For family leisure and summer recreation, there are several different avenues to travel, however, canoe trips are one of the most popular activities, as long as safety and stability are maintained.

One of the best types of summer recreation is canoeing and can be discovered in many state parks and recreation centers. There are public canoe access sites and private canoe trips that can be a source of family entertainment. It can also provide an opportunity for family interaction and quality recreational time spent together.

Taking a canoe trip with your family or friends can be an exciting and exhilarating experience, as long as you keep some basic rules in mind. If you follow the general rules of nature along with a few common sense rules, you and your family will stay safe and be able to have an afternoon of relaxation.

The first things that you should obtain or purchase when planning your canoe trip are life preservers. Every single person that will be going on the trip will need to have one, from the experts in canoeing to the novice recreation canoers.  Regardless of your family’s experience level, life preservers are a necessary safety precaution when taking a canoe trip.

Once everyone has their life jackets on and securely buckled, it will be time to go over a few additional rules for your canoe trip. This should be done before you even enter the canoe with your family. Safety is one of the most important factors to consider before the trip even gets started, so that everyone is informed of risks and the possible dangers that could occur. Go over all of the rules completely, in order to keep the canoe upright and stable during your canoe trip.

One of the first things to understand when keeping the stability of the canoe is to make sure that you don’t stand up in the canoe. You should tell everyone in the canoe to remain seated in the center of their seat at all times, if possible. Distribute body weight as evenly as you can so that the canoe doesn’t lean to either side. This will prevent any of your family members from falling into the water unexpectedly. Swimming is an excellent form of recreation also, but if you want to stay dry, never stand up in the canoe, unless it is absolutely necessary. If you need to stand for any reason while canoeing, be sure to hold both sides of the canoe while maintaining your balance. This is also a good thing to remember when entering or exiting the canoe.

Another rule to enforce while canoeing is that horseplay should never be allowed because it creates an obvious safety hazard. Playing around and having fun are not bad things, except when it comes to canoeing in rapids or even slow moving waters. Everyone in the canoe must be aware of this important rule in order to ensure safety and stability.

Appoint one of your family members to be in the bow position for spotting possible obstacles while canoeing. This job is for the person that is sitting in the front of the canoe, because they are the ones that will be able to see upcoming hazards, such as submerged tree trunks and rocks. It will be advantageous to stay alert to spot things before they become problems that could throw your canoe over in rough waters.

Rowing techniques can be discussed briefly with your family. Make sure that the people that will be rowing are aware of a few things. Let them know to use only enough force to propel the canoe in a forward direction. Being too aggressive when rowing can cause unnecessary disturbances in the water, this will cause waves that could hinder the stability of the canoe.

When taking things along on your canoe trip, such as tackle boxes, fishing poles and coolers, be sure to keep them secure and evenly distributed in the canoe. The weight of the items should not cause an offset in the balance of the canoe or it could cause a mishap. It is preferable to position the extra items in the center of the canoe or along the outsides, as long as they are of equal amount of weight.

Additional things to consider taking on your family trip for canoeing recreation would be sunscreen, bug spray, bait and a waterproof camera. You can keep these things safe from water damage, especially a camera, by placing them into a zip-lock type bag. Memories will be created for years to come during your canoeing excursion and you will want to remember them all. Stay safe while canoeing and make memories of your family recreation.