Paddling a canoe effectively is a foundational skill for long-distance wilderness travel. In this course, you’ll learn to effectively solo paddle a canoe up to twenty feet long, and get a taste of the other skills that go into wilderness canoe travel. In modern canoeing, most people think of two people, in a small boat, but after this course, you’ll have an insight into what makes long-term solo canoe travel possible. Paired with our weekend clinic on poling a canoe, you’ll be set up to start exploring waterways that would have otherwise been too daunting. Students can either camp out on the SOTF campus for the weekend or meet us each morning for the start of class. This course is designed for all ages, but anyone under 15 will need a parent or other adult with them.
Intended Learning Outcomes
- “Getting your legs”, or learning to be comfortable standing and moving around a floating boat
- Effectively Solo paddling a canoe
- Named Strokes and when to use them
- Finding “lines” down rips and rapids
- Rescuing an overturned canoe
- Getting a sense of trimming the weight in a boat correctly for different situations