Getting Started With Canoeing
Canoeing is an experience that is usually extremely peaceful and pleasant for most people and can be something that becomes a life long hobby for many people that fall in love with this incredible outdoor activity their first time on the water. However there are a few things that you are going to have to keep in mind before getting right out on the river and paddling. The best thing to do is make sure that you review some of the basics of canoeing to get you started or just to familiarize yourself before taking a trip.
Some of the first things that you should be considering are safety tips of canoeing. Although the risks of your canoeing trip will ultimately depend on what type of waters you decide to go paddling, there are still many safety factors that you are going to want to keep in mind.
When getting into your canoe, have someone hold the canoe steady in order to make sure that it doesn’t tip when getting in. Make sure to crouch low and keep your knees bent and hold onto the canoe until you are seated safely. To keep the canoe from rocking or tipping when walking in the canoe, you should always keep your feet centered in the canoe and walk slowly and carefully. Once you have left shore its important to make sure to not stand up especially when people are paddling, however you should not be standing up at all once in the water. No matter what the conditions of the water you are in there is always the possibility of tipping the canoe over. This is the reason that you will always want to make sure that you have all of the proper safety gear when paddling. Of course the essentials for canoeing will be a certified life jacket that has been properly fit for you. You will also want to make sure that you have an extra paddle in your canoe in case you happen to lose one for whatever reason while paddling. You will also want to have a first aid kit in case someone is need of medical attention. There may be other things that you will want bring with you on your trip depending on the waters you are planning on paddling in. The best thing that you can do is get recommendations by locals that have paddled in the waters before and know what the best things to bring would be.
One thing that you may want to consider is getting a waterproof bag for whatever equipment you need to keep dry. Although you may be paddling in calm waters you are still probably going to have the odd bit of water splash into your canoe. This is the reason that any items that must be kept dry should be kept in a waterproof bag. To find out more about getting started with canoeing, there are many great resources online that will allow you to do so.
