Better Safe than Sorry

With a break in my work schedule and a looming 26hr work weekend, I needed a break and that meant going outdoors with my family. My wife and I decided that because our 4yr old has been spending a lot of time in our canoe since we purchased it June 1st, we needed to really get him comfortable around the canoe and look more at the safety aspect of things. We picked a destination that we thought best fitting for our little endeavor. Since we would be flipping the canoe and showing different techniques we wanted Hiker to be comfortable, so we selected the shallow, sandy bottom waters of Sandy Lake between Ennismore and Buckhorn. I have fond memories of swimming in this lake as a kid, into my teenage years and adult life. The beach is small with a beautiful view and just an all round great environment. Because the water is shallow it is warm. This translates well as all Hiker swimming lessons are in a warm pool at the YMCA and he is not quite acclimatized to the cooler lakes in the Kawartha's for long periods of time. He did however complete his first jump out of a canoe a week ago on Copper Lake in the Kawartha Highlands P.P. with a bit of bribing from his Mother and I. So we are taking the "baby steps" approach not to overwhelm him at this point. Once he can make his way around the canoe with confidence, we will take his new found skills to the colder lakes.



So anyway, back to our warm little paradise at Sandy Beach. On our way we stopped at the Bakery in Buckhorn for homemade butter tarts and chocolate éclairs, yummy! When we arrived there were few people at the beach and in the water which was perfect as there were the makings of a beautiful sunset. We played around on Hikers boogey boards to begin with and then the three of us set out in the canoe to a part of the water that was approximately shoulder deep on us and over Hikers head. We gave him a quick warning that we were going to overturn the canoe and seconds later, over we went. When Hiker surfaced we instructed him to go to the capsized canoe and hold on. If we were nowhere to be found, we instructed him that he would blow his whistle 3 times (international distress signal). We then showed him how the canoe air locks with a chamber of air inside it and proceeded to show him how to get the canoe right side up and get back in from swimming in the water. We are hoping that he becomes comfortable and not panic in these situations. Exposing him to what could potentially happen when paddling in a controlled environment will hopefully give him the advantage if something ever did happen. The evening brought yummy treats, some canoe safety and fun in the water, great way to cap off a Friday evening with my two favorite people :)

Until next time, adventure awaits!

Johnny- Two4adventure