Canoeing, The Reasons To Go

As an outdoor enthusiast, you probably have tried canoeing on a lake or in a river or even in whitewater. It is quite an adventure and if you tried it once, most likely you'll be wanting more. Enjoying canoeing isn't that hard.

The equipment isn't that expensive. Depending on the quality of the canoe, more often than not it involves a one time investment unlike other sports where you need to buy regular upgrades on equipment and accessories. All you need in canoeing is a decent canoe, a good set of paddles and a very reliable floatation device otherwise known as a life jacket.

If you're having second thoughts, then let me put it this way. If you're an avid camper and you have a favorite lake side camp site that you often go to, then the next probable step to take is canoeing. Okay, maybe its not the next step but still you have to admit, if you go camping once a month, you might as well enjoy the adventure and the great outdoors to the fullest.

Imagine canoeing on a lake and viewing great sceneries that you are unable to see from your campsite. There are a lot of places in your RV park or nature reserve which are accessible only by canoe. You don't want to miss the adventure do you? Convinced already? If you decide to go on a canoeing trip or if you consider adding canoeing as part of your regular camping trip then there are a number of places across the country that offer great park amenities. Just look online and chances are there's one near your home.

If you prepare for a canoeing trip be sure that you are dressed suitably and be prepared to get wet. Always remember that cold weather and/or cold water can result in hypothermia. Bring necessary and suitable clothing with you. It is ideal that you wear shoes, old gym shoes will do.

Sandals might make you slip at critical moments. Be sure to rest before the big day. Paddling a canoe is hard work so you need to be well rested so you can be up for the task. Speaking of paddling, be sure that you don't have any physical restriction since paddling might trigger some kind of attacks.

Just keep in mind the right precautions and employ the same packing techniques that you use during camping trips and you'll do fine. It is more likely anyway that you make canoeing a part or an extension of your camping trip, so you just need to pack extras for the water adventure. Always remember to be safe and have fun.

What Makes A Canoe

Before trawlers and larger boats were made, villagers used small boats called canoes to travel from one point to the other by sea. This was also used as a means of livelihood especially among fishing communities.

Some historians point out that the canoe was an engineering marvel. This is because the fundamental parts that made it namely the bow, deck, gunwale, hull, seat, stern and thwart served as a guide for bigger boats.

The first canoes were made out of wood. Metal or plastic were not invented yet and the people would chop a tree down and then burrow through the trunk for it to accommodate the person and cargo. These were heavy to move so a group of people had to carry it from the shore to the water.

The difference with today's canoes is that designers make this from wooden strips usually from the Cedar Tree. Other manufacturers have also produced this from aluminum, fiberglass, plywood, polyethylene and Royalex.

In fact, technology has made it easy for just about anyone to make a canoe instead of buying this from a seller. The person should do some research by checking out a book or online that will teach the amateur builder how to do it. There are various designs to choose from and when one has been selected, the builder will just have to buy the materials.

Customers will be happy to know that there are some people selling second hand canoes. This will be great for those who aren't good with carpentry and prefer to own rather than renting.

The nice thing about renting is that you don't have to carry it in the truck especially if coming from the city. The car will be parked at the exit point, a shuttle will then take you to the starting position a mile or two away and the only thing to do now will be to paddle all the way down.

The canoeing enthusiast will be provided with all the necessary equipment for the trip. This includes the paddle and the lifejacket. It is best to listen to the instructions given in order to have a safe journey.

Canoes are simply made of two things, simply the boat and the crew. Anyone can do this with a little training making the weekend quite enjoyable especially for those who usually stay at home.

People who enjoy this can invite friends to come along the next time around since the canoe can fit four to six passengers depending on the length of the canoe.

What Makes Up for an Exercise in Canoeing

If there is such thing as canoeing for health purposes, it concerns paddling that mobilize your muscles and render the upper part (torso) of the body to synchronize with the movement of the arms and shoulders. Solo rowing on a boat or a canoe in the silent waters makes you come face to face with nature in a most peaceful manner. Inhaling the oxygen of fresh breeze from the leaves of the flora along the lakeside is enough to condition ones brain to tune in with the peaceful surroundings.

Rowing a canoe has been one of a prescribed therapy on people who undergo bypass operations of the heart. Without much exerting effort on light paddles it conditions the body to recuperate fully, coupled when it encounters with everything organic around the surroundings.

It might not be in the essence of canoeing itself that makes it more advisable to canoe for exercise, but foremost is the fact that when the brain acknowledged the close encounter of your body with the fresh elements; organic plants, spring water from rainforests, pure oxygen from unpolluted air makes the body reacts immediately to natural healing.

The brain sends out positive messages to all parts of our body especially that impaired anatomical part, and attest that you are in direct contact of natures creation, seen and smelled in its entirety in all growth around.

Canoeing tolerates maximum exercise of the lungs. During the canoeing session, you inhale oxygen (fresh) from the water breeze, and exhale all the carbon dioxide you gathered inhaling during the previous days before the trip. Doing it several times detoxify your lungs.

How a Canoe Seems to Fit in for Some Exercise

Several therapists, doctors of general medicine, and surgeons believe that rowing or wading along the river is a form of aerobic exercise.
Getting a canoe (rowboat) for fishing is recommended.

Handling rough waters could be an experience. If theres a need for you to portage, you could get a guide boat.

Boats that balance speed and stability are good for the hearts normal beating.

A daily average of 8 to 10 miles paddle normalizes the hearts blood pumping. Seems to be a good daily workout.

Shifting from set-in boat to boat racer is ideal for cardio rehab, and serves as a good start to be on the go again if you had been a former canoe enthusiast.

Give a try on the kneeling style. Try knee paddling. More body effort is needed during knee paddling and tends to exercise your larger muscles, including your wrist and shoulders.

Understanding Canoe Designs

Learning the different designs of canoes can help you make better choices when it comes to having a great canoe trip. Canoe designs depend on how it is going to be used as well as on the type of environment it is going to be used for. Designs may vary for canoes to be used not only for carrying passengers but also in carrying some vital equipment. There are also different canoe designs for use in whitewater trips as well as those used in the calmer waters.

The canoe's hull shape is probably the most important factor of choosing the appropriate canoe design. More importantly, the shape of the hull's cross section is very significant in influencing the canoe's stability under differing conditions. Having an understanding of how the hull will affect maneuverability as well as its stability among other important factors will help you better gauge how to look for the best canoe for a certain type of use.

When it comes to stability, a rounded or a V-shaped hull may be preferred to flat-bottomed ones. Canoes with rounded or V-shaped hulls offer far better overall stability. True, flat-bottomed canoes may offer better initial stability when it is not moving and are better used as a fishing canoe or for beginner paddlers. But the flat-bottomed hull canoes will have significantly reduced stability once waves become a factor and when the canoe begins to heel more to one side. Its hull design also makes it suffer when it comes to maneuverability and speed.

When speed and maneuverability are concerned, it is the rounded hulls that are the most efficient through the water and provide the best overall stability in canoes. Canoes with V-shaped hulls can also be quite efficient, and they provide steadier straight-line tracking. And because canoes with rounded bottoms are more maneuverable and capable of achieving better speed, those designs are often used in making touring, racing and expedition canoe hulls.

Keel designs on different canoe types aim to improve directional stability, which is the ability of the canoe to travel in a straight line. The keel usually runs along the length of the canoe and provides the spine from which the whole hull may be structured. Keel length may affect both the ability of the canoe to travel on a straight line as well as its turning capabilities. The longer the keel of the canoe, the better will be its directional stability. But a longer keel on the other hand may have a decreased ability to turn quickly.

Types of Canoes

For a beginner canoe enthusiast, the different types of canoes available may not matter that much. But as one begins to dig deeper and learn more about canoes as a hobby as well as an enjoyable pastime, you can't fail to notice that there are, after all a history full of different canoe types to try out. Here are just some fine examples for the keen canoe enthusiast to check out.

Canoe types nowadays are divided into two types- the traditional and the modern designed canoes. Traditional designs include early canoes that always make use of natural materials available in the local area. These are the canoes that are the predecessors of the newer and more versatile versions now available today.

One perfect example of a traditional canoe is the dugout. It is usually made from a piece of log hollowed out into a canoe. This is the simplest of canoe designs and has been considered as one of the earliest forms of canoe designs. Dugouts may be equipped with outriggers to provide better stability.

Another traditional canoe type is the birch-bark canoe. Often used in the temperate regions of Eastern North America, this type of canoe is made out of a wooden frame and then covered with bark of a birch tree to form the hull. The birch bark is usually pitched in order to make the canoe waterproof. Out of this canoe type evolved the wood-and-canvas canoe.

Instead of using birch bark for the hull, canvas was used when it became easier to acquire than the bark of the white birch tree. Canvas is more, durable, flexible and can be readily supplied when needed than the usual birch bark and became a more welcome alternative for canoes made in North America somewhere during the 19th century.

But as better materials and designs were being developed along the way, canoes began to take a more modern look. And today, there are a number of modern canoe types that are available for the canoe enthusiast. Most of today's modern canoe types are being made for a specified intended use, something that traditional canoe types weren't being made for. There are now modern canoes made for speed, for comfort, for maneuverability and even for portability.

One modern canoe type available today is the touring canoe. It is a canoe made out of lightweight materials and is built for comfort as well as having an adequate cargo space. Another modern type is the whitewater canoe built for rougher canoe rides. Such canoes may look like kayaks but are still paddled while kneeling inside. Then there is the racing canoe which is built primarily for speed.

This modern canoe has a slightly narrower construction than other canoe types to take advantage of speed but may suffer from having lesser stability. This type of canoe is usually paddled only on one side with the passenger kneeling only on one knee.

Types of Canoeing

There are a lot of watersports that people can learn. This can be on the surface or under and one activity that requires a lot of upper body strength is canoeing.

Years ago, canoeing was done by the native Indians for traveling and fishing. As man has evolved, these things have become obsolete and are better known these days simply as recreational activities.

Canoes are generally powered using single or doubled padded paddles. You can either remain in a sitting or kneeling position whichever is more comfortable.

Those who decide to try this solo should paddle alternately from one side to the other to stay on a straight course. Of course, this will be much easier if there is someone in the back helping out.

There are different types of canoeing, which mainly depends on the condition of the water so you have to know one from the other.

First is called whitewater canoeing. This is considered to be the most challenging of them all because you or the group have to fight against the rough current that also happens to be the most practiced form.

The second is called sea kayaking. People who want to take it slow can try this out but be on the lookout for changes in the current that could also be a problem.

Those who want to go out to water resorts situated along rivers and lakes can enjoy padding a canoe and camp somewhere in the wilderness and come back the following day.

Competitions are organized and regulated by the International Canoe Federation. In fact, this is considered to be an Olympic sport aside from the Sprint and the Slalom that are held annually.

In countries particularly in Asia, dragon boat racing is quite popular and resembles that of a canoe. The difference is that someone beats a drum in the front with a crew of 12 or more working together racing to the finish line.

Whenever people decide to head out on the water, it is best to have a lifejacket. This device is the only thing that will keep the individual on the surface especially if the downed member doesn't know how to swim.

This will also allow the others to easily find you and then bring you into the canoe. First timers are advised to take a few classes first on land to be able to learn the basics before going with others on the canoe.