A safety device for small water craft, especially canoes, comprising an extensible stabilizing float of the outrigger-type. The float is shaped to conform to the side of the hull and is stored thereagainst while transporting or portaging the canoe or traveling in the canoe in moderate weather. The stabilizing float is deployed whenever stability is required, permitting one to stand in the canoe or haul objects from the water without fear of tipping. In the preferred embodiment, a deployable step is also provided to assist a person overboard in reentering the craft.