Learning to paddle an outrigger canoe is one of the many outdoor activities you can enjoy in Pensacola.
Today, at 10 a.m. at Bayview Park, the Pensacola Outrigger Canoe Club will host a Learn to Paddle and Family Day.
This is a family-friendly event and everyone is invited! If you love to paddle or are just curious to see what an Outrigger Canoe is, please join us for this free event. First-time paddler? Come and try it out! Come prepared to paddle! They will have great food and a fun new experience.
The members are from Hawaii, Guam, and New Zealand to name a few, which will certainly provide for an interesting conversation and experience.
An outrigger canoe is built similarly to a canoe but comes with two lateral support floats that help stabilize the canoe in the water. This especially comes in handy in rough water or water with larger waves.
Outrigger canoes are a part of Hawaiian history and the heritage of the islands’ earliest explorers. They symbolize the respect Hawaiians have for the power of the ocean. Some of the earliest outrigger canoes could transport 80-100 men, while today’s canoes typically hold around six.
In Hawaii, it is the state sport and is an interscholastic high school sport. In fact, Disney’s Moana and Maui sailed a traditional Polynesian double-hulled outrigger canoe using the guidance of the stars for navigation.
This is a great opportunity to learn something new and make friends. If you are unable to make today’s learning event, the Pensacola Outrigger Club practices every Monday and Wednesday 5:45 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at Bayview Park in Pensacola.
You can find them on Facebook here.
