Summer is a wonderful time for outdoor activities. Bike riding, swimming, tipping a canoe over in a lake. That's right, it's all fun and games until you lose your balance in a boat that is basically designed to tip over.
All joking aside, it's important to be prepared to handle a situation such as capsizing a canoe, whether you're in a lake or fast moving streams. It can be a pretty scary situation, especially when you're caught of guard or, you know, you drop your phone in a lake in the process. Who would do that? Psh.
In order to handle capsizing a canoe you first have to understand a few things. Most importantly you have to understand how likely a canoe is to tip. You have to know where to sit in a canoe to maintain a good balance. Sitting on the sides or standing up makes it easier to tip over. Another safety precaution to keep in mind is to never tie your paddles to the canoe. It may seem like a smart idea so you don't lose them if it tips over, but it can actually be more dangerous if that happens. Locate, or better yet, wear flotation devices and make sure you and whoever you are with understands the importance of balance.
Things to have on a canoe: a waterproof first aid kit and repair kit. Things not to have on a canoe: your iPhone that isn't protected in a waterproof case of some sort that can be attached to your body. Can you tell I'm not over the phone thing yet? Darn you, dependency on Apple products.
Once you lose your balance you have maybe a millisecond before the canoe actually capsizes. If you're past that point of no return it's best to not fight it and just let it tip. Don't risk hurting yourself! If you're not in fast moving streams just relax and assess the situation. Stay with the canoe even if it's full of water — it can actually help support you and whoever you are with! If you're in fast moving streams, it's probably best to leave your canoe as immovable objects can easily break the canoe. Again, don't risk hurting yourself! If you have a life jacket or flotation device, use it. If not, float on your back and try not to over exert yourself. If you're in fast moving streams have your legs point down stream.
If at all possible, try to keep the paddles so you can use them once the canoe is flipped back. The best way to fix a capsized boat is to have someone else help flip it, or get back to shore. That's another balancing act though, you don't want the people helping you to capsize themselves! If someone comes to your rescue, hold onto the bow and stern of their boat while they help to flip yours.
At the end of this adventure, remember to laugh. If everyone is safe and no severe damage is done (besides the guilt and embarrassing amount of shame you feel for losing your phone in the water), then you have a funny story to tell — and if you have to help someone else who tipped their canoe: help them first, then laugh.
