Paddlers (people who canoe or kayak) really know how to have fun on the water — just a boat, a paddle, nature, and you!
Canoeing. Hold the paddle with your inside hand on top and your water-side hand two to three feet down. Your knuckles should be facing out. Without stretching, insert the blade of the paddle all the way in the water as far forward as you can reach. Push your top hand forward and pull your bottom hand back, turning your shoulders to move the paddle blade straight through the water to your hip. Keep the top of the paddle handle lower than your eyes and don't follow the curve of the canoe. Again! Have a friend paddle on the other side of the canoe, or switch sides as you paddle, to keep the boat gliding along straight.
Kayaking. Kayak paddles have a blade on each side. Lift your paddle with both hands and hold it across your chest. Place your hands the same distance from each blade, just outside your shoulders. Hold the paddle out in front of you, just a few inches above the kayak. Keeping your left elbow straight, bring your right hand straight back, letting your right elbow bend back toward your body. Your body will twist to the right a bit. Paddle. Now, use the other arm. You're kayaking!
Kayakers and canoers follow these tips so they don't annoy other people…or the environment!
So Polite!
Only get to the water through marked paths — not through someone else's property. Take your paddling breaks in public places too.
Keep your lunch spots and campsites clean — don't leave garbage in the water or lying around. If there's nowhere to put your trash, take it with you and dump it when you get home.
Give people fishing plenty of room and try not to disturb the water too much where they are — it'll scare the fish off.
Keep away from the wildlife — even if they are as cute as pets!
A Greek mathematician named Archimedes figured out that when something is in water, the force that keeps it afloat is equal to the weight of the water that it pushes aside. Light objects (like a leaf) float because they push aside more than their own weight in water, but heavy objects (like a rock) sink because they push aside less than their own weight. A canoe pushes aside more water that its weight, which means it can carry heavy stuff inside and still float.