Quote Originally Posted by SadieKate
Hmm, in a canoe, isn't the person in back the one who has the most control over turns? Your back seat partner may have just been accomodating whatever you did. I've only used 2 seat kayaks and the person in back was really the one in control.
Canoeing flatwater, the rear paddler has most control and the bow paddler can act like a blind stoker. In whitewater, both paddlers are responsible for manuevering, though one or the other may have more leverage in a given situation due to boat position in the current. The stern paddler is accomodating the bow paddler by following their manuevers, but the manuevers need to be synchronized, and the easiest way to do that is for the stern paddler to watch the bow paddler and the bow paddler to watch the water. The stern paddler has a more limited view of the water but a better view of the boat, and can use their heavier weight to control the boat's lean. For tandem whitewater paddling, having the stern person in control involves lots of yelling (so the bow person know where to go) and occassional crossed signals. It's more efficient and elegant to have a team where the bow paddler picks the route.