CanoeSport Outfitters

Typical challenges I hear from new and even some experienced paddlers have to do with lifting and carrying their kayak, feet falling asleep, or back discomfort. There are often a variety of uncommon solutions to these common problems.

Copyright © July 2026 by CanoeSport Outfitters | Est. 1992 | 34 Years Serving Iowa Paddlers Of all the skills a paddler can develop on moving water, few are as elegantly useful as the ferry. Whether you're in a tandem canoe loaded for a week-long wilderness trip, a solo whitewater kayak bobbing above a rapid, or a sea kayak crossing a tidal race, the ferry is the technique that allows you to move laterally across a current without being swept downstream. It is, without exagge

This is the single biggest leap most paddlers make on their way from beginner to Intermediate. It's the moment the paddle stops feeling like a mystery and starts feeling like a tool you actually control.

The bridge between beginner and intermediate isn't a technique you learn in an afternoon. It's a collection of habits you build through deliberate practice, and it shows up most clearly in one place: edging. This article is going to describe how to practice the skill so it becomes a habit; something you’ll find harder to avoid than to do.