The reverse sweep is essentially the opposite of the forward sweep. Rotate your torso and place the blade near the back of the boat. Angle the blade so the back is almost flat on the water but angled slightly towards the front of the boat. This will give you a good amount of stability as you sweep forwards. Sweep the paddle forwards, unwinding your torso as you go to provide the power. You’re aiming to sweep the paddle in an arc from stern towards the bow, so keep the lower arm straight and the upper arm fairly low.

In a sea kayak, the reverse sweep can be combined with edge to increase the speed of the turn (more on edging later).

The reverse sweep is often used in combination with the forward sweep to turn you on the spot i.e. one forward sweep on one side of your kayak followed by one reverse sweep on the other side. See how few forward and reverse sweeps you can do to do a full 360 degree turn.