Keep your paddle in the water! Margaree River Solo Canoe - Split Screen Drone and Wide Angle

Keep your paddle in the water. An adage to both go out paddling more frequently but also to keep your blade active in the water while you are paddling through challenging waters.

In this video you see the first person view with a wide angle camera showing my paddle strokes and drone footage providing context. This was from a solo canoeing and camping journey in white water on the Margaree River in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia in October 2023. My paddle blade is moving the whole time until I travel over the second hydraulic where my brace, though stationary, is still actively providing support with the speed of the canoe. Having a paddle in the water nearly the entire run provides the best stability. Avoid the panic gunnel grab which provides no additional stability.