Article Assignment #1

Small Is Beautiful.

Making short work of short canoes. - "Rapid" The White Water Magazine

Rating:****

Many canoeists have found a new interest in canoes with short canoes. Long canoes tend to be a faster but much more harder to turn (especially on short edges). Short canoes also have less glide causing the canoeist use a different kind of stroke other than the regular one they would use. Therefore, causing the canoeist to make certain adjustments to the way that they paddle also causing them maximize their performance of their hull features. Which can be very important when canoeing whether in or out of rapids.

To start off the article, the main use of short canoes is to help turn easier, less glide (beneficial sometimes), and when going through rapids, these "short canoes" make it a lot more easier and relaxed for the canoeist to pass by. The articles also mentions, "Playing with stroke length can help too." Meaning; When you use a long stroke, it helps turn the short canoe a lot faster. Reason is; You twist with your whole body. When you twist with your whole body, it is much easier to turn and because the shorter canoe is much shorter, it is also much easier to turn. As appose to being in a longer canoe, it may be harder to turn because of its length.

This article made me reconsider on using longer canoes for the future and perhaps decide to switch to shorter one. Making it easier for myself to go through rapids faster and also turn much easier. The shorter canoes would also allow me to truly test my strength and proper technique (because there is less glide on the shorter canoes).

Devan Larkin