Rent a canoe if you’re going with a partner or bringing gear. Rent a kayak if you’re going alone.
Most of the advice below comes from the American Canoe Association (ACA), which runs paddling education programs.
The ACA says it’s easier to keep a kayak in a straight line when you’re alone.
With a partner, it says, tandem canoeing can be a joy.
Bending Branches, a paddle maker, adds that in its writer’s experience most beginners find kayaking easier to learn.
What a canoe is like
A canoe is an open boat with higher sides and ends than a kayak. Here is what a first-time renter will notice:
- In a recreational canoe, the paddlers in the front and back sit on seats several inches above the floor.
- The paddler in the stern does the bulk of the steering, and the strokes take time and practice.
- In most canoes you’re safer kneeling than sitting, especially when it’s windy or bouncy.
- There’s room for the kids and the dog.
- Canoes can also hold more gear than kayaks, and Minnesota’s Department of Natural Resources compares them to pickup trucks, with kayaks as the sports cars.
Steering is the catch. A Colorado Parks and Wildlife state park manager writes that newcomers are the canoes going in circles, and that once you can paddle in a straight line it becomes much easier.
If your back tires quickly, a number of different back rests can be attached to a canoe seat.
With two people aboard:
- It’s easier to travel and to steer with a paddler in each end.
- Canoes run straight, fast and stable when one paddler on each side strokes to the same cadence.
- Without gear to balance the boat, the heavier paddler should sit in the rear.
What a kayak is like
In a kayak, you sit much closer to the floor of the boat, even on it.
That lowers your center of balance by quite a bit. If you worry about tipping, a kayak will feel more comfortable as a new paddler.
Steering is simpler too, in one comparison.
A single recreational kayak with a double-bladed paddle can be steered accurately without knowing any real strokes at all. That comparison is one person in a kayak against two in a tandem canoe, on flatwater.
The trade-offs are real:
- Kayakers sit with their legs slightly bent in front of them, with less wiggle room than in a canoe.
- Kayaking is wetter and potentially more chilly.
- Different kayaks offer different seating options, including angle-adjustable back rests.
- Lightweight paddles decrease fatigue.
The ACA’s current safety slides say to dress for the water temperature, not just the air temperature. That is why what to wear when renting a kayak is worth settling before the day.
For beginners, the ACA calls sit-on-top kayaks especially suitable, because if you tip over you simply climb back on.
If a kayak is your pick, the choice between sit-on-top and sit-inside kayaks is the next one to make.
Tandem boats give people who tire quickly more chances to paddle.
Stability and wind
The wider the canoe or kayak, the more stable it feels when you first get in on quiet water. The normal width of a recreational kayak is 24 to 30 inches.
Many recreational boats have flat bottoms for that reason, though they’re not so stable in wind and waves.
Wind is always a challenge for canoeists, the National Park Service says.
Strong wind is something most canoeists should stay away from. In rough water, kneel in the bottom of the canoe for stability.
Wind can turn a great first day into a scary one. Wakes created by boats can also tip a kayak or paddle board.
Getting in and out
Three habits apply to any boat.
- Keep a low center of gravity while getting into your boat and loading gear.
- Use three points of contact, meaning every stable touch point possible, such as hands, feet, paddles and other people.
- Keep the weight of yourself and your gear centered, side to side and front to back.
For a canoe, line the boat up parallel to shore, with the bow paddler holding it steady for the stern. The rear gets in first and out last.
Be sure the canoe is completely floating. Put one hand on each gunwale (the upper edge of the canoe’s side), crouch down and step in.
For a kayak, hop in on flat ground before it gets wet.
That lets you adjust the foot pegs and back band to fit you. On the water, rest the paddle shaft behind the cockpit or seat, with one blade on firm shore, to lend stability when entering.
Which boat for your situation
Find the row closest to your day.
| Situation | Better fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Going alone | Kayak | Easier to keep straight than a canoe. |
| Going with a partner | Tandem canoe | Tandem canoeing can be a joy. |
| A back that tires quickly | Try both seats | Both boats offer back rests. |
| A strong-wind day | Another day | Most canoeists should avoid strong wind. |
| Bringing gear | Canoe | Canoes can hold more gear. |
| Worried about tipping | Kayak | Sitting lower helps balance. |
Where to start: calm water and short trips
A first rental works best on small, sheltered water and a short route. These tips for a first few canoe trips also work for a kayak:
- Stick to small lakes so you can easily get to shore.
- Canoe with someone else or in a group until you’ve built up your skills.
- Plan a short route in a well-travelled area.
- Stay off the water when there’s high wind or a storm brewing.
Practice in shallow water near the shoreline before heading into deep water, and keep your first outing to an hour or less. For a kayak, that can mean starting on lakes or slow rivers.
At the rental desk
Questions worth asking at the desk:
- What’s the boat’s listed capacity? The total includes paddlers, passengers and gear.
- Is there a back rest? Canoe seats can take one, and kayaks come with different seating options.
- Can you sit in the kayak on flat ground first, to fit the foot pegs and back band?
- Is there a life jacket that fits? The ACA says to wear yours every time you get on the water.
The ACA warns that an overloaded boat sits lower in the water and is harder to control.
Rent often at shops, local parks and liveries (boat rental businesses), and try as many different boats as you can. Ask the shop whether you can rent a canoe one day and a kayak another.