The Houston Canoe Club
is a Paddlesports Risk Management Club Sign the Waiver HCC
"The Industry Has Been Sizing Kayak Paddles Wrong For Years" "I headed to the sales floor and started comparing the shaft lengths of all the paddles we had on the wall. High-angle, low-angle, and by all manufacturers. The results were illuminating. Shaft length varied widely across models and brands at any given overall paddle length... The overall length of the paddle seemed to have little relationship to the shaft length..." Complete story: Paddling Magazine "Canoe Packs - A General Breakdown" "You'd think choosing a canoe pack, since it's only generally used for carrying a large volume of gear for a short period of time, would be quite simplistic. It's the complete opposite, however. There's an endless assortment of designs and models, and each one always seems to have a bunch of overzealous users who think their system for hauling equipment around is far better than all the rest..." Complete story: Paddling.com "New Flush Drowning Research For Kayakers" "New research into the causes of whitewater drownings is attempting to understand flush drownings. In their research article, “Flush Drowning as a Cause of Whitewater Deaths,” two Colorado medical doctors looked at whitewater fatality data from the American Whitewater Association and attempted to parse out the significant variables..." Complete story: Paddling Magazine "Tips for Storing Kayaks" "This is a question that comes up often and since I was re-doing my own setup, I figured it might be a perfect time to go through some tips when storing your kayaks. These tips don’t apply to all kayaks – some are more delicate than others, some are built like tanks, but overall in terms of longer kayaks, recreational kayaks, and even for different types of materials, many of these tips should apply and help..." Complete story: Paddling.com "DIY Canoe Tree" "Building a canoe storage rack is an easy woodworking project you can complete with basic supplies. Spend a little extra to invest in cedar or another weather-resistant lumber..." Complete story: Paddling Magazine "How To Decide Between Blue Barrel And Canoe Pack" "For the last 30 years, serious whitewater trippers have been using the seemingly bombproof blue barrel to keep their down sleeping bags and toilet paper dry as they crash down rivers in semi-swamped canoes. But what about flatwater trips? Do barrels’ attributes of security and convenience outweigh their uncomfortable, cumbersome and, some would say, ugly nature? Consider the ups and downs when deciding if you should roll out the barrel..." Complete story: Paddling Magazine "From the Cockpit: Who's Right?" "I am sure some of you have experienced this confusion, especially when you started kayaking. How do we know who’s right? I would like to say they are all right? Unfortunately I have met instructors who actually present incorrect information so I cannot make a blanket statement. However, when I am posed with these dilemmas by my students, I do say they are both right, depending on one’s point of view and desired goals. I enjoy these apparent contradictions because it makes people think..." Complete story: Paddling.com "How To Choose A Good Paddling Spot" "One of the greatest things about kayaking is that there are so many great spots to explore, whether you live near a lake, river, pond, or the ocean. But that being said, one of the most important skills to learn for kayaking is how to choose an appropriate paddling location. By knowing what to look for and what to avoid, you'll stay safe and ensure that your paddling experience is fun for everyone involved..." Complete story: Paddling.com "Kayaking Alone: Are The Dangers Worth It?" "Paddling solo is a much different experience than paddling with a group... Instead, my experience changes because my mindset changes. When I am with a group, I feel the need to show off. I feel the need to paddle my best... But when I am paddling solo, all of that goes away. I don’t need to be the best. I don’t need to show off. I don’t need to be perfect. I can just be. I can just paddle..." Complete story: Paddling Magazine "7 Ways To Lighten Up On Your Next Trip" "It’s true that money can help save weight with the latest and greatest gear, but there are much less expensive ways to do more on your canoe trip with less. Everyone knows that opting for a wafer-thin canoe and dehydrating meals can shave major pounds off your camp kit. So where is a burgeoning ultra-light canoe camper to focus their efforts next? Let the famous words of Canadian bushcraft icon, Mors Kochanski, guide you to enlightenment: 'The more you know, the less you carry...'" Complete story: Paddling Magazine
"I headed to the sales floor and started comparing the shaft lengths of all the paddles we had on the wall. High-angle, low-angle, and by all manufacturers. The results were illuminating. Shaft length varied widely across models and brands at any given overall paddle length... The overall length of the paddle seemed to have little relationship to the shaft length..."
"You'd think choosing a canoe pack, since it's only generally used for carrying a large volume of gear for a short period of time, would be quite simplistic. It's the complete opposite, however. There's an endless assortment of designs and models, and each one always seems to have a bunch of overzealous users who think their system for hauling equipment around is far better than all the rest..."
"New research into the causes of whitewater drownings is attempting to understand flush drownings. In their research article, “Flush Drowning as a Cause of Whitewater Deaths,” two Colorado medical doctors looked at whitewater fatality data from the American Whitewater Association and attempted to parse out the significant variables..."
"This is a question that comes up often and since I was re-doing my own setup, I figured it might be a perfect time to go through some tips when storing your kayaks. These tips don’t apply to all kayaks – some are more delicate than others, some are built like tanks, but overall in terms of longer kayaks, recreational kayaks, and even for different types of materials, many of these tips should apply and help..."
"Building a canoe storage rack is an easy woodworking project you can complete with basic supplies. Spend a little extra to invest in cedar or another weather-resistant lumber..."
"For the last 30 years, serious whitewater trippers have been using the seemingly bombproof blue barrel to keep their down sleeping bags and toilet paper dry as they crash down rivers in semi-swamped canoes. But what about flatwater trips? Do barrels’ attributes of security and convenience outweigh their uncomfortable, cumbersome and, some would say, ugly nature? Consider the ups and downs when deciding if you should roll out the barrel..."
"I am sure some of you have experienced this confusion, especially when you started kayaking. How do we know who’s right? I would like to say they are all right? Unfortunately I have met instructors who actually present incorrect information so I cannot make a blanket statement. However, when I am posed with these dilemmas by my students, I do say they are both right, depending on one’s point of view and desired goals. I enjoy these apparent contradictions because it makes people think..."
"One of the greatest things about kayaking is that there are so many great spots to explore, whether you live near a lake, river, pond, or the ocean. But that being said, one of the most important skills to learn for kayaking is how to choose an appropriate paddling location. By knowing what to look for and what to avoid, you'll stay safe and ensure that your paddling experience is fun for everyone involved..."
"Paddling solo is a much different experience than paddling with a group... Instead, my experience changes because my mindset changes. When I am with a group, I feel the need to show off. I feel the need to paddle my best... But when I am paddling solo, all of that goes away. I don’t need to be the best. I don’t need to show off. I don’t need to be perfect. I can just be. I can just paddle..."
"It’s true that money can help save weight with the latest and greatest gear, but there are much less expensive ways to do more on your canoe trip with less. Everyone knows that opting for a wafer-thin canoe and dehydrating meals can shave major pounds off your camp kit. So where is a burgeoning ultra-light canoe camper to focus their efforts next? Let the famous words of Canadian bushcraft icon, Mors Kochanski, guide you to enlightenment: 'The more you know, the less you carry...'"