Dealing With a Sudden Headwind in a Solo Canoe

When paddling a solo canoe, the wind will always try to blow the light end of a canoe downwind so it can be a struggle. Here are a few suggestions on how to deal with a headwind that comes up suddenly while paddling solo in a canoe.

There is more you can do if you know you'll be paddling in a headwind for longer but these are some things you can do if its sudden and unexpected. The two things to keep in mind are:

1. Making the front of the canoe heavier
2. Using short strokes as far forward as you can reach. Choking up on the paddle (sliding your bottom hand up the shaft) extends your reach and makes it easier to get more leverage on the canoe in order to swing it around.

The key to all of that is leverage on the canoe and you need to be as far forward as you can be.