All kidding aside, Souris River used to make a canoe with a rudder (and this was a standard canoe, not something like a Kruger which is strictly designed for cruising in open water). In the naive state I was in when looking to get my first solo canoe, one respected poster here (long since gone) almost convinced that a rudder would be a good thing. Thank goodness I got a little smarter in time and didn’t go that route.
@PaddleDog52 said:
@Sparky961 said:
(sigh) Yes, I should have known better than to spur on the never ending debate… At least it hasn’t turned into an all-out war … yet.Are there rudders or skegs on canoes?
I like this current crowd. Far less inclined to war than p.net was. Much better for real information.
Yes. My Mad River Monarch has a rudder. Its a decked canoe. Its not true that these are strictly designed for open water. Mine does fine in twisty mangrove tunnels… Of course then the rudder is up and not in use. The rudder acts as a skeg. Rudders can be quite useful in canoes. Mostly these days they are retrofit.
@PaddleDog52 said:
Are there rudders or skegs on canoes?
And does a roll in a canoe count as a self-rescue?
@Allan Olesen said:
@PaddleDog52 said:
Are there rudders or skegs on canoes?
And does a roll in a canoe count as a self-rescue?
Yes
@Allan Olesen said:
@PaddleDog52 said:
Are there rudders or skegs on canoes?
And does a roll in a canoe count as a self-rescue?
Only if you fall out!
It wuz detoymint dat a Pamilco 140 in red wit a “gray thing” waar de best boat in de woyld - be it a canoo or kayak!
@Allan Olesen said:
@PaddleDog52 said:
Are there rudders or skegs on canoes?
And does a roll in a canoe count as a self-rescue?
Kaiser or Portuguese?
@PaddleDog52 said:
Are there rudders or skegs on canoes?
The first (nope - second) Rendezvous I paddled had a rudder system installed. The owner had is set up for running the rivers that flow into the north shore of Lake Superior. He would run the rivers with the rudder up and then drop it when he hit the big lake.
@FatElmo said:
It wuz detoymint dat a Pamilco 140 in red wit a “gray thing” waar de best boat in de woyld - be it a canoo or kayak!
A friend calls the P140 a plastic Kruger.
Canoe rolling is quite classic. It does require you lock in with foot pegs and thigh straps though I’ve seen it done by locking feet under a cane seat.
I suspect some here haven’t seen it done
@kayamedic said:
Canoe rolling is quite classic.
Silence!
We are trying to transfer the most heated debates from the kayak world to the canoe world. This is a serious task, and you shouldn’t disturb it with any kind of facts!
Being one who does not miss many opportunities to “stir the pot”… >:)
Single blade=twice the paddler.
“We don’t need no stinkin’ skeg or rudder”. 
B)
BOB
Sam, a “real paddler” in his canoe; dragging his “toy” kayak.
A picture is worth a thousand words !
BOB
The pot is sticking… Time to restir. Not all kayaks are propelled by double blades. King Island Kayaks are paddled single blade… And I know many people who carry a single on the deck for their spare.
@Newbie91 said:
Hi,
We want to choose a water sports for my daughter, she is 8 years old. I want to learn exact differences between a canoe and kayak. Thanks.
As much fun as this has been, I’d like to more directly address the original question. She’s quite young to be picking anything that will stick with her for life. I like that you’re starting her off early with an outdoor activity, but variety is the key at this point rather than specialization. Get her into as many different kinds of boats and other activities that you reasonably can. Eventually she’s going to decide what she likes to do. It may even end up she doesn’t like being on the water at all - which would be unfortunate, but entirely possible.
My dad started me off with backcountry canoe trips as a pre-teen. I really enjoyed it, but got away from it through my teens and early adulthood. Somewhere in that time I had tried renting a kayak for the day and it wasn’t a great experience. I know now that the boat was a poor fit and I had not idea how to properly paddle it. One day I decided I wanted to get back into it and purchased a used canoe. It took me on many trips before I realized I wanted to try getting into kayaking. I started this phase with a borrowed 10’ recreational boat but quickly graduated to a 17’ fiberglass sea kayak. Now I have a fleet of 3 for various paddling conditions and experiences.
The point to all of this is that throughout my life I’ve been in both canoes and kayaks. For my own reasons I’ve decided that kayaks are a better choice right now but there are some trips where I’d still rent or borrow a canoe. It doesn’t need to be one or the other, and the more varied a person’s experiences the more valuable they are.
@Newbie91 said:
Hi,
We want to choose a water sports for my daughter, she is 8 years old. I want to learn exact differences between a canoe and kayak. Thanks.
Technically, a kayak can be seen as a (kind of) canoe: most striking example of this is when a paddler turns a whitewater kayak into a decked whitewater canoe by taking out the seat and paddling it kneeled with a single blade paddle.
But a canoe is not a kayak, just like a boat is not a canoe.
When a canoe will be called a kayak depends on interpretation or is arbitrarily determined in competition sport rules. In general though a kayak is a more or less decked canoe meant to be paddled with a double-bladed paddle from a low seated position.
Dirk Barends
Seriously…
In most locations, small kayaks will probably be more readily available for test paddling.
The learning curve for canoes is much steeper for most young beginners than small, recreational kayaks. That learning curve for canoes typically decreases with quality instruction.
Small, recreational kayaks are less expensive than most canoes.
Some canoes are suitable for a test paddle by young beginners.
If available, let her try one…
Pictured is a small (11’7") Blackhawk Shadow I’ve let youngsters test paddle.
Good luck,
BOB
The focus here has been on solo paddling, but one thing for the original poster to consider, and I bet he has, is that an 8-year-old isn’t going to be all that great a solo paddler anyway. Kids that age do well as passengers/part-time paddlers in their parent’s canoe, and the same ought to be true of a tandem kayak.