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Was out paddling in a Jensen 18, which is a pretty fast canoe, and a friend was in a Northwind Solo and kept up with us quite easily. He was using a double-blade paddle. Despite the negativity associated with that combination, it does work well, especially against a brisk wind.

I was out paddling bow in a Jensen 18 the other day. It's a good canoe for day paddling at speed. Doesn't turn on a dime but will come around with a bit of heel and an axle or post. We were out in a pretty stiff wind and small white caps but it did fine. I does like to cut through waves so can...

That'll teach 'em... 😄

I've been thinking lately that I should buy a double-blade paddle and use it with our Swift Prospector 13 at a popular local lake, occasionally switching between the single-blade and the double-blade just so people can see that canoes can be paddled either way. It'd be even better if I learn to...

Enjoyed the account of your trip and I like your sense of humor... "Never liked the bottom of my canoe anyway." :D

We canoeists should keep in mind that the potential market for new recruits realistically doesn't include the buyers of $300 'yaks from the chain stores. It's the Pungo kayakers that show an interest in our canoes at the put-in. It's the first time or returning buyers of watercraft that have...

I think a solo like the Swift Prospector 13 but with lower stems would make a good option for people looking for an alternative to a rec kayak. It's pretty stable for its 30" max width but is still a fun lively canoe. Not going to set speed records but it'll get you there. It would be...

I was reminded of that yesterday. I'd just returned from a six mile "workout" in my fast cruiser and there was a couple launching short rec kayaks at the take out. They were watching me as I lifted the carbon solo onto my shoulder and said "That must be pretty light. What's it weigh?" I told...

Doh!!!! Still, they are good instructional videos to watch. ;)

If the right solo canoe was offered to a potential canoe paddler, something like a sport canoe that instilled confidence and yet was decently nimble, I think there'd be a lot more canoeists out there. An entry-level canoe wouldn't be ultra-light but neither would it scare you off when you looked...

I got my copy of the video series here... https://freestylecanoeing.com/instructional-video/

I think the idea of promoting solo canoes to new canoeists is a good one. Solo canoeing is more intuitive, and I think easier than tandem and a double-blade can make it easier as well as faster to learn to paddle single-blade, as Neophyte said. And I've seen kids get into a lively solo canoe...

The price of new quality canoes can seem ridiculous to many people, mainly because they don't understand what goes into building a canoe and aren't taking into account the reality of inflation. And I think the fact that a quality canoe can last for many decades is lost in the initial price...

I noticed you were spending quite a bit of time in those fast cruisers. They are a lot of fun to paddle at speed and exciting if you get into some wind and waves. Have fun!

Great selection of canoes to try out at this year's Rendezvous! I lost count on how many I took out for a spin. It was nice to revisit with everyone, meet other enthusiastic canoeists, and chat with some of the forum members that I hadn't met before. It was encouraging to see younger canoeists...

Maybe it's because I started out as a whitewater paddler but I've always strapped gear into the bottom of the canoe. I've never actually capsized a canoe on a trip but we did get swamped by big whitecap waves on a reservoir of the Columbia River once and we just barged our way to shore and...

Good replies regarding the difficulty of categorizing flatwater... It may be that the better way to classify flatwater is to have categories that describe the hazards a paddler may encounter given certain conditions of wind, waves, obstacles, and water levels. As with whitewater ratings, it...

Considering some of the replies so far... That's the argument for breaking flatwater down into categories that reflect the difficulty and risk of paddling in various conditions encountered within that category. As with whitewater, each flatwater category would have ratings based on the range...

I came to the conclusion that using flatwater works in the same way that whitewater does. The problem though, is that flatwater includes a range of paddling conditions not consistently used or described. As Steve (in Idaho) mentions above, locals know what "flatwater" means because they've...

I pack tent flies and tarps separately from tents and hammocks to keep wet from dry.