Not that I have noticed, but the wood gunwales on my boat are not particularly well maintained. 
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The drill that we always used in training for boat-over-boat rescues where a tandem canoe was being rescued regardless of whether the rescue boat was a canoe or kayak was as follows:
One swimmer, usually the stronger would stay at the stern of the capsized tandem helping to get it into a perpendicular location to the rescue boat and help maintain it in that orientation. For a rescue in current or wind that was sometimes difficult for the person(s) in the rescue boat to do having access only to one end of the capsized boat.
Meanwhile the other swimmer would go to one end of the rescue boat and hold on. That would be the upstream end in current and the upwind end in wind. Sometimes that swimmer would also have a couple of paddles to hold onto.
The swimmer at the end of the capsized tandem would push down firmly on the far end of the capsized canoe to assist the rescue boater to lift the canoe over their gunwales or deck. That would also help break the suction that sometimes wanted to hold the upside-down canoe in the water. It is actually easier to lift the bow of an inverted canoe over the deck of a kayak than over the gunwales of a canoe.
The swimmer at the end of the boat remained in contact with it as the rescuer(s) slid it back into the water and helped to get the emptied boat into parallel alignment with the rescue boat ready for reentry.
As pblanc has described so far. After the canoe is emptied of water, it is flipped back to upright and slid back onto the water surface, making it parallel to the rescue canoe. A rescuer will lift on the closest gunwale to lower the far gunwale to just above water level, making it easier for a swimmer to enter. Then with a strong kick the rescuee will flip over the gunwale as the rescuer pushes down, essentially scooping the swimmer into the canoe in one coordinated easy motion. The second swimmer can enter similarly, or with the assistance of the first.
I have been an instructor of a training program for adult (usually college age) BSA wilderness high adventure trek leader guides in the Adirondacks for 30 years. During initial training, I usually narrate the process as fellow instructors go through demonstration steps. Afterward I ask the important questions of āhow did this happen in the first place?ā Were you guiding totally inexperienced young scouts who were not doing as they should? Was the weather/wind too much for their skill level? How far from shore were you? Why so far out?
This is also where the concept of tying or not tying in gear comes up. Imagine trying to untie wet tightly knottted ropes (or thin paracord) while under an overturned canoe before it can be righted and rescued. I tell them to at most clip the hip belt around a thwart. I have heard young scouts tell me that their packs are so heavy they would sink, where upon I would throw my heavy pack in to show that it floats 95% above the water line. If windy, let it go away, retrieve it later. Unlike when in wilderness heavy river current were the advice is to keep necessary survival gear (that which is not carried directly on my person) secured with the boat, which is what I do when paddling on the Yukon River.
Each trek leader candidate student will have the chance in the next couple of days of days of field instruction and evaluation to practice canoe buddy rescue at least once from each position.
Iām new to paddling and ended up with an Eddyline Fathom and a Delta 15.5 GT. I am trying to find classes in my area, but itās not looking good without a hundred-mile drive. I sure do feel I have a lot to learn.
If itās a good class, it will be worth the drive. Thatās about the same mileage I drove when I took my intro to sea kayaking class, which covered self rescues.
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Iāll have to do some more digging to find a good class. I keep going out with my daughter without any formal instruction. Makes me nervous. So do most of the classes cover everything in a day such as wet exit and self-rescue besides paddling techniques, edging, and bracing?
I canāt speak for any other classes but the one I took at LL Bean in Maine. Best way to find out what the class will teach is to look online at the different classes or call whoever is running them and ask what they cover.
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A 6-8 hour Intro to Kayaking ACA class will cover the basics of strokes, equipment, and some rescues. A 4 hour class will cover about 1/2 of that based on what the instructor plans or feels is needed for the students attending.
I see students begin to get proficient after completing both Intro to Kayaking and Essentials of Kayak Touring which reinforces basic strokes, introduces more strokes, and teaches/practices more advanced rescues by growing on what was learned in the first class (each is a 6-8 hour class).
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I am going to state the obvious.
The best ride is upright in the boat yet we are all just between swims. Practicing for āwhat ifsā is good to do. Training not only leads to improvement but also provides an opportunity for self reflection in regard to your own abilities or inabilities.
In a rescue situation, people are always the first priority. Only help if you can do so without endangering yourself. Iāve been a little reluctant to take a swift water refresher in recent years because of the physicality that such a class demands. Iām constantly adjusting my paddling venues to reflect that diminished capacity.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. One of the advantages of mentoring newbies is that I frequently do get an opportunity to practice rescue skills.
Personally, Iām not a fan of shallow surface dives (belly flops), live bait, or z drags. I was a lot better at climbing into boats when I was younger. Now that Iām fat and old, I have a harder time scrambling on or into boats. I try to keep it real. Just because Iām between swims doesnāt mean Iām eager to take one. Prepare for the swim but know that dry hair can be quite nice.
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Iām pretty much the same, and the way I put it is āif you donāt want to swim it then donāt paddle itā.
For me that means no big open water alone, which is too bad because I live in the Ocean State (RI). In moving water, I top off at the easy end of class III. Above that and it is a 50/50 chance that I am going to swim. If it is a short, easy swim then Iād be more likely to run it. Or if it Iām with a group that I know Is OK chasing down a big open boat , then Iād also be more likely to run it. One of the difficulties with swims in moving water (other than the obvious risk of drowning) is that swimmer and boat often end up in different locations, and it can be difficult to get them back together again. Iād rather run rapids than hike along the shore looking for my boat.
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If you want to feel most solid fast consider finding a situation where you can stay overnight and do two days. Totally worth it. Rescue practice tends to be a little tiring, so nice to have some steam left for the other work.
The ACA program as above would do it. Make it a mini vacation w your family. In fact if your daughter is old enough, see if she could participate too. Sheād have a ball w the rescue practice. Just be ready to be embarassed by your own hesitation if she is a water baby. The kids usually let go of inhibition a lot faster than adults.
100 miles not going to seem like a huge drive here. Those of us who have done big water training have often gone further than that to try out boats.
Celia
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Thank you all very much! Iām just a 68-year-old fart with plenty of go-power left in me that loves the outdoors. My daughter is 44 and hasnāt had any classes either other than how to get in and out and paddle a recreational kayak.
I have found age plays a serious factor in ones ability to breathe in an ample supply of oxygen while swimming, so I no longer go anywhere near the water without a quality PFD. It was a real shock to find out I can no longer swim.
I really do want to be able to paddle by myself, but only on inland lakes that are as smooth as glass on the weekdays. Moving water looks like some serious fun, but I think those days are gone for me. I could surprise myself, though. But the lake I will be on most of the time has some very steep surrounding terrain with heavy vegetation which makes self-rescue an absolute must. I wouldnāt even be able to walk out on land if I were to capsize and not be able to get back in. I have a paddle float and rescue strap, so I could watch YouTube and try to learn myself, but there is such a thing as learning bad habits. You just canāt beat professional instruction, although REI does seem to have some great videos.
I most certainly will try to find professional instruction somewhere near me. I live in between Nashville, Knoxville, and Chatanooga if anyone knows of anyone good to contact.
You would be hard pressed to find a location in the US where there are more opportunities for river paddling instruction and river rescue training than where you live.
There are several canoe and kayak clubs in east Tennessee that offer instruction in river canoeing, kayaking, and some swiftwater rescue training.
Check out Chota canoe club centered in Knoxville, TSRA (Tennessee Scenic Rivers Association) centered in Nashville, and the Tennessee Valley Canoe Club centered in Chattanooga.
You are also not far from the Nanatahala Outdoor Center and Endless Rivers Adventures, both of which offer instruction and are located on the Nanatahala River just south of Bryson City, NC.
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Know your boat and your abilities, and what kinds of things you do that can get you into trouble (with an unwanted soaking). I learned the hard way to obey a primary rule of canoeingā¦ keep your head inside the plane of the gunwales unless you are actively bracing. Donāt randomly turn to look directly behind you. Especially, when acting as an instructor, and unless purposefully demonstrating, donāt mistakenly do it with an audience, such as with a troop of young Boy Scouts who will most enjoy seeing you flip over (been there, done that).
As already has been said, practicing in controlled conditions is important. Donāt travel solo in questionable conditions. Who is not guilty of that?
Add my attaboy to NHTruckers advice. I live in a remote area east of the Chesapeake Bay and it was 320 miles to the class that I found in the Buchanan area on the James river. In a wide, deep, slow section of the river I leaned a bit too far and rolled over. I donāt know what kind of kayak he has but it is in the Ā±8ā range and, with a little help from me, Steve had no trouble doing a boat over boat with my 15ā prospector (no extra floatation yet). Steve tied a stirrup strap to his side of the center thwart and with him holding down his side it was an easy push for me (78 years old, 6ā 210 lbs) to slip back into my canoe bringing less than 2 quarts of water with me. The cost of the class was probably the least of my weekend expenses. Any time you can spend with new friends on the water is a good investment. Steve and his wife, Beth, theTrip Leader, helping correct a few other errors was icing on the cake.
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Thank you for the info. Thatās what I was looking for. The best I can find doing an internet search is REI, and their classes are in the Atlanta area, and thatās too far to drive a Tundra at 12-13 MPG. I most certainly will contact those first three you listed.
All sensible advice. The one I have been guilty of is trying to turn to look behind me to see where my daughter is. Luckily I had C4-C7 fused, so itās a futile effort that I do not put enough effort into to go for a swim. And Iām learning quickly to stay upright and use the hips. I have watched so many videos on YouTube Iām overloaded until I can get in the water and try putting it to good use.
Sadly in todayās atmosphere everything is now measured in gallons of gas when looking for a price tag. I drive a Tundra, not known for its gas mileage. Still, I can do a 600 mile roundtrip for about $200. I have no idea what a two-day class would cost, but I can add two, maybe three nights in a hotel, too. Iām anxious to get moving on it. At 78 years of age, I definitely admire your tenacity! I can only pray to be able to continue to do the same ten years from now.
As a SAR volunteer, I was fortuate at age 68 to have taken and certify in the NYS Swiftwater/Flood Rescue swim training course, followed by the ice water rescue course the next winter, then the motorboat rescue technician course the following season. All excellent trainings and fun to do. Highly recommended if you can get into any such training.
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Most canoe clubs have instructional clinics in the Spring and early Summer months so you may have missed those for 2022. But the clubs typically also offer some degree of instruction throughout the year.
I have been active with both TSRA and TVCC in years past. Both are good clubs. I have never been a member of CHOTA but have paddled with members in years past.