Family's FIRST TIME in an Inflatable Kayak / Canoe ...

... on the River Itchen in Hampshire ITINERARY First few mins: Getting us all (4) in to our TANDEM / 2 seater inflatable FDS canoe / kayak from Bluewave - keeping a low centre of gravity is key! 6 mins: Adjusting my seat - boat feels more tippy when higher up 7 mins: Brief intro to paddling for my kids 10 mins: Sarah gets back in and we develop our counter-balancing technique 11 mins: More paddling learning 12.5 mins: Sarah gets back in the boat again, more learning 13.4 mins: More paddle technique learning 14 mins: Our first bridge 16 mins: Mattias has a go at paddling (his left arm/hand isn't as strong as his right, so he has a carbon Canadian Canoe style paddle); I'm using one of the 4 part paddles that came with the canoe; Lukas has one too, but also he swops it with Sarah and later a shorter single blade paddle that I figure will be easier / lighter for a 10 year old to paddle 18.5 mins: Paddle comparison 22 mins: I make a mistake but we rectify by taking our time and without over-reacting / rushing 23.5 mins: Watching fish and us all practising looking at the same thing on one side without tipping the boat over 27 mins: Practising reversing and turning around 29 mins: Dad thinks about getting out and we practise counter-balancing again 30 mins: Gliding in our Glider 31 mins: I make another mistake, but its a useful opportunity to practise and consider which side to paddle when you want to get the boat to turn in a specific way to avoid an obstacle 34 mins: More Gliding 36.5 mins: Berthing so the kids can get out to see their school friends and more practising of multiple disembarkations 38.9 mins: Mattias speaks and we use a different camera so can HEAR MORE OF EVERYONE AND AMBIENT SOUNDS TOO 40 mins: Sarah starts filming 41 mins: Dad helps Mattias with his paddling and he's powering the boat solo 48 mins: A great example of the impact of mis-communication (and why trying a new activity like canoeing is great for families) Our TANDEM inflatable FDS canoe: https://bluewavekayaks.com/glider-dro... 5 became 4 (widowed Dad & triplets):    / paulandizzy