specs are identical. The Teddy/Trapper and Eaglet are a bit wider than the Kestrel and Peregrine. That might be good as a tandem for kids. It would be interesting to hear what Dave at Hemlock says about that.

johnhh: "I had not considered just dropping them into a solo.


I will give that a try.


I have both the Kestrel and the Peregrine. I was talking to Dave today about the Eaglet. (I do like the Hemlock boats)"

I'm a huge fan of Dave Curtis and I think the quality of all of his boats is top notch. I don't own any of his boats at the moment but I had Peregrine, Kestrel, Eaglet and SRT in the past. I wanted to love the Eaglet especially since it was the prettiest and best made 15 I've ever seen and I loved the three seat lay-out with no extra thwarts...but for me the boat was just too stubborn to turn. Peregrine was my favorite and I'd like to get another some day. I had the first Kevlar Peregrine. When you drop a couple of your little girls in your Peregrine I hope you tell us about it. I'm willing to get a dollar that it will work out well. Knowing Dave I'd bet another dollar that he'd outfit another one as a tandem for you or ask Conk to send you bow and stern seats for the one you already have. In my experience the Eaglet is very friendly and stable (and light and strong), just stubborn to turn and nowhere near a Peregrine for cruising efficiency. Much as I love Dave I'd personally favor a Colden Starfire in a 15 foot light tandem or a used Swift Otter if you can find one.

johnhh: "So I have eleven grand kids of various ages, from 0 to 10, who need to canoe and camp. And in two or three years, BWCA canoe/camp. Most of them are girls, but that makes no difference to me. We have started the older two in the front of our tandem canoes paddling the chain of lakes at Hartman Creek SP in Wisconsin. They will soon be ready for the two of them to tandem those small lakes.

What small tandem canoes should I be looking for beginner 10 year olds? No camping, just warm weather day paddling. Something durable to last thru all the kids, but not so heavy that two cannot carry it.

Thanks."

Anything. They'll figure it out.

Our family canoe was a 17' Alumacraft. I /we used it for canoeig, fishing, camping, and canoe camping. Once on my own, I got a Sears fiberglass 15'. They're all good. Get them on the water. They will develop skills and from there decide what canoe they want.