GO: Paddle Making

Wooden Paddle Classes Available In the Northland

As the temperatures warm up, outdoor enthusiasts are getting their water crafts ready to get out on the lakes. But canoeing without a paddle is a bit hard, so in this week’s great outdoors, we learn how to make wood canoe paddles.

When it comes to handmade paddles, no two are exactly the same, because when you make a paddle by hand, you can customize and personalize them.

There are several organizations in the Northland that teach the basics of paddle making.

First you start by gluing different types of wood together, because different types of wood have their own properties, like being light, or being durable, or even just being pretty.

Then you cut the wood in to the shape of a paddle and sand them down, and finally, the paddle is laminated,

People who make paddles say the end result it worth the trouble, and putting their handmade paddle in the water is a special moment.

Boulder Lakes Environmental Learning Center offers Paddle making classes. Visit their website at http://www.boulderlake.org/