Nice description of the proper stroke for your kayak...

[richg99]

richg99 From Paddling.net....

http://www.paddling.net/guidelines/show ... -212688245" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[TexasJim]

Good info, rich. One day, I was in Lighthouse Lakes, after paddling about 5 miles, and heading back to the truck, and Capt. Fil Spencer and a group of his charterers caught up to me. Fil came alongside and told me to take longer strokes with my paddle. I was beat, and just flailing the water to get back. I started doing what he said, and, next thing you know, I had caught up to him! I was in my 12' Pescador, and he was in a longer boat. He said, "See what I told you?" I did. There are efficient ways to use your (old) body strength, and I learned a lot from Fil's lesson.

The video was informative. Thanks.

Texas JIm

[MocoYaker]

Wish I would've watched that a long time ago! Thanks for sharing

[FishingSETX]

Went on a float trip on village creek with John from Coastal paddler when I first got I to kayaking 11 years ago. Got some pretty great advise from him as he paddled backward as fast as I was paddling forward! It makes a world of difference, as does feathering your paddle!! if your blades are parallel to each other, you really should try feathering them. Basically that means turning one to where it cuts through the air while the other one (the one in the water)is perpendicular to your stroke. takes about 5 mins to get used to rotating your wrist to accommodate, but it makes all the difference, especially in the wind!!!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

[Yaklash]

Nice video, but I'm surprised they didn't mention feathering.

At the place I bought my first 2 kayaks, when I rented a kayak from him before deciding what to buy, the owner - a kayaker, surfer, skier and sailor - gave me a quick tutorial. He recommended I take the kayak to Mud Lake and if I did, he would drive down there and show me the proper paddling technique - yeah, a private tutor. Pretty awesome dude to do that on a rental, but his shop was right down the road.

Anyway, he taught me what's on that video but also taught the feathering of the paddle. The other was that when you are pulling with one arm, you create a slight push forward with the opposite arm. This gets you on your way to the next, opposite stroke, but it also makes the paddle stroke easier by creating a pivot point. Hard to describe. As I recall, he described it like pedaling a bicycle, sort of an all at once circular motion.

[richg99]

Never quite thought of it, until your (yakleash) post. I also "push" instead of pulling all of the time. I learned to do that with canoes many decades ago.

Upon reflection, "pushing" by its very nature, has to cause one to use their core muscles in a twisting motion...exactly what I think this article is emphasizing.

Every day, I learn SOMETHING.

regards, richg99

[Russ in Rockport]

This is an outstanding description of the forward stroke--with the already-noted exception that it does not get into feathering when paddling into a direct wind or cross-wind. Just a few comments:

If you ever want to develop a proper rotation, the exaggerated practice with locked arms is essential. Only then can you comprehend how much more powerful and efficient the back is than the arms.

Also, it may be helpful to think of the propulsion of the yak as planting the paddle (the catch), and pulling yourself and the boat TO that point--rather than thinking that you are only pulling water from the bow of the boat toward and past the stern.

Imagine yourself on a slick surface, with virtually no friction. And further imagine that there are vertical bars coming up from the floor that you can reach out with the paddle (or your hands), grab, and pull yourself to them. In this case you have the perfect efficiency of not having the paddle slip through the liquid water. You can't pull yourself and the boat forward until you grab the vertical bars. So the pull is separate from the catch. You do the same thing when you catch against the water and THEN pull. The paddle slips through the liquid water--an imperfection, to be sure, but the boat moves forward through that same liquid--which is the positive result. If we could pull with the paddle against a solid surface, it would be far more efficient--if we had to pull against a gaseous substance like air, we would go nowhere. The liquid is in between.

Another good analogy is a baby crawling--the reaching forward and pulling is is similar. You may say that the analogy breaks down because the baby also pushes with his knees and feet--but you can also think of it as his having two double bladed paddles in the "water"--i.e., the floor--one "paddle" is his legs and the other, his arms. Both pull him forward without the liquid slippage we paddlers have to live with. It is the same when we walk as when we crawl--only we use one "paddle" (our two feet being the double blades) instead of the baby's two.

And the article mentions the advantage to be gained by keeping the blades as vertical as possible. To the extent you can do this, you limit the "sweep" portion of a stroke that causes the boat to continually turn--first left--then right--with the result that you have to constantly correct--and the vector of movement straight ahead is less--and a significant portion of your effort is wasted.

But, the wider the hull, not only does the boat become more stable--though also slower--it also calls for a wider, more sweeping, less efficient stroke--to reach the water vertically, you would have to switch your body from side to side. It's all a trade off. Also with a really wide yak, you may also need a much longer shaft--just to reach the water without shifting from side to side--and my thinking is that this can have the same negative effect of a longer fishing rod that places more leverage against the body.

Finally though, no matter how inefficient a relaxed, lowered-hands stroke may be, while the vertical stroke might be sustainable in a racing hull, It is not in a wide, stable, bathtub that you can stand up in. So, efficiency-be-damned--you sometimes have to cruise.

Best regards,

Russ

[richg99]

All of the above is helpful and important.

It brings to mind one more thing that the article/video mentioned. That is the helpful assistance of planting your feet on the foot supports.

One time I tried paddling in my Old Town PACK canoe while sitting on the very low fishing seat. Without foot support, my back and arms were doing all of the work. When I added home-made foot supports, my efficiency and comfort went way up. Your legs are far more powerful than any other extremity.

richg99

[Russ in Rockport]

richg99: You are dead on with that last. Your legs don't really do the work--that is the role of your back and to some extent, your arms--but the legs transfer all that power to the boat--and without the foot pegs--as you point out--power transfer is limited to the friction between your butt and the bottom of the boat. Racing canoes and kayaks have very solid supports for that very reason. And when race paddling, you push down (as you said) but very authoritatively. It is one indicator of how good a paddler one is to the extent that there are fewer forward lunges and a smoother glide through the water.

But of course another factor in smoothness over lunging is the sleekness, width, and weight of the hull. It is really amazing to watch a World-class paddler literally seeming to slam their feet down on the foot pegs while the hull cuts smoothly through the water at a uniform speed--like a nuclear submarine.

Another thing you theoretically want to avoid is bouncing--so that the bow goes up and down. This is almost as much of a speed-killer as constant sweep strokes.

Russ

[richg99]

My 50-year-old son has a white-water kayak. He brought it to the house and we dropped it into a local pond. I jumped in and almost flipped.

He explained the value of the knee braces. Whooa! What a difference using those things made.

It is amazing how many little things go into a properly designed and used kayak of any ilk.

richg99

[Russ in Rockport]

Yes, knee braces are an important design feature in sit-inside kayaks--primarily to achieve that feeling that (I know it is a trite saying) you are "wearing" the boat--and for rolling. I never did develop a roll, so for whitewater I restricted myself to short canoes with Perception saddles and filled with airbags and big, waterproof expedition bags for gear on long trips. I had one sit-inside sea kayak, but never used it for saltwater.

I have heard of and seen straps used on sit-on-top yaks to act as knee braces, but you couldn't run fast enough to give me pair of them!

Russ