Canoe or kayak through the fall colours

Paddling close to the shore of a calm lake in October is one of the quietest things you can do in fall. The trees are reflected in the water, the air is still, and you move slowly enough to notice everything. You don’t need any experience to try kayaking as a beginner, or a canoe if you’d rather share a boat. You do need to take the cold seriously.

Choose the water and the day

Start with calm water: a small lake, a pond or a slow river. Avoid fast rivers, big open lakes and anywhere with a strong current or waves. Staying close to the shore keeps you near the best colour, and near the bank if you need to land.

Check the weather before you leave. Wind is the thing that matters most to a beginner, because paddling against it is tiring and a strong gust can push you off course. A still day is ideal. Mornings are usually the stillest, as the catalogue says, and the light is lovely.

Rent from a place on the water: boathouses, outfitters and many state and city parks rent canoes and kayaks in the shoulder season. Check opening dates, because some close once summer ends. Book ahead on peak colour weekends.

Kayak or canoe

For kayaking as a beginner, a sit-on-top or a wide, stable recreational kayak is the easiest to start in, and rental places usually put first-timers in one. You sit low with your legs forward and use a paddle with a blade at each end. It’s simple to steer alone, so a kayak suits you if you’re going by yourself or want your own boat. A canoe is roomier and steadier for two and carries a bag more easily. Either works on calm water. Ask the rental staff which they’d choose for you.

Water is colder than you think

In fall, the water is far colder than the air feels. If you fall in, cold water can take your breath away and make it hard to swim even a short distance. This is why you:

• Wear your life jacket. Done up, the whole time. A life jacket you’re sitting on can’t help you.
• Dress for the water, not the air. Assume you could end up in it.
• Stay near the shore. You’ll never be far from land.
• Don’t paddle alone if you’re new, or at least tell someone where you’re going and when you’ll be back.
• Skip alcohol on the water. It makes cold and balance worse, and it’s illegal in many places to boat while drunk.

What to wear

Layers, as the catalogue says, because it’s colder on the water than on land.

• Base layer: synthetic or wool, not cotton.
• Middle layer: a fleece or wool sweater.
• Outer layer: a waterproof or windproof jacket.
• Bottoms: quick-drying leggings or hiking pants. Not jeans, which get heavy and cold when wet.
• Feet: shoes you don’t mind getting wet, such as sneakers or water shoes. Not flip-flops.
• Hands and head: a hat and thin gloves. Your hands will be wet and exposed.
• A change of clothes, left in the car, including socks and something warm.

Put your phone in a ziplock or dry bag, as the list says, and keep your keys in a pocket you can zip.

Getting in and paddling

1. Ask staff to show you how to hold the paddle and how to get in. They’ll know the boat.
2. Get in low. (In a kayak, ask staff to steady it, put your hands on both sides and sit down before you lift your legs in.) Hold the dock or the bank, keep your weight in the middle, and step into the center of the boat, not the edge. Stay low until you’re seated.
3. Sit properly. In a canoe, sit on the seat or kneel with your weight low. The heavier or more experienced person usually sits at the back.
4. Hold the paddle with one hand on top of the grip and the other lower on the shaft. Keep the blade in the water near the side of the boat, and pull from your torso, not just your arms.
5. Paddle together. In a canoe, paddle on opposite sides and keep the same rhythm.
6. Steer from the back. The back paddler controls the direction. If you drift to one side, switch sides or finish each stroke with a small outward push of the blade.
7. Keep your body inside the boat. Don’t stand, and don’t lean over the side. Move slowly if you need to change places.

Where to go

Paddle slowly along the shoreline, where the trees lean over the water. Stop paddling now and then and let the boat drift. A reflection of red and yellow in still water is at its best when there’s no wind and nothing is moving.

Don’t try to go the whole length of the lake. A short out-and-back that gets you back with energy to spare is better than one that wears you out in the middle.

If something goes wrong

• The wind picks up. Head for the nearest shore and paddle in along it. Don’t try to cross open water.
• You capsize. Stay with the boat. Hold on to it and kick toward the shore. The boat floats and helps you stay visible. Get out of the water and warm up as soon as you can.
• You get cold. Land early, put on dry layers and warm up with a hot drink. Shivering is a sign to stop.
• You go in circles. It happens to everyone. Slow down, switch sides, and have the back paddler correct the turn.

Make it a fall morning

Go early, bring a thermos, and spend a while just floating. If you’re hungry afterwards, a hot cider by the water or a big breakfast in town is a good ending. And if you liked being out on the water, a foliage hike is the same kind of day on land.