CANOE CLINIC: It's boating season ... are you and your 
passengers safe? Find out on Passport to Texas ... 
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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

First-time boaters - make plans to visit Inks Lake State 
park this month to pick up the skills you'll need to enjoy 
a canoe trip.

The basic canoe skills level is geared towards individuals 
who really don't have any experience in canoeing. :05

Robert Smith is the park naturalist and peace officer at 
Inks Lake State Park. 

We try and give you the basics of how to paddle on the 
flat situation such as on the lake, teaching you how to 
steer the canoe, paddle the canoe, how to load and kind 
of stabilize the canoe. It's really a very intro class. 
We learn the strokes, learn how to get into a canoe, out 
of a canoe, what to do in case of a dump. We'll paddle 
around practicing our strokes. It's about an hour long 
program. :19

The clinic is being offered every Thursday and every 
other Sunday in July. Reservations are required, and 
clinics fill up fast. In addition to reservations, Smith 
suggests participants wear comfortable clothing they 
don't mind getting wet.

You know, tennis shoes or deck shoes that can get wet. 
Shorts, t-shirt, hat and water, sunscreen - that type 
of thing. We have an opportunity for people to learn 
to swamp a canoe if they want to, but that's just for 
the more adventurous ones. :12

Tomorrow, the Devil's Waterhole Canoe Tour.


That's our show for today ... for Texas Parks and 
Wildlife ... I'm Cecilia Nasti.