If you're new to canoeing, start out slowly. Take a half-day jaunt (at most) and include stops for playing and exploring. In the middle of your trip, take a long break at a pretty beach or picnic spot so you can rest. In planning your route, keep in mind that two to three hours of paddling on a lake will take you two to four miles, while paddling for two to three hours on moving water will take you about five to eight miles.

ALL ABOARD

When you're boarding a canoe that's nosed up on shore, one person should stabilize the boat by putting the bow between his knees and gripping the sides of the canoe (known as gunwales) with both hands. From shore or from a dock, the safest way to climb aboard is to step into the center of the hull, bending over to grab the gunwales as you take your seat.

The two adults should sit in the bow and stern seats, and the kids should sit in the center of the canoe, either in kids' folding chairs or on a comfortable bag of clothes. If kids want to paddle, seat them to one side of the boat's center and offset their weight with gear or another child. From this position, the young paddler will be able to easily reach the water. Younger children should sit in the center of the canoe, surrounded with gear so they don't slide around.

PADDLING 101

Until they get strong enough to be a full partner in the canoe, kids will mostly paddle when the mood strikes. Paddles should reach your child's chin (when he's standing) and have grip handles that fit small hands comfortably. As for technique, most kids are naturals, and they don't need as much formal instruction as they do practice. An overall rule is that the paddler in the stern has more steering control and usually guides the canoe, while the person in the bow is typically in charge of identifying obstacles. Here are the three strokes that everyone who'll be paddling the canoe should practice.

THE FORWARD STROKE

This stroke works best when the blade of the paddle enters the water about even with your knee and exits just behind your hip. Short, fast strokes are preferable to long, drawn-out ones. Practice "feathering" the paddle blade on the return by rotating it 90 degrees and swinging it forward parallel to the water. This minimizes wind resistance and the tendency to catch wave tops with the paddle.

THE BACKSTROKE

This decreases your speed, for example, when you're nearing the shore. It's also effective in small waves along rivers, because it slows the boat and lessens its tendency to slap through rough water. For the best results, lean back with your upper body to increase the leverage and power of each stroke.

THE DRAW

This stroke is used to change direction quickly, as when the bow paddler sees an oncoming rock. Plant the paddle well into the water perpendicular to the hull and as much as two feet out from the side of the canoe, then pull straight toward the boat.



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