How to Canoe

Co-authored by Kyle Hall

Last Updated: January 2, 2024 Approved

If you've never canoed before, you might be worried about not being able to steer the boat or even tipping it over. Fortunately, these problems can easily be avoided by learning how to paddle by getting in and out of the boat properly. With a paddle, a life jacket, and a good partner, you'll be ready to have an enjoyable canoeing experience that hopefully won't end with you in the water.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Getting in the Canoe

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1
Pack the canoe close to the water. That way you won’t have to carry a heavy canoe to the launching point. Put lighter items in the front and back of the canoe. Pack heavy items at the center of the canoe. Make sure everything is securely in place so it doesn’t shift during your trip.^{[1]
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- Tightly pack things under the seats in the canoe to help keep them from shifting when you're on the water.
2
Designate a bowman and a sternman. The bowman sits in the front of the canoe, and the sternman sits in the back. Make whoever wants to be on look-out duty the bowman. The sternman will be responsible for steering the canoe.
- The bowman should alert the sternman of any obstacles in the water so the sternman can steer the canoe around them.
- The sternman is responsible for letting the bowman know when to switch sides with their paddle.
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3
Put on a life jacket. It's important you wear a life jacket any time you’re canoeing. Make sure your life jacket fits properly. It should feel snug when you put it on.
- Never put a child in an adult-sized life jacket. If you're canoeing with children, make sure they have child-sized life jackets that fit them snugly.^{[2]
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If you’re launching off a dock, tie both ends of the canoe to the dock using a rope. If you’re launching off a shoreline, have your partner hold the canoe steady while you get in.
Bend your knees and grab onto the side of the canoe closest to you. Set one of your legs into the center of the canoe and grab onto the far side of the boat with your hand. Carefully bring your other leg into the canoe. If you’re the bowman, sit on the bench at the front of the boat.
6
Push off to launch the canoe. If you’re launching from a dock, untie the canoe from the dock once the bowman and sternman are both in. Carefully push off from the dock with your hand or paddle. If you’re launching from shore, the sternman will need to push off as they're getting in so the canoe goes into the water.^{[3]
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- To launch from shore, start with the front of the canoe in the water and the back of the canoe up on land. Once the bowman is seated, the sternman should place one leg in the canoe. Then, the sternman should push off with their other leg as they bring it into the boat.^{[4]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Paddling and Steering

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1
Hold the paddle so your inside hand is on top. Your inside hand is your hand furthest from the side of the boat you're paddling on. Your other hand should be positioned around 2-3 feet (0.6-0.9 meters) down from the top of the paddle.
- For example, if you're paddling on the left side of the boat, your right hand would be your inside hand. You would hold the top of the paddle with your right hand, and your left hand would be lower on the paddle.
2
Insert the end of the paddle into the water in front of you. You want to bring the end of the paddle as far in front of you as you can without having to get up from your seat.
- For example, if you’re supposed to be paddling on the left side of the canoe, you would insert the paddle into the water in front of you to the left of the boat.^{[5]
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The end of the paddle should remain underwater. Push with your top hand and pull back with your bottom hand to move the paddle backward. When the paddle is behind you and you can't go back any further, lift it out of the water and gently swing it back around in front of you to where you first put it in the water. Repeat the process to move the canoe forward.
4
Paddle on the opposite side of the canoe your partner's paddling on. This will keep you on a straight course and prevent the canoe from going in circles.
- For example, if the bowman is paddling on the left side of the canoe, the sternman should be paddling on the right.
Both of your paddles should be going in and out of the water at the same time. The bowman (at the front of the canoe) should set the pace, and the sternman should adjust their paddling to match them.
6
Use a “J” stroke to steer the boat. A “J” stroke is a small backward stroke through the water. If you want the canoe to go left, the sternman should do a “J” stroke on the left side of the canoe. To go right, the sternman would do a “J” stroke on the right side of the canoe.
- The larger the backward stroke the sternman does, the more drastic of a turn the canoe will make.
7
Do a draw to make a hard turn. A draw is when you extend a paddle out away from the boat, holding it vertically so just the flat end of the paddle is in the water. Then you pull the paddle in toward the edge of the boat. If you ever need to make a sharp turn, both the bowman and sternman should do a draw on opposite sides of the canoe.
- To make a hard left turn, the sternman should draw on the right side of the canoe.
- To make a hard right turn, the sternman should draw on the left side of the canoe.
8
Don’t panic if you tip the canoe. If you tip over, tuck the paddles and any of your belongings under the seats in the flipped canoe. Holding on to the canoe, swim toward the nearest shore. If you’re canoeing in a river with a strong current, don’t try to swim against the current. Hold on to the canoe if you can and wait for the current to slow down so you can swim to shore.
- If you’re far from shore, try flipping the canoe over with your partner. It helps if you both get under the flipped canoe and lift it up with your arms before you try flipping it.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Landing and Getting Out of the Canoe

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If you’re landing on shore, steer the canoe so the front is pointed at the shoreline. If you’re landing at a dock, turn the canoe so it’s parallel with the side of the dock. Slow down as you approach the landing point.^{[6]
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When you’re landing a canoe on shore, the front of the canoe should gently go up onto the land, and the back of the canoe should remain in the water. To land at a dock, get as close to the side of the dock as possible so the side of the canoe is parallel with the side of the dock.
If you're landing at a dock, tie the front and back ends of the boat to the dock with rope. If you're landing on shore, have the bowman hold the canoe steady.^{[7]
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Decide who’s going to get out first and let that person get completely out of the boat before you do anything else. If you’re getting off on shore, the bowman should get out of the canoe first so they can hold it steady for the sternman. Keep your body low and centered in the canoe and step out with one foot first. After you’ve steadied yourself, lift your other foot out of the boat.^{[8]
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Community Q&A

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Question

Is it mandatory for both paddlers to paddle at the same time?

Heather Kenyon-Haff

Top Answerer

Not generally. Having one person go, then the other provides a smooth travelling rhythm. Only for very quick racing do the paddlers really have to go at the same time.

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If the paddles are two different lengths, who uses the longer paddle: the bow or the stern?

Community Answer

The stern. They need the longer paddle to produce more force for steering.

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Can you start and finish your canoe trip at the same point?

Community Answer

Yes, but if you're on a river, you will have to paddle back upstream - if there is a heavy current, you may have a difficult time.

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