How many canoeists do we have here?

I particularly enjoyed his sections on reading the water and how water levels affect the dynamics of rapids. I haven't checked youtube, but there are probably more there.

Of note are a lot of the strokes he illustrated. Some look very complicated but they really are not and come quite naturally with a bit of practice. And they are very efficient in reducing the amount of work it takes to propel and steer a canoe, far less work than the "beating the water" that seems instinctive to new paddlers.
 
I watched the first video you posted last night before bed. I never knew what you could do with a canoe. Of course the downside to finding out that something is much more complicated than you originally anticipate is that it usually means it's far more enjoyable if you do it with someone who is knowledgable themselves.
 
Well, that (finding a teacher) definately does shorten the learning curve. Thus my sugggestion of taking a clinic or finding an experienced partner. But also a part of the beauty of canoing is that you can learn at your own speed. You don't have to have expensive gear and prepare for class III-IV runs right off the bat. It can be as relaxing or heart thumping as you want to make it. As you might guess, there are many different discilpines of the sport as well. Boy Scouts and church groups composed of complete novices bump and vere downriver every weekend, learning by trial and error. Some few of those go on to really learn the skills it takes to step up to the next level. Others are content to make an occasional summer trip. I just depends on where your own interest lies as to how far you take it. You can combine it with other interests/hobbies like hunting, fishing or camping. Or you can go for the thrill sport end.

[video=youtube;ELnHf7nKl2I]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELnHf7nKl2I&feature=related[/video]

No matter what you decide, canoeist are by and large great people who love to share and teach.
 
I went to Barnes and Noble and looked for "Path of the Paddle" but had no luck. I might try Amazon or something similar. On the bright side I did get assistance from a cute girl with an eye patch. It seemed appropriate to my nautical search.
 
What type of paddle would you recommend for slow river/small lake paddling? Maybe a link to a suggested one. Seems like a narrow deep blade would be better but I'm a total novice. I have two paddles. A wooden one with an 8x21 blade and a fiberglass one with an 8.5x21 blade. I have a Mad River Lady Slipper solo conoe that has been in the garage for twenty years that may get to feel some water soon.
 
HornyToad said:
What type of paddle would you recommend for slow river/small lake paddling? Maybe a link to a suggested one. Seems like a narrow deep blade would be better but I'm a total novice. I have two paddles. A wooden one with an 8x21 blade and a fiberglass one with an 8.5x21 blade. I have a Mad River Lady Slipper solo conoe that has been in the garage for twenty years that may get to feel some water soon.
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Many manufacturers and retailers have good online articles about paddle selection. I've made do with the livery-type Mohawk and Carslile paddles aluminum/plastic for years but bought a nice Mitchell Seneca laminated wood last fall. Here is the REI paddle selection page:
http://www.rei.com/expertadvice/articles/canoe+paddle.html

[video=youtube;pna93jj1nkE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pna93jj1nkE[/video]
 
Paddles are a personal like-dislike. IMO a nice Beavertail style, straight shaft is very versitile with few, if any, faults.
 
I have had a long love affair with wood working. And, when I combine that with my love of canoes, I suppose its only a matter of time before I started carving my own paddles. Its now been about 20 years since I fashioned my first crude paddle, but my technique and finished product have come a LONG WAY. To date I have carved well over 450, selling most, giving many as gifts, and occasionally keeping one or two.

Almost all of my paddles are designed for flatwater (some specifically for dancing) all with long narrow blades. My shafts are oval to increase "gripability" and relieve fatigue. I carve my paddles out of solid hardwoods like Cherry, Maple, Walnut, Hickory, and a few others.

Here are a few of the ones that I have kept for my wife and myself.

My tools of the trade:
img122228ao.jpg


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Peruvian Black Walnut Voyageur
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American Black Walnut Cree Design
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The Hickory grip to the above paddle with Peruvian Walnut inlay
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Black Walnut (crotch wood) blade
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Leather-wrapped shaft to the above paddle
img12043yv9.jpg


Honduras Mohagony blade
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The grip to the above paddle
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Figured Ambrosia Maple Ottertail
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The Black Cherry grip and shaft to the above paddle w/ figured maple inlay, Red Pine burl grip
img12023sh9.jpg


Black Walnut Ottertail-Ultra
img1209mt7.jpg


The grip to the above paddle
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Paddle rack
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And:
dsc012662lq2.jpg
 
Nice work! Unfortunately, none of the bevertail/ottertail designs and their modifications work for the often rocky and shallow rivers I frequent, charactorized by pool-drop-shoals with little depth. Thus I use a broad blade with flat or slightly curved tip. A narrow blade, or pointed one, would leave me flailing for purchase on the water. I made one beavertail some years ago and soon gave up on it as useful to me.
 
Bigblue17 said:
Peruvian Black Walnut Voyageur
img1208es9.jpg
Click to expand...

Beautiful work. People say beavertail which would define a shape but what would be a typical blade size? Apparently a standard paddle would typically have an 8x20 blade. I guess mine are 20" long even though I said 21" because it necks down and where do you stop the measurement. I assume the beavertail is for deeper water as Codger has noted.
 
This is the Mitchell Seneca blade, 7.5" wide x 20" long. It has a reenforced tip to reduce wear.

esnwaa.jpg


And this is the typical Mohawk blade, 8"x20".

15pk2g1.jpg
 
Horny One - The blade length on that Peruvian B.W. Voyageur is 26 1/2" to the shoulder. Most of the paddles I make have a slightly shorter blade. I designed that one specifically for dancing.... its extremely light weight and the blade is very thin.The beavertail designs(as Codger alluded to) are more suited to flat water(lakes and slow rivers).

Keep in mind that my own paddles have a proportionally shorter shaft/longer blade than most paddles of any design. My paddling style puts me very close to the water so I don't have to reach down as far to get a good purchase in the water.
 
HornyToad said:
What type of paddle would you recommend for slow river/small lake paddling?
Click to expand...


I keep a few types around:

* inexpensive plastic blade/aluminum shaft for times when I know they will take a beating (duck hunting, etc.)
* bent shaft laminated wood for normal tandem flatwater paddling
* bent shaft wood shaft/carbon fiber blade (Bell VooDoo) for long distance or high speed flatwater paddling
* straight shaft laminated beavertail or solid cherry ottertail for solo flatwater paddling

You won't really know what you like until you try a few! But to start out, I don't think you can go wrong with a good quality, lightweight laminated beavertail with a straight shaft.

Good paddling,
desmobob

bigblue17 -- beautiful paddles!!!
 
Codger_64 said:
Nice work! Unfortunately, none of the bevertail/ottertail designs and their modifications work for the often rocky and shallow rivers I frequent, charactorized by pool-drop-shoals with little depth. Thus I use a broad blade with flat or slightly curved tip. A narrow blade, or pointed one, would leave me flailing for purchase on the water. I made one beavertail some years ago and soon gave up on it as useful to me.
Click to expand...

That's been my experience with paddles as well. To me, the whole point of a canoe is to explore the shallow off the beaten path waterways. Poking up the little navigable tributaries off river and lakes, that mean only a foot or two of water sometimes. Going where other boats can't.

Carl.
 
mewolf1 said:
That portage looks familiar, East Arm of Cummings goin to Silica, then Coxy Pond?
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First shot was taken around Fourtown lake, second was Meeds from Poplar, and the third I'm not sure maybe around Ensign.
 
Helle said:
First shot was taken around Fourtown lake, second was Meeds from Poplar, and the third I'm not sure maybe around Ensign.
Click to expand...

Like my friends wife says after looking at BWCA pics, " More igneous rocks and trees, nice":D
 
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