Paddling Education

Whitewater the Canoe Centre (WWTCC) is a paddlesports specialty shop near London, England, located on the banks of the River Thames. It’s been serving canoeists and kayakers in their region since 1954.

Ashley Bredemus and her husband Victor Pilon own and direct Birchwood Wilderness Camp in northern Minnesota. Canoeing and canoe trips are core to the programming of this small boys’ camp.

Bending Branches Prostaffer and long-distance canoeist Martin Trahan wrote an Instagram post about the pros and cons of smartphone use on wilderness canoe trips. “Toxicity or an essential tool?”

Minnesotan Rob Bossen has his hands in several paddling-related ventures including Bending Branches, Greg Duck Outdoor and US paddling’s newest trade coalition. We were able to catch him for an interview recently. Here’s what we learned from Rob…

Kristen Elgo has been a volunteer with San Diego Girl Scouts for more than a decade. She and other adult volunteers have gotten ACA certified so they can pass on their love of canoeing and kayaking to the girls they serve.

Camp Manito-wish YMCA is one of the top wilderness camps in the country. 2023 staffer Dave Scott co-led a 45-day canoe trip in northern Canada and shared his experience with us.

Thousands of you read our blog! We thought it’d be fun to highlight your favorite canoeing and kayak fishing content of 2023.

Lake Superior isn’t known as an ideal canoe camping lake because of its vast size and unpredictable weather. But Canadians Jon and Erin took 11 days in 2023 for such a trip along some of its northern shoreline.

You might think our underlying purpose at Bending Branches is to craft world-class canoe and kayak fishing paddles. But our Why goes deeper than that—it’s to inspire YOU to have memorable outdoor experiences on the water!

Today’s paddlers and anglers have technology at our fingertips we could only dream about a few years ago—thanks to our handheld GPS and computer systems (commonly known as smartphones).

Do you have a furry best friend you want to bring kayaking or canoeing with you? Some of our readers graciously gave us their best tips for how they trained their dog(s) as paddle partners.

Ready for a fun canoe video or two? The Okee Dokee Brothers canoed the Mississippi River from Minneapolis to St. Louis, writing the songs for their album Can You Canoe? along the way (you might recognize their paddles!).

A couple weeks ago a group of eight women took a week off work to head north and spend four days in the Boundary Waters together.

Modern canoes are made of many different materials, with Kevlar and aluminum being two of the most popular. How do you know which to look for when shopping for a canoe?

In 2011 Natalie Warren and Ann Raiho canoed 2,000 miles from Minneapolis to Hudson Bay. They were the first women to take on the route made famous by the book Canoeing with the Cree by the late journalist, Eric Sevareid.

Inflatable kayaks and paddle boards are everywhere—but an inflatable canoe? It’s worth considering if space is at a premium both for storage and transport but you love canoeing.

Our friends at Minnesota-based Midwest Mountaineering offer a helpful walk-through of the differences between river and flatwater canoes. Before buying a canoe, watch this video first so you buy the correct type for your paddling excursions.

Lets jam out together! We created the ultimate summer playlist with songs suggested by Bending Branches team members, employees, and you. Listen now and suggest your favorite songs below.  

The canoeing world is full of wonderful people who love nature, love the water and enjoy being around others. If you remember to be considerate and respectful, you’ll have conquered 90% of canoeing etiquette.

Do you have two or more canoes you need to transport? You can either buy a canoe trailer or build one yourself. Here are some ideas…

Bending Branches ProStaffer Will Copestake has canoed all over his native Scotland. Here, he lets us in on what he believes are Scotland’s best canoe destinations.