Turning with the sweep stroke
The sweep stroke is your key move in a canoe. Instead of pulling the paddle straight along the boat, you guide it in a wide arc: place it flat in the water near the bow, then sweep it out in a big half circle away from the boat all the way back to the stern.
This arc pushes the stern sideways and turns the bow the other way. So a sweep on the right turns the boat to the left. The wider and stronger the arc, the sharper the turn. For a gentle curve a small arc is already enough.
Tight turns and spinning on the spot
For a tighter turn you simply repeat the sweep stroke a few times on the same side. After each arc you place the paddle back near the bow and pull the next half circle.
To spin on the spot with two paddlers, you work against each other: the person in front pulls on one side while the person in back sweeps in the opposite direction. That way the boat turns almost around its own middle. On your own, you repeat the sweep stroke or draw the water sideways toward the boat, a so called draw stroke. We are happy to show you the exact move at the lake.