It's a bright sunny day and you are sitting around not doing a thing, wondering why you're not outside enjoying the bright sun and fresh air. You are looking for a new activity, one that is full of fun, excitement and adventure. You are wondering if you should do it solo or have a few friends and family joining you. You want to learn some new skills, ones that can be used to gain strength, balance and coordination. Then pick up canoeing, yes I said canoeing. Canoeing is a great activity with so many different options. You can go fishing in one type of canoe or go on long over night camping trips in another. You can use one for a relaxing day trips around a lake and another for tackling the raging rapids of some of the world's wildest rivers.

Canoes have been around for a long time, over 10,000 years. The oldest of which is a dugout found in Pesse, Holland and it is exhibited in the Drents museum in Assen, Netherlands. The canoe is a small boat that is mostly human powered, that was mostly dug out from a big tree. The canoe can be moved with one or more people, with the uses of paddles. The paddles are either double bladed or single bladed. There are many canoes to choose from, they offer their own advantages and disadvantages for different types of paddling. So the first step is to decide if you are going to do canoeing solo, with a friend or family for your new adventure. You may decide to do both so you might have to get more then one canoe.

There are five different classifications.

Recreational Canoes:
* 13'-16' in length
* All purpose
* Easy to maneuver
* Designed to be sturdy
* Use for fishing, also day trips on calm waters
* Great beginner boat

Whitewater Canoes:
* Lengths vary from short to long
* High performance
* Great for large rapids
* Can't haul gear
* 1 or 2 paddlers
* Very durable
* Should have proper training
* Sleek design for easy maneuvering

River Tripping Canoes:
* 15'-17' in length
* Handles fast moving river or streams
* Solo or tandem canoes
* Takes more time to get used to
* Excellent choice for most stream and river canoe overnight camping

Expedition Canoes:
* 18'- 20' in length
* Carries heavy loads for long trips
* Designed for 2 or more paddlers
* Increase in bow death to have a dryer ride
* Fitted with a spray skirt

Wilderness Canoes:
* 15'-18' in length
* 2-3 paddlers
* Carry big loads
* Designed to be stable
* Running big rivers or lake to lake

Now that you have decided what type of canoe that you would like to have for you're new adventure. There are a few different kinds of material that the canoes can be made out of. Do you want one that is lightweight or heavy? Do you want one that is cool or hot? Let's look at the examples below.

Aluminum:
* Provides hardness
* Provides strength
* Cool in the spring
* Hot during summer
* Light weight
* Sturdy
* Easy storage

Fiberglass:
* Heavy
* Not very strong
* Not very resistance to shock
* Hull paddled into rocks may crack
* Can be costly

Wood:
* Expensive
* Not sturdy
* Heavy
* Takes awhile and skill to build

Inflatable:
* Lightweight
* Flexible
* Can add aluminum or wooden floors
* Easily stored
* Easy transportation
* Stable in all water ways
* Durable

When you make a big investment always do your research. You just don't want to buy the first one that you see. That's a great idea when you are choosing laundry detergent but in this case, you want something that you can be safe and durable. Always be safe on the water, water can be very unpredictable. Have fun with your new adventure.