Solo Canoe Zen
The question was asked from a kayaker on another group – “What’s up with canoes? They seem hard to deal with so why bother? Why do solo canoers seem so obsessed?”
As a “bi-lingual” paddler (canoe and kayak) who has been paddling both for years and owns plenty of both, I would say that the solo canoe is the ultimate craft for those who have a penchant for challenging themselves and seeking mastery. I know that sounds mildly Zen, but the canoe hull was designed for a different set of circumstances than the kayak was. Kayaks originated as big water, ocean and tidal survival craft. Canoes were more prevalent in the inland waters where there was much more variety – lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, quiet water, whitewater – and their purpose was to connect the indigenous people to their sources of life and trade/commerce with others within this variety of waterways (the first interstate road system). The single blade originated with this group as the best tool to move these craft.
But enough lofty history. What really makes the difference for me is that when in a canoe, the person becomes a much more integral part of the craft and how it performs. As the linkage between the boat and the blade, every move we make, every shift of the body, where our weight is placed, how far we reach, where the angle of the blade catches the water – all of this and more affects how the canoe responds.
In theory, the only moving part in any paddle craft is the person – everything else is solid – the boat and the blade. So the thing that affects the relationship of the boat and blade to the water – is you – the paddler. By looking at the difference between a canoe and kayak though this lens it is easier to see that in a kayak there are significant limitations to both where you can place your body and the amount of extension, twist and rotation you can do because you are forced to stay seated in one spot. It is only through the length of the paddle that you can extend out to affect the turning circle and then add some lean to cut a better turn. By contrast in a solo canoe (also true for tandem), you can kneel, you can move forward, back, you can gradually shift weight to one side or any combinations of these. In addition, you have a “flat blade” as compared to a “curved blade” for the kayak. The curved blade is designed for forward speed and acceleration first and foremost which also lends itself to the most common turning strokes for a kayak, the sweep strokes. The flat blade of the canoe can provide the speed of the curved blade (maximum hull speed is a subject for another day), but its real specialty is its ability to be placed in a nearly endless array of angles, depths and positions around the canoe with a nearly endless array of boat positions (affected by where you are in the boat) to create a unique, but consistent and repeatable result. Many canoe hulls are designed to take advantage of this and as a result it takes time to learn and experience all that you can accomplish with them. And it is the continuous practice, learning and muscle/balance memory of those results that so many of us seek – to get in harmony with the boat, blade and water.
The well designed solo canoe offers a higher challenge and a higher personal reward. The boat is the same every time I get into it. The blade is the same. The only thing different is me – and the water. So there is an opportunity every time I go out to learn something new, to move the boat differently, to find a better option, to find my balance. For most dedicated solo paddlers there is point you hit where you “just think it” and the boat responds underneath you and it is as if you were not even conscious of moving the paddle – THOSE are the moments we seek. Can those moments be reached in a kayak? Sure they can. But the canoe has such a wider range of maneuverability that the challenges and learning opportunities are also much broader. We obviously train ourselves (not our boats) as we become better paddlers and in all of my years, and I know that my solo canoe paddling has made me a better kayaker just as I also know that all of my solo flatwater training has made me a better moving water paddler. So a way to look at it is that time spent in a solo canoe, working on the challenges, pushing those limits, will provide benefit to your other paddling pursuits.
The sport of Freestyle Canoeing that sits atop the flatwater canoeing pyramid is a path to this “knowing”. Whether your preference is solo or tandem, Freestyle provides both the challenges and a pathway to the solutions.
For me – solo canoe is a place where I can be reminded of who I am, how far I’ve come, and how far I have yet to go — and have a great time on the journey.
Jeff
