Age appropriate?

Seven · 02-17-2011, 08:14 AM

At what age do/did you start your kids on going rafting/canoeing/kayaking with you? I think I will take my 5 year old on a raft this year but the others I will wait a couple more years for.

jason · 02-17-2011, 07:20 PM

I see no problems with a 5 year old, providing it is not white water rafting. Make sure they wear a life jacket, and know how to swim, or at least stay afloat. We got our daughter used to water as soon as possible, and at two she was starting to swim.

ChadTower · 02-18-2011, 03:18 PM

It really really really depends on the water conditions. There is no reason a 5 year old can't handle appropriate conditions with appropriate practices.

Lorax · 02-19-2011, 06:17 PM

As long as they have the correct fitting PFD gear, the sooner the better.

Sunshine · 02-27-2011, 06:35 PM

My parents used to take me out on the canoe when I was three, but only still water through Class1 rapids only. I knew how to swim well even at three and always wore a life preserver. It really depends on the child and the water.

Susie · 03-01-2011, 11:24 AM

I must have been a late bloomer. I was about 9 when my parents and grand parents started taking me in the canoe with them.

outwest · 03-02-2011, 02:00 PM

I was not as much a late bloomer as I was a kid growing up in a home, being the youngest and by the time I came around the parents were tired of long trips and crazy things like this. I started when I was in my teens.

ppine · 11-17-2011, 03:12 PM

I have paddlesd with other people's kids a few times on overnight trips. They need to able to swim well enough to survive the conditions you plan to encounter. They need to be comfortable in the water, so they are not terrified the whole time. The lifejacket needs to fit. No sloppy lifejackets allowed that go up over their heads in the case of a swim.

One other thought. I was on a trip on the Green River in Utah. It was a long ride to get there, it was hot. A kid was playing near the river's edge while we were preparing the boats. He stepped in and slipped into the current. Luckily I saw him, because desert rivers carry a lot of sediment, and have almost no visibility. Kids should wear lifejackets on shore near water if they are not supervised.

wvbreamfisherman · 11-17-2011, 06:57 PM

We took a friend of mine's daughters out in the canoe this summer. They were 3 and 5 and thoroughly enjoyed it. The both had well-fitted PFD's and we paddled on a nice flat river. I'd say start them as early as you think they can handle it.

Start out with short fun paddles so they don't get whiny and bored and restless. Stop now and then to let them play around in the water if there is a safe place.

DMan · 12-01-2011, 11:44 PM

We took my two sons in a canoe starting when they were about 6 or 7. They were just too antsy before that and our canoe was a bit temperamental about flipping over. We made sure they always wore life jackets whether the water was deep or shallow just so they'd be used to it.