Wanting to get my 9 year old on the water, so I’m thinking of options.
Considering a Native Watercraft Ultimate 14.5 which I “could” paddle solo if needed by moving the seats, although I’d likely take my narrower longer boats when out alone.
For about the same money I can get the Old Town Osprey 140 canoe with the rowing option. I’m not really a canoe person and I’m not used to paddling backwards but I’m thinking the row option might be quite an efficiency benefit when the little ones don’t or can’t paddle and want to “be” paddled, something I’ve found not too fun in most larger tandem rec boats managing a double blade with a 30" or more width in a slow moving barge with 2 persons?
Any thoughts?
A thought
You could also get a pair of either solo canoes or solo kayaks. Recreation Kayaks have a short learning curve compared to canoes. From my experience a nine year old is certainly old enough to learn how to paddle either a solo kayak or solo canoe. As an example our daughter was paddling solo canoes at age 7 and had her own at 9. Paddling on her own (under adult supervisor of course) gave her a great sense of accomplishment and independence. Now at 15 she has a couple of canoes, is still very into it and is in her fourth year of Freestyle instruction – and damn good at it I’d say. ;^) - RK
Rowing Canoe is a great option
I really like the rowing canoe option if your son has the skills to sit in the stern and steer it with his paddle it makes for a fast trip. On the other hand 9 was when I started having my boys paddle from the bow of a regular tandem canoe.
By 6 the boys had their own boats and were using them in ponds and calm lakes. By 9 to 12 most of them were on their second boat. Still I put them in the rowing canoe when we had a long trip ahead of us.