During our 1-week stay at the beach each year we take a break from the gulf at least one day to do a 6-hour leisurely canoe/kayak trip on the river with Blackwater Canoe Rental. This is a great trip for just about any age. We usually put a younger child in a canoe with an adult. Three to a canoe tends to be too much weight. When my son was 9 yrs old he discovered that he preferred having his own kayak rather than sharing a canoe. The Kayaks are great and easy to navigate, but we find it helps to have at least one canoe, mainly for an ice chest. We've even gone as far as throwing in a couple of folding chairs for use during our stops on the sand bars. We make frequent stops to swim in the river, grab a bite to eat, and take little discovery expeditions on foot along the banks and up some of the feeder streams.
A couple of tips:
You'll want to check and make sure the river is moving. If the weather has been unusually dry you end up having to paddle the entire way, and may even have to get out and pull your canoe over some low spots. The best trip is when the river is running at a leisurely pace where you just have to steer the canoe, and not paddle too much.
It?s a wise idea to wrap a bungee cord around the ice chest. If the canoe flips you don't have to worry about the top flying open and losing your food and drinks. You might also want to use a bungee cord or two to secure other items to the canoe itself so they don?t end up floating down the river if you flip.
Finally, don?t forget a bag for your trash, and suntan lotion.