I have only been in a canoe a handful of times, but it’s one of those things that I want to do more. On one of our early dates with my husband, we went on a canoe trip with a church group. Before we had been in the water 3 minutes, we had not only flipped the canoe, gotten the canoe stuck in a fallen tree but also lost the canoe on the bottom of the river. We made memories that day but definitely did not become experts!

Now that our children are getting old enough to handle themselves in a boat, we’ve talked about taking them out in a canoe. Before we do that, we better learn some basic tips!

All About Canoes

My dad loves to spend the day out canoeing with his friend, Jerry. Recently, he took this picture while out on one of their river days. This is the same friend that canoed the Wabash River on his days off one summer several years ago.

Tip for all Canoers: Don’t lose your keys!

My brother told me this story about how he and a friend decided to park one vehicle at the bottom of the river and then drove miles up river to put the canoe in. The plan was to canoe all day and end up at the 2nd vehicle. Then they wouldn’t have to hike miles to the car after being in the river all day. The only hitch in their plan? My brother forgot to bring the keys to the vehicle. They canoed all day down the river; then when they arrived at the end and were ready to hop in the 2nd vehicle, he realized he didn’t have keys. They ended up having to hike miles back up to the original car to get the keys. I think he would tell you that the #1 thing to remember when canoeing is to remember your KEYS!

Here’s some tips for beginners:

Do you enjoy spending the day on the river in a little canoe? I’d love to hear your best tips, experiences or stories! You can even send in a picture of your favorite canoe trip! I’d love to share your love for this great hobby sport!