Canoeing
You must be a competent swimmer before taking up canoeing. Always wear a Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device (PFD), usually known as a life jacket. An approved helmet may also protect you from a head injury if you are thrown from the canoe.
Always canoe with a companion. Canoe with at least two other boats when on a fast river or in the ocean.
Before setting out on a trip, tell a responsible person where you are going and how long you expect to be away. Report your return. Check the weather forecast for that area, and make sure you know what conditions you are likely to encounter.
Learn how to deal with a capsize. In calm water it is safer to hold onto a floating, overturned canoe than to try to right it. In fast white water get away from the boat.
A canoe must be equipped with bow and stern bolts, deck lines, paddle parks, adequate buoyancy bags, and a spare split paddle secured to the stern deck.
Never carry more people than the canoe is designed to hold. Always stay seated and never change places with another person while afloat.
Keep clear of other boats. Remember that large boats are less maneuverable than you are and that a canoe can use shallower water than other craft. Keep away from fishing spots and dams.
Keep clear of rowing boats. It is often difficult for rowers to see a canoe.
