Learning the Strokes to Steer. When learning how to paddle a canoe, you’ll want to master the different strokes. These include forward, backstroke, and the j stroke. The Forward Stroke. The forward stroke is your main technique for how to canoe. It invo

So before stepping into that canoe, let’s learn how to steer! Step One: Establish Responsibility. Before canoeing, always make sure that each person knows what they are doing. In a two-person canoe, the paddler in the bow (front) of the canoe controls m

This means while in any kind of shooting rapids the bow partner can use this stroke to quickly steer the canoe out of the way of any obstacles. The “J” stroke is a stroke that is used by the stern (back) person to affect the forward path of the canoe