It can be really useful to be able to move sideways, for example when you’re too far away from the jetty, you need to raft up to a fellow paddler to give them a peck on the cheek etc.

One of the most effective strokes you can do is the sculling draw. This works well in a K1 or sea kayak but does take some practice.

To set up the draw, rotate your torso towards the direction you want to move to maintain the ‘paddlers box’. Both hands are over the water with your top hand positioned just in front of your forehead. The top hand/arm is just there to hold the paddle in position, it should hardly move at all. The bottom hand/arm does all the work.

To start the draw, slice the blade forward with the leading edge away from the kayak, stop, twist the angle and slice it back. If the bow or stern of your boat is turning, you may need to adjust the position of your bottom hand backwards or forwards. As it’s difficult to describe the stroke, here’s a video for you:

If you’re doing this in a K1, you won’t want to lean as much as the bloke in the video. It can also be a little trickier with a wing paddle but is probably easier than a standard draw.

Common errors include:

• Not rotating your torso
• Moving your upper hand around too much (stirring the soup)
• Holding your upper hand above your head – this potentially risks your shoulder in certain situations.

Practice regularly on both sides.