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Some people find canoeing to be a bit difficult. However, there are some things you can try to help you become better. Before you start, don’t forget to wear a life jacket. You should also tie some rope to the ends of the canoe (the rope should be about 15 feet long). You will find the rope useful if the canoe tips over or if you wish to tie it to a dock. When getting in the canoe, you will need to rear person to get in first so you do not tip the canoe. When you get out, do this the opposite way so that the front person exits first.
The front person is called the bow paddler and the rear is called the stern paddler. To steer the canoe, have the front person paddle on the left and the back person paddle on the right. Switch sides about every 10 strokes or so.
To turn to canoe to the stern’s side, have the stern paddler paddle backward and the bow paddler paddle forward. To turn it to the bow’s side, the bow paddle will paddle backward and the stern paddler will paddle forward. A quicker way to turn would be to have one person put their paddle straight down in the water, while the other person paddles.
Practice with your partner and remember to tell each other when you are switching sides so you can keep a smooth flow. You can avoid paddling in circles and tipping over if you keep paddling in unison with each other.
