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Exactly. There is grace and beauty dancing with the river and the boat and a partner you are in tune with.
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Happy Winter Solstice! 🌇🌃
How did you learn?
- Thread starter Gamma1214
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I taught myself as a kid. I knew no one who canoed, so I just did things as they felt correct, mostly wrong. I tripped green in the Everglades and was lucky to live through it, but I didn’t know at the time. Eventually, I learned better, but by no means an expert. I get from point A to point B relatively well, and I’ve learned a lot late in life. I’d love to help a child in similar circumstances, but haven’t found an opportunity.
My Dad bought an old livery canoe (no name, aluminum, about two tons) when I was a kid. He taught me what he could, and was quite patient when he wanted to fish, but let me “steer.” He got pushed into the bank and snags a lot, and more so when the wind was doing anything. But he was patient, mostly, and I learned. Then I started taking some guided trips, and the guides could offer suggestions—many were ACA certified, and actually offered good instruction. A week or two ago, I did a guided canoe trip near Big Bend National Park. Guided trips are nice. I travel alone, and this way I don’t need worry about shuttles or loading and unloading canoes, and you usually get to do a reasonable distance, etc.. But it did, once again, bring home the point that sterning a canoe is not apparently intuitive or easy. This was at least the third time that I have (stupidly) listened to the person I was paired with, who had been on numerous canoeing adventures. Since he had much experience, I asked if he wanted the stern. He gave a resounding, “Yes.” I will never, ever, ever do that again. I will camp in the stern. I will beat anyone who comes close with the paddle. I may not win, but I’ll go down swinging. We were on the Rio Grand, and my sternsman plowed me into the clay bank of Mexico and then the US and then Mexico and then the US. I have felt the shudder of a boat moseying along, and then STOPPED instantly, me in the brushy overhang. I remember approaching a bend, and thinking, “why isn’t he turning?” That’s when I heard the tell tale crinkle of a granola bar being opened (with both hands). Good grief. It’s harder to steer from the bow, but I usually can. That experience will make it so much easier when I get to the stern.
Teddy Roosevelt went up San Juan Hill. Pringles shall take the stern!
We weren’t the worst canoe, though. One couple went through the second rapid/tight spot backwards. It was delightful to watch them, paddles hovering above the water, heads on swivels, float quickly through the tight spot, and end by thunking stern first, into the clay bank of Mexico. Now that I think about it, they were the ones that, when we first put in, asked which way we were going. Downstream?
Teddy Roosevelt went up San Juan Hill. Pringles shall take the stern!
We weren’t the worst canoe, though. One couple went through the second rapid/tight spot backwards. It was delightful to watch them, paddles hovering above the water, heads on swivels, float quickly through the tight spot, and end by thunking stern first, into the clay bank of Mexico. Now that I think about it, they were the ones that, when we first put in, asked which way we were going. Downstream?
I did. We didn’t even get wet, it’s just that canoeing can be so graceful and peaceful. Going “thunk” from bank to bank was neither. Learning occurred, however.
I learned to canoe in high school in the late 1960s. My high school was beside a river and the school had a canoe livery on the river with a lot of Grumman Canoes. We learned to canoe in gym class and canoed everyday for about a month or longer (weather permitting) in the fall. After we learned some basic strokes and were comfortable in the canoes, then we were allowed to have water battles with the canoes. I probably learned more about balance in a canoe from those water battles than anything else. After I graduated from high school in 1969 and went to college, my college had a canoe livery on the same river about 10 miles downstream. So I signed up for the canoe class. We weren't allowed to have water battles in college. I bought my first canoe in 1975..
Guess I taught myself as a kid. Even running rapids, learning to read the river through experience.
Paddling isn’t rocket surgery so with experience you learn what works, what feels right, etc. It was only recently that I started watching YouTube and reading on this topic and learned these strokes had names and some people take this this stuff way more serious than I do.
I’ve never endeavored to get a phd in paddling.
Paddling isn’t rocket surgery so with experience you learn what works, what feels right, etc. It was only recently that I started watching YouTube and reading on this topic and learned these strokes had names and some people take this this stuff way more serious than I do.
I’ve never endeavored to get a phd in paddling.
After every capsize or near miss I want to know exactly what happened so I don't do it again.
On a trip on the Willamette River in Oregon we had a group of 8. We had a capsize with a week's load of gear on the one bad spot on the 80 mile trip. We threw rescue ropes and recovered the 2 paddlers and their gear. Later we went back and looked at the spot. I was in amazement, that most people in the group could not see how dangerous the post was due to the sweepers in the run out. I never paddled with those people again.
On a trip on the Willamette River in Oregon we had a group of 8. We had a capsize with a week's load of gear on the one bad spot on the 80 mile trip. We threw rescue ropes and recovered the 2 paddlers and their gear. Later we went back and looked at the spot. I was in amazement, that most people in the group could not see how dangerous the post was due to the sweepers in the run out. I never paddled with those people again.
This is a good thread Resurrection.
Started in the swimming pool with a sevlar inflatable canoe when I was two. That was just indoctrination. Then in my teens we move to a lake and I somehow came across a Mad River catalog. Then The Red Cross canoeing book.
My first real whitewater was when I went away to college, and got thoroughly thrashed on the Chattooga River. After that I decided I better learn what I was doing or stop. So I took a kayaking class. It was awesome, getting to practice rolls and play water polo twice a week.
After college I got in with a paddling club. The club was great because I got in with folks who really knew what they were doing, and really encouraged me to practice. I still try to make myself practice self-rescue and a few other skills I get rusty on.
Started in the swimming pool with a sevlar inflatable canoe when I was two. That was just indoctrination. Then in my teens we move to a lake and I somehow came across a Mad River catalog. Then The Red Cross canoeing book.
My first real whitewater was when I went away to college, and got thoroughly thrashed on the Chattooga River. After that I decided I better learn what I was doing or stop. So I took a kayaking class. It was awesome, getting to practice rolls and play water polo twice a week.
After college I got in with a paddling club. The club was great because I got in with folks who really knew what they were doing, and really encouraged me to practice. I still try to make myself practice self-rescue and a few other skills I get rusty on.
That is pretty much the methodology I have used for learning on all of my backcountry trips, both canoeing and deep wood backpacking. Make a non-fatal mistake, recognize it early and learn from it, and never let it happen again. That methodology of learning from mistakes applies especially well to learning and effecting precision backcountry land navigation, which I have taught to scouts and SAR teams for more that 30 years.
Regarding learning canoeing, it was pretty much self-taught, going out and just doing it, beginning in my own early days of boy scout camp. Eventually I learned from masters in one form or another. I remember I often said to myself, "hey, I've already been doing that" with some stroke or form. I met one of those guys while training guides (Caleb Davis) at an annual BSA high adventure program we both instructed and I did later take a formal course from him at his NH training pond.
Here is Caleb's training video on Youtube.
At 18, a friend and I rented an aluminum Grumman in Long Lake and did the Raquette River to Tupper Lake. You name it, we probably did it wrong (too much gear, clothing, food, beverages etc.). We really paid the price on the carry around Raquette Falls, which we became very familiar with because of the number of times we had to walk it. We dealt with some heavy rain and cold temps. Despite all that, we were hooked; we enjoyed subsequent trips on the Oswegatchie, the Saranacs, Old Forge to Long Lake, the Allagash and LaVerendrye that helped us get better at it. Whenever I paddle those routes, they bring back fond memories.
Started out as a kid paddling bow only. Didn't learn much that way.
Borrowed a canoe a few times as a young adult and paddled stern. Didn't learn much that way either.
Bought a used whitewater canoe when I was in my mid 30's and read books and watched videos. Paddled stern and solo. Learned something but still felt like I was a real novice.
A couple years later I took a two day whitewater class (paddling solo) and learned a LOT.
Bought a fast solo canoe and attended a local racing workshop one afternoon. Learned how to use a bent shaft paddle. Learned a lot more.
A couple of decades later and I attended a three day freestyle symposium and finally felt like l could paddle a canoe. But still learning, always learning...
Borrowed a canoe a few times as a young adult and paddled stern. Didn't learn much that way either.
Bought a used whitewater canoe when I was in my mid 30's and read books and watched videos. Paddled stern and solo. Learned something but still felt like I was a real novice.
A couple years later I took a two day whitewater class (paddling solo) and learned a LOT.
Bought a fast solo canoe and attended a local racing workshop one afternoon. Learned how to use a bent shaft paddle. Learned a lot more.
A couple of decades later and I attended a three day freestyle symposium and finally felt like l could paddle a canoe. But still learning, always learning...
My first canoe was a 17' Grumman, in the "lightweight" thin skin model that was available at the time. it worked great for family Adirondack trips with wife, two small kids, and a dog for camping trips of a few days at a time. i learned much from handling that canoe then. Our favorite water was a large long reservoir (Stillwater) that happened to be aligned with prevailing winds. I had no choice but to develop enough skill to handle maneuvering the beast in the wind. Soon I began to do solo trips with it on that same reservoir with gear and dog as ballast trim (placement of bow seat and thwart prevents "paddling backwards" from the bow seat), and had to figure out how to effectively paddle it to handle it in that mode. I spent more than one extra night windbound on the far end, unable to get back to the landing and car. I would build in an extra day to my planned return so my wife would not panic.
Boy Scouts for the basics. Reading books for the rest of the paddling stuff. My backcountry skills come out of a lot of mountain climbing. My only water related classwork is a swiftwater rescue course. I was a raft guide for a couple years.
Been canoeing since I was a kid and just figured it out. Always been intuitive to me.
Only in the last few years I got more active with canoeing and started studying it. Watched some YouTube videos and learned all these strokes had names.
I can make the canoe do what I want but I’m humbled seeing the mastery some have accomplished. I’m actually watching a Bill Mason video in YouTube right now and seeing what he does makes me look like an amateur.
Only in the last few years I got more active with canoeing and started studying it. Watched some YouTube videos and learned all these strokes had names.
I can make the canoe do what I want but I’m humbled seeing the mastery some have accomplished. I’m actually watching a Bill Mason video in YouTube right now and seeing what he does makes me look like an amateur.
Boy Scout camp. and I got my merit badge.
Then about 12 years later I got my first boat, a whitewater decked C-1 and started paddling whitewater with a group of friends. They had kayaks. They had two blades, I had one. My canoe would spin on a dime, going straight was tough. I guess you could say that I had a steep learning curve (with some creeks steeper than others), sink or swim and I did swim. I pretty much learned through trial and error as to what worked and what didn't. I did figure out how to roll though! I think it was a cartoon in one of William (not Bill) Nealy's books that showed me how to get a C-1 back upright.
Then about 12 years later I got my first boat, a whitewater decked C-1 and started paddling whitewater with a group of friends. They had kayaks. They had two blades, I had one. My canoe would spin on a dime, going straight was tough. I guess you could say that I had a steep learning curve (with some creeks steeper than others), sink or swim and I did swim. I pretty much learned through trial and error as to what worked and what didn't. I did figure out how to roll though! I think it was a cartoon in one of William (not Bill) Nealy's books that showed me how to get a C-1 back upright.
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I'm still trying to learn.
I'm still learning as well but stumbled upon some 80's vintage movies that were very instructive. I am treating them as gospel.
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I have been hydrophobic for a good part of my life and have avoided any kind of activities in water. It was only recently that I took a proactive measure to rid my fear and started learning swimming. It was not until my South East Asia trip that I confidently started jumping into open waters and learnt to keep myself safe. With the fear of water gone, I went kayaking in Vietnam and Laos - fell in love with the activity and started putting in multiple hours into it, and that's how I learnt a bit of paddling. Of course there's a huge difference between a kayak and canoe paddle. But since the question is about paddling, I shared my experience.
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