CANOEING WITH DAD

Cuz, I'm canoeing with Daddy, And it's just like magic. When he hands me my paddle, get a great big smile on my face. ---Jerry Vandiver

On some lake, somewhere, this weekend there will occur the long-established and age-old tradition of a father taking his son or daughter canoeing for the first time. I've seen it many times at Sly Park Paddle Rentals, where I have run the boathouse during the past several seasons.

Young children will come bouncing down the dock with the excitement and wonder of Christmas Day. They will be followed by a just as excited adventuresome Dad hoping to relive some of his memories from his days at summer camp. While Dad fills out the rental forms, the kids are exploring by looking over the dock at the fish swimming by below. Not before long, the family wiggle into their PFDs and board the canoe. One takes the bow while the other sits on a pad in the hull canoe. Paddles are handed out. They're ready.
Dad, I'm sure, is holding his breath as he pushes off from the dock and as smiles break out among the crew. The lake is calm. The only disturbing it is the bow cutting way through the water.
"Bye," they call out as they paddle away on their new adventure, "We'll see you later."

"Maybe my most indelible canoe memory," the current Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau recalled in an essay in Cottage Life about canoeing with his father the long-serving Prime Minister of Canada (1968–1979, 1980–1984) and celebrated canoeist, "Was one of the rites of passage for the Trudeau boys: When we hit five or six years old, our dad would put us into the canoe and we’d shoot the rapids on the stream that went down into Meech Lake. With much trepidation, we’d sit in the front and go down the drop. I look back on it now and laugh because my father was sterning, and there was nothing I could do from the bow to aim it right—but it was very, very important for us to do it. To get into the bow of a canoe with my father for the first time, to be the bowman for the first time, and to go down this big, scary rapid."

Via Twitter

As one can see, Trudeau has fond memories of canoeing. In 2016 he said, "You elected a paddler as your prime minister."
He routinely shares Twitter pictures of him and his family canoeing and says every year he still tries to get out for at least a few days or so in the summer and take a canoe trip. And to think of it all started with a canoe trip with his dad.

There are so many benefits to canoeing with your kids and families. From spending time outdoors together to learning a skill, canoeing with your children is a great way to get active on the water at any age. Canoeing is something the whole family will enjoy in the many years to come.

Tips For A Successful Canoe Trip With Kids

PFDs, PFDs, PFDs. Everyone should be wearing one. In California, every kid under the age of 13 must be wearing while on the boat. And to be a great example of safety for them, you should have one on as well. How else can I expect my kids to follow that rule if I do not?

Don't plan for a long trip. The first few trips are all about fun. Remember your first trip in a canoe and how it set the stage for your love of the outdoors. Those future trips that the joy will come. But right now, you're helping your kids build a foundation of life on the water and planting a seed of recreating outside. A short trip around the lake is a great way to get your kids paddling. In your float plan include a good lunch/ swimming spot. Breaking up the paddle and tiring the kids out with some good ole fashioned playtime is essential.

Keep calm and paddle on. Most of the time, your little tykes will enjoy sitting up front in the bow, between your legs. Give some instruction on not s to stand up in the canoe and how to paddle but keep it simple. We're having fun. If you crash into the bank. It's OK. Laugh about. Paddling skills will get better throughout the day. And remember, no yelling or scolding.

Plan on getting wet and dirty. It’s scientifically proven fact canoes attract murky water to the bottom of the canoe. What is more fun than mud and water? So wear water shoes and clothes that will be OK to get a bit soggy. That might include your backpack too.

Pack lots of snacks and water bottles. Who doesn't love snacks? But please keep those kids hydrated too.

Sunscreen and hats. It's pretty simple to protect the kids from getting sunburn.

And don't forget the camera. This a one of those memories you might just want to remember for a while.

You don't have to wait for Father's Day to take your kids canoeing. Traditionally summertime into fall is the best time to go.

If you want to go on a canoe or kayak trip at Sly Park contact:
Current Adventures Kayak School and Trips 
PHONE: 530-333-9115 or Toll-Free: 888-452-9254
FAX: 530-333-1291
USPS: Current Adventures, P.O. Box 828, Lotus, CA 95651
info@currentadventures.com
owner Dan Crandall dan@kayaking.com

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CAPSIZED TILL FURTHER NOTICE

I remember one of the first times I capsized while kayaking. The very moment when everything was going so well and then slam I'm upside down in the icy Otter Tail River thinking, oh no! What should I do?

There's is no doubt about the novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic has certainly capsized everyone lives. As of this writing, the US has the most confirmed cases at more than 245,00. More than 6,000 people have died in the US. Those numbers continue to rise as officials tell us to brace for what will likely somewhere between 100,000 and 240,000 dead Americans.
To slow the rate coronavirus cases down, public health officials have extended the stay-at-home order till the end of April. The practice of social distancing is now the norm, recommending that people shelter in place and stay more than 6-feet away from each other they must leave their homes. For millions, the world has come to a halt with orders to stay in place.

While outdoor activities such as walking, running, biking and hiking are still allowed while practicing distancing guidelines, the threat of the coronavirus has certainly extinguished many outdoor enthusiast's pursuits. In March, the ski season came to an abrupt halt even as spring snows blanket slopes as resorts closed due to the outbreak of the virus.
As the ripples of the outbreak spread, popular paddling events like Canoecopia were canceled also.
“We had to call it, there’s just too much at stake,” organizer and Rutabaga Paddlesports owner Darren Bush told Paddling Magazine, “We saw the COVID-19 develop so rapidly, we decided to do the right and safe thing. The paddling community is so supportive, I’m confident we’ll recover quickly. We wanted our customers and staff to be safe, full stop.”

Deemed non-essential, the coronavirus outbreak has led to a tsunami of temporary store closings of major outdoor retailers like REI and Dick's Sporting Goods.
"I believe it is our duty," wrote REI's president and CEO Eric Artz in the company's CO-Op Journal, "To do all we can to help keep one another safe in this unprecedented moment."

While small business paddle shops across the country that are usually kicking off their spring season have been left floundering in the wake of the outbreak.
"We hope to be able to reopen when the shelter orders are lifted," wrote Northern California's The River Store on their FaceBook page, "These are tough times for everyone and virtually all businesses and their owners and employees."

Kayak and canoe manufacturers are also feeling the impact of coronavirus as some have suspended operations to comply with mandated "shelter in place" orders.
"We are still working to understand this mandate and we have decided to extend the temporary suspension of our Old Town, Maine operations through at least the week of April 6." wrote Johnson Outdoors Watercraft's Larry Baab in an email, "Current and future unfulfilled orders will ship once the temporary suspension has been lifted."
While Minnesota based Lighting Kayaks made the switch from making paddling gear to face shields for medical personal.  
"I got a call from my friend in Australia who owns a kayak accessory business and he had switched production to making face shields," Lightning Kayaks CEO Stuart Lee told KARE 11, "He said, 'I'm getting hundreds of requests from the U.S., you should think about doing this.' I hung up and I started calling local suppliers that we get materials from to see if we can source the materials and sure enough, we could."

The COVID-19 outbreak has cast uncertainty on how the paddling industry will proceed into the summer. Outfitters at whitewater rafting destinations have been forced to canceled trips through May 1 at many locations across the country.
“Like we’re not going to have a season?” asked Bob Hamel, executive director of Arkansas River Outfitters Association in an interview with Out There Colorado, “I don’t think we want to go there yet, that’s for sure. We can deal with high water or low water but, well, coronavirus is not in the playbook. It’s a wait-and-see situation.”
The Grand Canyon National Park has already suspended all river rafting trips through May 21, which includes all commercial, administrative, and private trips washing the plans of many would-be rafters.
“We start planning these trips up to a year in advance,” Professional River Runners' manager Beth Roeser told National Parks Traveler, “And we’ve already lost about 17 trips so far. But, we’re all in this together, and we're doing right by both our employees and our clients.”

Still is Spring enteral and optimistic flowing as paddling groups, companies and even individuals try to balance their desires to get out and paddle with the realities of the world as the pandemic spreads. Whether on the lake or river, experts say paddling remains a safe and great way to just get away from it all, as long as you act responsibly.

Before getting on the water, you should choose trips that are closer to home to avoid the need to make stops where you may encounter more people. Remember also that many of the public water access sites such as state parks have been temporarily closed. So be sure to check ahead to see if paddling on the waterway is not prohibited.  
On a river trip, limit or avoid shuttling. Look at a shorter run, where you can walk back to your vehicle. If unavoidable, consider facemasks and opening windows in cars, separating drivers and passengers in front seats and back. Use standard measures of handwashing and sanitizing.
At the put-ins and take-outs, keep a 6-foot distance between others and avoid large crowds.  Once on the water, it should be easier to keep a distance, but those rules still apply.
While paddling always carries some risks, boaters should shy away from more difficult conditions such as high water, heavy winds or difficult rapids that could lead a rescue situation and lessen the burden on an already stressed emergency medical system.

As any paddler can attest, being upside underwater is not where anyone wants to be. However, as each day goes by, we are left swimming in a confusion of endless restrictions and financial woes accompanied by isolation and lockdown all while we continue to struggle with this major overlying health concern that threatens our family, friends and even ourselves.

As it has been said and repeated over and over ever since this global pandemic began, we are certainly living in interesting times. Stay safe everyone. We hope to see you all out on the water soon, from a distance of course.

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