Safety

Our location in New England means that for much of the year, the ocean water is dangerously cold, and even in summer, exposure to the cold sea water can drain your body heat quickly. This video is about 90 minutes long, but it is an excellent overview of how to stay safe in cold water conditions.

Outrigger canoes are time-tested ocean-going craft, but there is still a chance due to rough seas or incautious handling of a huli, the Hawaiian word for capsizing the boat. We do huli drills to practice what the boat crew needs to do to recover from a huli, but these two videos will give you a primer on the procedure.

Clothing for outrigger canoeing should have a few special properties. It is a good basic principle to never wear clothing made of cotton. Cotton loses all insulating properties when wet. Even on calm, sunny days there is splashing. Any wind and rough seas will drop temperatures quickly.

Canoeing also requires you to move your arms freely and twist at the waist. Be sure that whatever you wear will not restrict these movements.

Foot gear is a matter of personal preference. Some people wear wet shoes or wet boots, others wear sandals or go barefoot. We have to launch our canoes from a beach and the underfoot terrain ranges from grass to rocks to seashells and seaweed.

Be sure that whatever you wear is appropriate for the conditions on the day you paddle.

Most of our recreational paddles are one to two hours long, so even in summer, a water bottle will suffice.

However, if you are on a longer training paddle of 3+ hours or in a long distance race, you will need plenty of hydration and fuel to keep going and avoid dehydration. Many of our paddlers are experienced with these types of races and can give you guidelines for appropriate amounts of water/electrolytes and food to bring with.

More questions that need answers?

More questions that need answers?

More questions that need answers?

More questions that need answers?