Three Strokes and You're Out!
The biggest roadblock to learning proper paddling technique is that some instructors and students insist that it be more complicated than it really is. I have also looked for the secret that would make me an expert paddler. What I have found is that the more I work on economy of motion, the better my paddling becomes. What is it that we expect our strokes to do for us?
Forward and backward propulsion
Turning
Sideways movement
Provide Support
Forward Stroke
By varying the angle and depth of the blade, this one basic motion covers at least three of our stated objectives: With a vertical blade, we have your basic forward stroke for propulsion. The more horizontal the shaft, the more support you get out of it.
Place your paddle next to the bow of the boat, Angle the top of the blade back 30°-45°, push it straight out in a big arc, and you have a turning stroke called the forward sweep. Angle the top of the blade back 60°-80°, push it straight out in a big arc, and you have a sweeping high brace for support.
Back Stroke
Again, by varying the angle and depth of the blade this one basic motion covers at least three of our stated objectives: When paddling backwards, keep the shaft horizontal, and extend it away from the boat. Use the back of the blade.
Place your paddle next to the stern of the boat, angle the top of the blade forward 30°-45°, push it straight out in a big arc, and you have a turning stroke called the Reverse Sweep. Angle the top of the blade forward 60°-80°, push it straight out in a big arc, and you have a sweeping low brace for support.
Rudder Stroke
Place your paddle parallel to your kayak at waterline with a vertical blade by the stern, and move it in and out for steering. A forward or back stroke can be changed to a sweeping high or low brace by simply changing the angle of the blade, and extending it further out to the side. In essence, every stroke is a potential high or low brace.
Draw Stroke
Draw strokes give us sideways movement of the boat. In the classic draw, the shaft is vertical and extended out to the side, and drawn in to the side of the boat - not an inherently stable position. The stroke can be modified to offer a lot more stability by sculling the paddle back and forth. The draw stroke becomes much more effective ands shoulder friendly if you rotate to face the direction you are drawing to.
Advanced Strokes
These are combinations of the above strokes, seamlessly linked to provide the desired boat movement. To move your boat sideways while going forward, you could combine draws to the bow with half forward strokes, to avoid rocks, other boaters, etc.
With time and proper technique, anyone can develop a paddling style that is smooth, efficient, and stable. Once one understands the basic building blocks of a proper paddle stroke, things will start to become clearer even as the walls between the different strokes begin to crumble.
Don't Just Sit There - Rotate!
Body rotation is a key element to proper paddling technique. Rotation uses your large torso muscles to perform most of the work, takes the pressure off of your smaller arm muscles, and protects your shoulders from dislocation by keeping them inline with your torso, not extended behind.
When you plant your paddle to start a forward stroke, rotate into the stroke. For example, if you are paddling on the right, extend your right arm and shoulder as far forward as you can reach, and twist your torso to the left until it's about a 45° angle to the keel line.
While doing the stroke, you uncoil your torso, keeping your arms straight and rotating until you are actually twisted to the right to 45°. Stop when your top hand reaches the centerline of the boat for a low angle stroke.
With a high angle stroke, your top hand will cross in front of your face, so the blade can come out by your hip. While uncoiling, push on the foot on the side you are stroking on to help propel the boat forward. This will push your hip back, providing more rotation. You are now in position for a forward stroke on the left, i.e. you are coiled to the right, and ready to uncoil to the left.
Remember: Toe To Hip, 45° to 45°
Sweep Strokes
For the forward sweeps you coil and uncoil the same way, except that you push the paddle out in a big arc straight out from the side of the boat to get the turning momentum. While uncoiling, you are also pushing the boat with your legs.
This means your torso is going one way, while your legs go the other. It might help to imagine you are planting your paddle in wet cement, and are using your paddle as a stationary pole while you move the boat with your torso and legs.
If you look at the blade all the way through your sweep strokes, you will have to rotate - you should be looking at the stern of the boat after a forward sweep, and at the start of a reverse sweep. During your everyday paddling, you can back off the exaggerated motion until conditions require a little more oomph to your strokes
Reverse sweeps benefit greatly from torso rotation. Twist all the way to the side until your shoulders are parallel to the side of the boat. Extend your back blade as far to the stern as possible, but keep your elbow slightly bent. If you do not rotate for this stroke, you will be reaching back behind you with your shoulder in a very precarious position.
As in the forward sweep, uncoil your body and move the boat with your legs as well. For the backstroke, rotate until your front hand is at the centerline of the boat, then uncoil. Keeping your arms straight in the backstroke while you rotate your torso keeps the paddle out to the side in a nice, stable position, and spares your biceps unnecessary overuse.
Moving Sideways
The draw stroke requires rotation until you are facing the side you are drawing toward. Once again, this protects your shoulder, and puts your paddle in the most efficient position for the stroke. It allows you to get your paddle vertical, and out over the side of the boat where it will do you the most good. Keep your top hand still, with the back of your forearm in front of your forehead.
Kayaker’s TLC
Most new kayakers are convinced that leaning their boats is an utterly foolish notion. Why would anyone jeopardize their hairstyle by tilting their boat?
Tilting, leaning , carving, and edging are important parts of kayak technique.
What's the Difference?
When someone tells you to lean, it almost always refers to tilting, or edging, your boat - not your body. When your body is squarely over the centerline of the boat, you are stable. When you lean your body out over the side, you had better be bracing or rolling, ‘cause you soon will be.
There are times when a good body lean will save you. If a big, steep wave is breaking on your side, sometimes no matter how much you lean your boat, the wave will slap your body over. You can save yourself by throwing your body into the wave, dunking your head underwater, and bringing the boat almost all the way over on top of you. When the wave breaks, it will then right your boat, bringing you back up with it.
So How do I Lean/Tilt/Edge?
In order to do any form of the above, it is necessary to have good contact with your boat in three areas: the knees/thighs, the feet, and the seat. You lean your boat by pulling up on one leg, and tilting the opposite hip down. If you are not comfortably tight in these areas, you will find yourself falling around in your boat, instead of acquiring the desired lean.
Feet: You need solid foot braces to push against to raise the boat with your legs.
Seat: If you don’t have a backband/seatback, you will push yourself off the back of the seat. Enough padding is necessary on the inside and outside of the seat so that your hips don’t slide, and the seat doesn’t fall to the low side when you lean.
Knees/thighs: You need to have sufficient purchase with your knees so that you can raise the boat. Padding underneath the deck helps cushion, and adds grip.
Practice!
To see how leaning can mean several different things, all with different outcomes, sit in your boat on warm water and try these exercises - either with a paddle, the side of a pool, or the bow of a friends boat:
Keeping your body vertical, lift your left leg, push down on your right hip. The boat tilts to the right, with bottom showing on the left. Lean your body out over the side of the boat.
When you start to capsize, snap your head down toward the water and bring your knee toward your head as you brace. This will roll the boat back under you . Tilt your boat by leaning just your head and shoulders. Notice how your hips actually tilt the boat away from your head/upper body lean! Lean your body out over the side again, but this time try to bring your head up first.
Kayaking Classes
We cover strokes, rescues and more in our kayaking classes at the shop. Check our classes page for details.
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