BWCA Kids along for the canoe ride - any of you ever go for a swim? Boundary Waters Listening Point - General Discussion
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      Kids along for the canoe ride - any of you ever go for a swim?     

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12/02/2022 07:54PM  
I always love seeing kids along for the canoe ride. But always wondered seeing huge kids to little kids. It takes control and training and maybe luck. I wonder if any of you kid trippers took a dip into the lake with a swamped canoe when like the kid sees a duck or loon or decides to streches his or her legs? Just curious.

Yes, this is shameless plagiarism from Pinetree's post :)
 
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straighthairedcurly
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12/02/2022 09:03PM  
Yep, campers who decided to have a splash battle using paddles, lost control of the canoe, rammed another canoe, and flipped over. Fortunately I wasn't in either of those boats.
 
paddlefamily
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12/02/2022 10:32PM  
We started taking our kids to the BW as toddlers - they're now in their early twenties. We usually went 1-3x per year and thankfully never dumped with them (nor did they dump together). However when they were teens they'd take the canoe out from camp and dry to dump it if we were in a quiet bay on a calm day (with pfd's of course). As a result they got to practice righting the boat and climb back into it. Good times and actually good skill building.

 
12/03/2022 02:56AM  
Plagiarism perhaps, prettypaddle, but a fun & interesting thread! I've only observed one dumping incident involving kids. Our Boy Scout group of nine was traveling three/canoe. At a portage landing, the bow paddler stepped out of the canoe, held the canoe, and the stern paddler stepped out of the canoe into water well over his head! He grabbed the gunwale on his way under, flipping the canoe and dumping packs, paddles, and the unsuspecting kid riding 'garbage' position. Fortunately no one was hurt and no gear was lost, making it a laughing/learning opportunity.

TZ
 
KawnipiKid
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12/03/2022 09:08AM  

Once with boys then about 7 and 9 fishing with me in the stern. Warm and calm near the camp and without gear except fishing stuff and everyone in a pfd. The young one hooked a fighter and despite my call for calm, we were dumped as the fish surfaced next to the boat, the young one jumped and older brother lunged with the net. Once in the lake, the boys were great; calm and stayed with the boat. The best part in retrospect was that their mother was bathing while we were out, heard us, and ran around the point naked except water shoes, jumped in and joined us faster than anyone should be able to swim. Pure maternal reaction.
 
EddyTurn
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12/03/2022 10:33AM  
My elder one took plenty of dumps when he was a kid, not on flatwater trips though, but in the rapids - with me and alone. We took our first whitewater rescue clinic when he was 13. Experience brings safety.
 
12/03/2022 07:03PM  
Never dumped a canoe but once one of our kids at 2 leaned to far over and fell in. It was a hot day and they had on a pdf so we just grabbed the handle and brought them back in.
 
12/03/2022 07:53PM  
Never happened to us... but we took a lot of extra precautions with kids a long. Canoes were also more the stable variety.
 
12/04/2022 10:26AM  
Never happened except intentionally. All the family kids I paddle with get a session of swamping the canoe just to see what it takes and how it feels. I do this after they are comfortable playing in deeper water wearing a PFD on a warm summer day. Usually they are 3-4 YO. The session ends up being lots of fun playing with the swamped canoe until all are about exhausted.
 
12/05/2022 07:19AM  
sedges: "Never happened except intentionally. All the family kids I paddle with get a session of swamping the canoe just to see what it takes and how it feels. I do this after they are comfortable playing in deeper water wearing a PFD on a warm summer day. Usually they are 3-4 YO. The session ends up being lots of fun playing with the swamped canoe until all are about exhausted."


I have also swamped the canoe on purpose just so they know how it feels and what it entails. I have never flipped on accident yet with or without kids thankfully.
 
12/05/2022 10:28AM  
Nope, but I have had a dog that would jump out after ducks and whatever else it wanted to get close to. Annie the golden retreiver was better on winter trips than summer trips.

All of the kiddos that I have taken on trips have stayed put.
 
missmolly
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12/05/2022 10:42AM  
paddlefamily: "We started taking our kids to the BW as toddlers - they're now in their early twenties. We usually went 1-3x per year and thankfully never dumped with them (nor did they dump together). However when they were teens they'd take the canoe out from camp and dry to dump it if we were in a quiet bay on a calm day (with pfd's of course). As a result they got to practice righting the boat and climb back into it. Good times and actually good skill building.

"


I love your pics.
 
ockycamper
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12/09/2022 06:51PM  
Never dumped the canoe. Those in our group that did fell in to two camps:

One guy took out a tandem, paddling from the rear position when there was wind and some waves. He got caught by the wind and went in.

Another guy has dumped several times. He brings a thick seat cushion to sit on (raising his center of gravity), and "wiggles" around a lot in a canoe.

 
12/20/2022 01:28PM  
KawnipiKid: "
Once with boys then about 7 and 9 fishing with me in the stern. Warm and calm near the camp and without gear except fishing stuff and everyone in a pfd. The young one hooked a fighter and despite my call for calm, we were dumped as the fish surfaced next to the boat, the young one jumped and older brother lunged with the net. Once in the lake, the boys were great; calm and stayed with the boat. The best part in retrospect was that their mother was bathing while we were out, heard us, and ran around the point naked except water shoes, jumped in and joined us faster than anyone should be able to swim. Pure maternal reaction. "


I read this at least three times and laughed out loud every time - doing it again now. What a memory for all!! But did you get to keep the fish?
 
12/20/2022 01:28PM  
Nope kids never caused the boat to tip. They have more balance than adults I think and just naturally adjust themselves. Of course while loaded, we're pretty stable and kids can climb all over packs from front to back without incident.
 
KawnipiKid
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12/20/2022 05:27PM  
BWPaddler: "
KawnipiKid: "
Once with boys then about 7 and 9 fishing with me in the stern. Warm and calm near the camp and without gear except fishing stuff and everyone in a pfd. The young one hooked a fighter and despite my call for calm, we were dumped as the fish surfaced next to the boat, the young one jumped and older brother lunged with the net. Once in the lake, the boys were great; calm and stayed with the boat. The best part in retrospect was that their mother was bathing while we were out, heard us, and ran around the point naked except water shoes, jumped in and joined us faster than anyone should be able to swim. Pure maternal reaction. "



I read this at least three times and laughed out loud every time - doing it again now. What a memory for all!! But did you get to keep the fish?"


Thanks, BWPaddler!! No, the fish and rod were both lost. I remember that it bothered me more that the fish might not have gotten off the hook than it did losing the rod or accidentally leaving a "trace."

After the kids were asleep, I tried to joke with my wife about the benefits of a naked rescue. That was pretty clearly an error in judgement on my part. I maybe should have waited a few days or years. The 7 year old later sheepishly asked me if grandpa (my father) could take them fishing sometime since he “knows how to fish.” The boys are now 31 and 33 and are both great paddlers and fishermen who love canoe country.
 
12/23/2022 12:19PM  
KawnipiKid: "
BWPaddler: "
KawnipiKid: "
Once with boys then about 7 and 9 fishing with me in the stern. Warm and calm near the camp and without gear except fishing stuff and everyone in a pfd. The young one hooked a fighter and despite my call for calm, we were dumped as the fish surfaced next to the boat, the young one jumped and older brother lunged with the net. Once in the lake, the boys were great; calm and stayed with the boat. The best part in retrospect was that their mother was bathing while we were out, heard us, and ran around the point naked except water shoes, jumped in and joined us faster than anyone should be able to swim. Pure maternal reaction. "




I read this at least three times and laughed out loud every time - doing it again now. What a memory for all!! But did you get to keep the fish?"



Thanks, BWPaddler!! No, the fish and rod were both lost. I remember that it bothered me more that the fish might not have gotten off the hook than it did losing the rod or accidentally leaving a "trace."


After the kids were asleep, I tried to joke with my wife about the benefits of a naked rescue. That was pretty clearly an error in judgement on my part. I maybe should have waited a few days or years. The 7 year old later sheepishly asked me if grandpa (my father) could take them fishing sometime since he “knows how to fish.” The boys are now 31 and 33 and are both great paddlers and fishermen who love canoe country. "


My kids would have told your wife to say "too soon!" Love the family legends that get told and re-told, bringing smiles every time!
 
12/25/2022 08:52AM  
Luckily never.
For 8 years starting at ages 4 and 2 the ducklings sat together in the 3rd seat of our SR Q18.5. We called it the family truckster. They could climb up to mom and back in that thing with out any problems. I’ve also padded tandem with one of them in the bow starting when they were each 5 in smaller canoes.
 
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