Who says size doesn't matter?  Well, you'd sure think it didn't if you walked into any general sporting good store looking to buy a canoe paddle.  It seems the salesperson will just sell you whatever they have on the shelf regardless of your height, what boat you're paddling, or your experience level.

Well, you can this hassel the next time you're in the market for a canoe paddle.  Learn to size a canoe paddle for yourself and you'll end up teaching the sales team a thing or two about paddles.

A canoe paddle is a canoe paddle, right?  I mean there is only a blade, a shaft, and a handle.  How much can those three parts really affect a canoeists paddling?

Well, lots really.  Packed within those three simple parts is the ability to propel oneself for hours and miles on end.  When viewed in those terms it becomes more evident that  the design of a canoe paddle is integrally important.    Be sure you understand The Anatomy and Features of a Canoe Paddle so that you are using a canoe paddle that meets your needs.

Participation in paddling watersports has grown steadily over the last 20 years.  In the 90s and the first part of the 2000s it was kayaking that took the world by storm.  While all types of kayaking continue to find new participants, the new kid on the paddling block is standup paddleboarding, otherwise known as SUP.  And, like its paddling counterparts, there are many facets and types of paddleboarding to consider when buying your first SUP.  Unfortunately, most people don't realize this going in and the simply just go out and buy the first or cheapest one they find.  Do yourself a favor and arm yourself with the knowledge you need to Choose Your First SUP.

We've all had near misses while kayaking, especially the whitewater kayakers of the bunch.  However, how many of us can say that in the pursuit of our kayaking goals that we actually drowned.  There's only one person that I know of.

According to Dr. Mary Neal she was whitewater kayaking, flipped over, was pinned against her boat, and drowned for over 14 minutes.  She wrote a book about this entitled To Heaven and Back.  While I haven't read it yet, I'm very curious to read about her experience.  She says she still kayaks all the time.  Good for her.

What do you think?