I’ve seen a lot of people use a kayak paddle in a canoe. It really helps you especially in the wind. Thanks 👍🇨🇦

Going on my first canoe trip in many years this weekend and will be soloing. Thank you for the needed refresher.

You make some very good points Kevin. Your video, like your books, is simple and well presented, thank you for sharing your thoughts. For me, a solo trip is a spiritual experience. It is such a thrill to be out on your own and feel at home in nature and comfortable in your own skin. And it must be said that it is very important to get proper training and gain the experience and skills required before going out on a solo canoe trip but I think it may be even more important to be aware of your limitations and not exceed them when you are out there alone. I like the way Bill Mason put it in his film "Water Walker"... "I've been told by plenty of people that solo tripping is dangerous but I've never been told that by anyone who has ever done it."

Great explanation of the strokes, I have been teaching the J stroke to scouts for years and your demonstration of the J and Goony make it so clear. I will be sharing this video with our scout troop and venture company.

Thanks! You are an excellent relaxed instructor. I've learned so much from you. Heading out after the lockdown for my first back country paddle trip. 👍👍

Hi Kevin: Good to see your new canoe. I've been using a Bob's Special (blue Steel) for about 10 years. Last year I had Nova Craft replace the ash gunnels with plastic( lot less maintenance) .for the last 17 years I have gone on a 2 week solo in September. This year thanks to your last video I will try the Noganosh area. Thanks for the tips. Brian 76

Welcome to the bob club ! Have been paddling the bob special ( ultralight hull and ash trim ) since 1990 .Saw it at a sportsman show and thought that canoe is for me. Use it for solo and tandem trips. Anyone who has paddled it ,whether experienced or not has liked it.All your pts about solo tripping are well taken but i would add i tend to do better on the fishing ( speckles in Algonquin) than with a partner. Probably related to the fish when you want and as long as you want idea. THough i am forced off the lake with little chop compared to a tandem team . Another observation is that you see more wildlife alone , probably due to noise made from talking to a canoe partner. Its the ultimate goal for any canoer really , to acquire the skills and confidence to solo trip.

I solo with my prospector 16. It's the canoe I've had since childhood. Glad to see someone else making proper use of the paddle. Makes for a relaxing trip.

I've done several solo trips of several days and it is the best. I have also done many trips with other people and that is also good. Any paddling is good. However, in regards to paddles and strokes.... over the past 15 plus years now of more intensive paddling (I have done many more years of less paddling) I use a double ended paddle and I find that is the most versatile. I actually have two long canoe paddles that are connected at their handles - overlapped by about 40 cms or so - as I find that this gets me the length that I want and I can also adjust them if necessary. Also they are much cheaper than a purpose made kayak paddle. Happy paddling!

Great video, thanks!

I usually do the J stroke but will be trying the Canadian tomorrow morning while solo paddling my 20 year old Scott 16' prospector. I've spent lots of time on the water but am self taught for strokes. Thanks so much for showing me this, and I love your videos. so keep the coming. Cheers from Kingston.

Hey Kevin, I hope you’re having a great time paddling so far this year. Just a quick note to thank you again for answering my questions, I truly appreciate your help. I ended up ordering a bob special and I’m hoping I will get it soon. Happy trails! René

We have solo canoes (Wenonah Wee Lassies) & use the double blade (kayak) paddles. We love them because they're light yet very stable. No overnights yet, just day trips but we hope to get in an overnight sometime soon. And thanks for all the great videos!

Great tips! There is something very special about canoeing/paddling, it's a timeless thing. Catching fish out of the canoe is a lot of fun also, going into back lakes and exploring places not seen by traditional travel.

Why go on a solo Trip! You named all of my reasons. I love it! I take my dog though for company. Thanks for a great video.

Thanks for the tips, Kevin! I'm picking up my new to me Wenonah tonight, pretty excited.

Great video. I love learning from your canoe and camping tips. (Both in print and film.)

I'm a new subscriber to your Channel and thoroughly enjoy your videos. This was a good review a basic paddle Strokes that my son and I can use this weekend. Happy paddling from your Southern brethren

I enjoyed this little instructional more than any other video you've done for one simple reason. You weren't being goofy.

Great video Kevin, very informative.

Have been paddling a bob special ( ultralight) for 25 odd yrs. Great solo boat and nice light tandem tripper. Also use the cdn stroke while solo. And paddle the canoe backwards as explained.

Thanks for this video! The timing of this is perfect as I'm currently planning out my first ever solo trip!

Learnt a lot through your videos. Finally got my own canoe this week! Thanks for all the help

So there are names for the strokes I use! Cool!! Thank You for sharing!

Kevin, great video. I would love to see a video on "solo" tripping with smallish children. Starting this spring I will be taking the kids on some 3 or 4 night flat water trips. My kids are great campers, but limited as paddlers :) trying to figure out the right length/design of canoe for this purpose keeps me glued to the internet, but not much advice out there.

Man, solo paddling is usually epic. Except in the craziest winds. It's so soothing. That Bob Special fascinates me. Better than currently soloing our 17" Grumman SK 17. Ugh. My poor knees. I feel like you're almost the modern day version of Bill Mason somedays. Not so much in mannerism, mind you, but in your genuine love of canoeing and your willingness to share it. Keep on bringing it to us. I know you get me stoked to go back out, and keep improving and enjoying it. Take care.

Nice instructional video, sitting in the front seat like that is how I solo my old Scott Canoe. Although I have not managed to do a solo trip yet. It is something I want to do soon. Cheers, John

We're of similar vintage - I appreciate your thoughts on a solo trip.

great video great advice really enjoyed this thanks for putting it up

Going on my first solo trip next week to the chiniguchi waterway 4-5 days. Not as long as originally planned but still supper excited... And a little nervous. Thanks for the pointers and inspiration Kevin.

Would have to agree in regards to the comment of solo paddling being relaxing, especially on a calm morning or evening. I swear if they strapped a blood pressure monitor on me I would see a drop in pressure because of the way it feels gliding across the water. Thanks for the video. Video on getting in and out of a canoe soloing would be fun to see as well. We know what a challenge that can be at times.

great tips. Never thought of sitting in the front and going backwards!!

Great Tips Kevin.... I started getting dizzy with the Canoe doing all those circles.

Thank You for living here in Ontario, and (I think) being a Canadian. Just sweet.

I do the same thing when soloing my Nova Craft "Pal". Even at 16' long, because it is a shallow canoe, it handles well in the wind while solo or with two people on short trips or on day trips.

Thanks for the instruction video... I see more and more canoeists sitting in the bow the more videos I watch.

Excellent! More canoe talk please.

Great video! Just scored 18’ cedar strip canoe, very light...just may have to go out solo for a few days!

Great stuff. Some tips that I have not heard anywhere else. Thanks

Great video, Kevin. Thanks for the demos, these are really helpful. Cheers!

Thanks for sharing these great tips ! :) Subscribed.

Wow! So much useful information, thanks a bunch! Definitely will have to watch this video one or two times more to get it all :) Stay safe, Bernhard

Today my cousin let me borrow his canoe i had no experience and i found it easy to sit in the front of the canoe and paddle that way because it was easier to keep the canoe straight i tried in the actual paddling seat and i couldn't get under the canoe as easy as if i was in the front seat.

Great tips, and lots of useful info! Thanks for sharing Kevin :)

Hey Kevin! I have an idea for your next book. "Soloing". What do you think? You could tell stories about your solo trips. Advise. What to and not to do. Etc etc. I know I'd buy it. I'm sure others would too. Just a thought Mike

Been waiting for this!!! And on a Bob Special!

I tend toward larger. This past spring, 450 miles on the Green River, Wy, Ut, Co, Ut. (the river winds around a bit) A month, carried my food and water,,, water I could refill three places, food,, with the exception of a hitch hiking side trip to a restaurant in Utah, for the whole month. Tent, kitchen, 4 paddles,,, Canadian built MacKenzie, of Clipper Canoe. 20'. The other reason for large,,,,, in spite of the 600 pounds of me and gear, the boat must float light high and quick,,,, lots of white water. (annnd I weigh twice what you do.) Heavily laden tends to plunge through vs up and over. Full cover and skirt, flotation, and ballast. I can portage the boat,, but I normally portage around dams by finding someone helpful with a truck, or waving a few 20 dollar bills, or in one case,, running the spillway. (I won't do that again.)

I like having a portage yoke mounted in the smaller tandem canoes. I just portage my solo using the seat on my shoulders, but think a removable yoke would be better.

Just subscribed. Thanks for the info!!

Great video! I've commented on another recent one! Great advice! I've had people wonder why I sometimes get down and lean on one side of the canoe and exactly like you explained not as much of the canoe us in the water and small simple things can make solo paddling a lot easier have you thought anyone about how to get back in the canoe from the water without rolling it? That's another thing I've seen people struggle with.

This was great. I'm going on my first solo trip to the BWCA in the early spring. I can't wait.

Planing my first solo trip thanks great advice

Is paddling with a Labrador Solo padding? Mine loved to move around and drink while paddling. It kept me on my toes so to speak! Great companion and she did not talk back.

Great tips! My family just recently got a place on Lake Chemong, would love to paddle around and pick your brain on some things. Please let me know :)

Thank you for those important tips.

I always learn something from a Kevin Callan video

very informative ,,,, just a another tip,, ,l take a kids umberlla with me on solo trip to use a sail just open up in front of me and relax

Enjoyed it, thanx!

Nice video. I like the Bill M. quote!

Great tips.. cheers Kev

I like my OT Pack-1 canoe with a double-paddle. But my dog is a Min-Pin so had no real weight but is all over the boat.

Skip to 4:45. That's when the stroke instruction commences. The rest is chatter.

Good video I like the hands- on instruction I have the old town 146 with the flat bottom come out navigate over lite swells if you use proper technique?

I keep seeing people (including Bill and Becky Mason) heeling their canoe in solo demo videos for "better maneuvering", but if the challenge of soloing is making the canoe go straight, why not keep more of the hull, and ideally whatever keel is possible, in the water for better tracking? Particularly in windy conditions where heeling the canoe seems like it would catch the wind more?

Great video

I love that you use the gunnel! I always thought I was cheating :)

best video by far ....thanks!

Good stuff. Thank you.

just bought an old town discovery 169, do you think it is also a good boat for solo canoeing? love your vids. greetings from belgium

Hey Kevin, do you store your canoes year round outside? Even in winter? Do you do anything special to winterized them ?

Hi Kevin, I really appreciate your advice you give in your videos. I have a quick question regarding solo canoing. I am planning my first solo trip in Algonquin. I am not the greatest swimmer and was wondering if I should tie down my backpack in the canoe in case I flip the canoe. I don't want my backpack to sink and I also want to be able to recover the canoe. I really don't know who to ask and I value your opinion.

Hi Kevin, sorry for yet another question. Unfortunately I don’t have the chance to try either the bob special or the pal, but I’m about to order one of the two. I’m leaning towards the bob special. Assuming you have paddled a Pal, which one of those two do you prefer to solo paddle? From the description on Nova Craft website, the Bob Special is more what I’m looking for. Do you find the website description pretty accurate? Thanks

Hi Kevin, the canoe you have doesn't seem to have a shoe keel, is that correct? I'm looking for a canoe I would enjoy going solo with. The Bob Special from Nova Craft Canoe seem to be really good, but I'm hesitant to invest the money to get the version without a shoe keel. What do you prefer to go solo with keel or no keel? Thank you for the videos and great instructions. I had never heard of the Canadian stoke before watching your videos. René

I regularly use the gunwales too, however, I find my paddle gets serious wear from it. Any tips? Will try sanding and coating with polyurethane.

I grew up on that lake on the other side cosway far shore

3 minutes portage, that’s tough 😂

great advice. how much gear do you think you could get in the bob special? think it's big enough for a 10 or 15 day solo? thanks again for sharing this video.

I think you have talked me into canoeing! What do you think of the Traper 12' as a real solo canoe? Is there a reason why you chose the 15' ?

Thanks for the tips. I'm a kayaker who wants to get into a canoe. I have a question, if the canoe I have is symmetrical how do I tell the bow from the stern?

Thanks!

Any reviews of the NCAA’s trapper?

What about double blade paddles for canoes?

Must be a fire, there’s no crime in Canada.

How heavy is that canoe my old town canoe is heavy at 83 pounds man it’s a back killer.

When the wind starts blowing I put about 20 pounds of rock on the stern seat.

Gooooooooooooooood 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

Bonus points if you've soloing a Bob's Special in Lake Ontario and have a C-130 fron Trenton roar overhead. Because some passerby you never saw reported you as capsized and in distress. Me: C-130 C-130...this is the canoe you are circling......ummm.......hello (hey it had been years since I'd used VHF radios for anything other than fishing updates!) SAR HERC: Hello sir (she's already put me in the numbnut category, ugh!) We had reports a green canoe was in distress, was that you? (then began a 10min excercise establishing that no I wasn't in distress, I'm in a green canoe, there might be another green canoe but I haven't seen one...) After what feels like forever (they wanted license numbers off my boat....eventually I just told them the number off the Nova Craft plaque up front, that made them happy), then they finally leave. I go back to trolling for salmon, which is what I was doing hiked over in a canoe 4 miles offshore in Lake Ontario to begin with.....but hiking the boat up brought them back! SAR HERC: Canoe in distress canoe in distress canoe in disress we see you, acknowledge 16 Me: Ummm....it's still me. I am NOT in distress. And I swear, barely in the background, I just barely heard....."I was at Y camp, they do that, they are weird" I felt bad for the SAR crew that so desperately wanted to launch something to come save me, but man the salmon bite was on that day. LMAO, they had to leave empty handed, but I got my 40" silver King (released) and my 10lb Coho for the grill that night. And another story of paddling heeled over Canadian style to tell the grandkids, lol

Are you left or right handed?

Nice tip for the two days out 10 and never come back......

recent freestyle exhibition kzfaq.info/get/bejne/m6yddLODvLXYYWg.html