Free Sample
The Purple Guide to Learning Canoeing in 10 Days
A 10-day starter plan to get you safely on the water, paddling in a straight line, and deciding if canoeing is for you
by Alumigogo Books
Chapter 1: First Day
Welcome to day one. You have probably never sat in a canoe, or maybe you have wobbled around in one a few times on a summer vacation and felt completely out of control. That is exactly where you are supposed to be. This first session is not about impressing anyone or developing a powerful stroke. It is about getting familiar with three things: the boat, the paddle, and your own balance. By the end of this session, you will have done a real, round-trip paddle on calm water, and you will have earned a small but genuine win that you can build on tomorrow.
Before you get to the water, let's set the scene. You need three things today: a canoe (rented, borrowed, or a friend's), a single-blade paddle (the kind with one flat end, not a kayak paddle with two), and a personal flotation device, which you should wear at all times near the water. That's it. No fancy clothes, no special gloves, no waterproof camera. If you have sneakers that can get wet and a pair of shorts or old jeans, you are dressed. If you don't have a cooler or a dry bag yet, don't worry—you'll learn about those later. Today is about your body and the boat.
Find a small, calm body of water. A pond, a slow-moving river, or a small lake with no motorboats. You want the water to be flat, like glass. Not because you are fragile, but because