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Canoeing Basics
Canoeing and kayaking Basics have to be learnt and practiced over a period of time. These include getting in and out of the canoe on water and land. You need to be proficient in going in a straight line on the water. Getting out of the canoe when it is upside down is a skill that needs to be mastered when embarking on a canoeing expedition.
Kayaking Basics
A kayak is a closed cockpit boat and the paddler sits inside and uses a double-ended paddle. A canoe is similar to the kayak but the paddler kneels inside it and uses a single-ended paddle. A touring kayak is a long kayak that is designed for long wilderness trips that allows for good tracking and higher gear carrying capacity. In contrast, whitewater kayaks are designed for good maneuverability. Long and narrow downriver kayaks are specialty boats and are used extensively for racing.
Canoeing and kayaking sports involve many disciplines.
- Slalom is an Olympic canoeing and kayaking sport where paddlers are timed over a course of about 25 numbered gates and they are awarded penalties for touching them.
- A sprint involves the paddlers covering short distances as soon as possible. This sport is held on flat water. A sprint is over straight distances of 500 m or 1000 m.
- The Canoeing marathon is held over longer distance. The Canoeing marathon is conducted on flattish rivers and involves circumventing obstacles. The 2004 Australian Marathon Canoeing Championships are to be held in Perth.
- White water racing works similarly to the sprint and marathon and is conducted over a big river with a number of rapids.
- A rodeo canoeing competition is held on specific rapids and waves and the paddlers take turns to perform tricks like cartwheels, pirouettes and also surfing without paddles.
- Sea kayaking involves paddling on the sea and ranges from paddling on relatively calm coastal waters to the open ocean.
- Touring and recreational canoeing is just as the name suggests – canoeing for the fun of it.
Early canoes built of wood and covered in bark and whalebone and animal skin were primarily used as a means of transportation and hunting. John MacGregor, who founded the Canoe Club at Richmond, Surrey in England, introduced it as a competitive sport in 1896. The International Canoe Federation was set up in 1924. Canoeing appeared in the Olympics at Paris in 1924 as a demonstration sport and later in 1936 as an official sport. As the canoeing disciplines of Slalom and wild water were developed, they too were introduced into the Olympics games.
Whitewater Canoeing
Whitewater canoeing involves quick decisions and real paddling skills. You need to be experienced in white water canoeing so as to execute the pivots and angles. Whitewater canoeing allows you to master the gushing force of water and come to rest at the bottom of each rapid. It is an adventure sport that sets the adrenalin racing and provides the nature lover an experience of a lifetime.
If you want to take to whitewater canoeing, select a local club that can provide you with help and advice on where and how to paddle. Training programs are conducted to help members hone up their still-water paddling skills so as to train for white water canoeing. Safety instructions for self-rescue also form a crucial part of any whitewater-canoeing program. There are white water canoeing clubs for instilling in children the spirit of adventure and challenge as well as building character through social and environmental responsibility. Some clubs also conduct white water canoeing trips for adults who love the wilderness and great expanses of water. It is an adventure that helps regain tranquility amidst the awe-inspiring natural surroundings.
Canoeing is an idyllic sport for those seeking to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life by exploring the rivers or lakes near their homes. Canoeing is also a sport that offers adventure and opportunity to explore the wilderness. Want to play in whitewater, plunge over waterfalls or navigate the open ocean? Take to Canoeing. It will provide you an intimate experience with water and its surrounding experience, be it when you are splashing a kayak into a whitewater stream or exploring a placid cove.
Wooden Canoe Paddles
A paddle can be single-bladed used for canoes or a double bladed version used for kayaks. A recreational paddle is ideal for lake trips and is generally made of aluminum, plastic or wood. Wooden canoe paddles are cheap among the all. Lake water paddles are traditionally long and narrow for smooth and repetitive strokes. One can find beautifully crafted paddle blades of mahogany, maple, cherry or walnut wood. Wooden paddles need to be carefully maintained. Whitewater paddles are usually flat or spooned and made of wood, fiberglass with metal or resin-reinforced tips. They are characterized by pronounced T-shaped grips for leverage.
The back end of the canoe is called the stern while the front end is called the bow. The top edges of the canoe are called gunwales and are made of vinyl, wood or aluminum. Crosspieces that add rigidity and allow for yokes and seat supports to be fitted are called thwarts. A canoe can vary in length from less than 10 feet to 23 feet. Shorter canoes are better for fast turns whereas longer canoes offer better tracking. An average canoe is about 15 to 18 feet. The stem of the canoe (the bow and stern profile) affects the manner in which a canoe slices through water. A vertical stem allows for clean slicing through the water and excellent resistant to side wind but with reduced ability to spin fast. A rounded stem gives the canoe the ability to ride over the waves but is not very effective in tracking.
Wetsuit
This canoeing gear is effective in bottling body heat. The wetsuit is usually made of 2-3 mm neoprene material. Thin wetsuits allow you to stay in the water longer on account of less drag and consequently less fatigue. They provide comfort and flexibility and are ideal for water sports that require lots of movement.
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