Paddling Tips - Paddling Technique
This is a collection of all the paddling tips under the "Paddling Technique" category.
Click on the title to see an excerpt of the tip.
Click on the `Read More` link in the excerpt to see the full tip.
Using spraydecks
Our club has two different types of spraydeck: Spraydecks for K1s/K2s can be used by anyone. They keep you warmer in winter and help to keep water out of your cockpit – highly recommended in winter. There are a couple of different designs, one with a zip and the other without. If the deck has…
Paddling in a straight line
A couple of members have mentioned that they struggle to paddle a sea kayak in a straight line. One solution is to use a skeg (see the tip on using a skeg) but this is a poor solution as that’s not what a skeg is designed for, except in certain situations. If you find it…
Positive and negative paddle angles
At the beginning of a paddle stroke force is generated down and backwards, moving the kayak up and forwards (remember Newton’s 3rd law of motion – every action has an equal and opposite reaction). This is a positive paddle angle. From the middle to the end of the stroke, force is applied to the paddle…
Path of the paddle
It’s important to consider the path that your paddle should take during a paddle stroke. Back in the 1970s when I paddled at the Royal Canoe Club, I was taught to keep the paddle as close to the centre line of the kayak as possible (i.e, right along side the boat). That’s all changed now! …
Fixing the paddle in the water
In the ideal paddle stroke, the paddle is immersed in the water as far forwards as possible. As you apply force to the paddle, you and the boat move past the paddle blade, which is ‘fixed’ in the water. the paddle doesn’t actually move backwards. The paddle is taken out of the water in the…
Connectivity
Have you ever seen someone on a sit on top or inflatable kayak wondering all over the river, seemingly out of control? The main reason for this (aside from lack of skill) is that they have no footrest or don’t use it. So proper connection with your craft is essential to a) maintain control and…
Legs and hips
Your legs and hips play a crucial part in an effective and efficient paddle stroke. To transmit power into the boat and initiate good torso rotation, you should be pushing the foot rest with each leg alternately. The leg applying pressure is on the same side as the blade in the water. As you apply…
Torso
Together with your legs, your torso (core and back muscles) is responsible for generating most of the power of your paddle stroke. In another paddling tip https://hamptoncanoeclub.org/legs-and-hips/ we discussed how alternately pushing against the footrest with each leg rotated your pelvis on the seat. Your torso should follow this rotation which starts at the hips…
Landing a K1
What’s the best way to approach the pontoon/bank so that you land like a pro? We need to be able to come alongside the pontoon or bank so that we’ve stopped completely and are close enough to be able to step out. With our racing kayaks, it’s easy to come in at too shallow an…
Top arm
Before discussing what your arms should be doing during a paddle stroke, I’d like to share a quote by Ivan Lawler (5 world championship golds) “Canoeing (kayaking) is not an arm sport” What Ivan means is that you should not be using your arms to apply force to your paddle. All the power comes from…
Bottom arm
In an effective paddle stroke, the bottom arm (the one nearest the water), a bit like the top arm, hardly changes shape. At the start of the stroke, your bottom arm should be extended, almost but not quite straight out in front of you. The stroke starts as far forward as you can reach by…
Set up
Let’s consider the 4 phases of forward paddling, starting with the setup: The setup is where you’re preparing to take a stroke. You should have an upright posture, not bending or leaning too far forward or backwards. Rotate your hips and torso forwards on the side you’re going to take the stroke and reach forward…
The Catch
After you’ve set up the stroke, the next stage is the catch. Put the paddle in the water – simple eh? Yes, but a couple of pointers for a successful paddling stroke: From the set up position with both arms high, hands at about eye level, body fully rotated (your knee on the side away…
Drive phase
A successful drive phase, when the paddle is in the water, depends upon a good set up and catch. The drive phase involves pushing with the leg on the same side as the paddle stroke so that your leg almost straightens, this in turn swivels your bum in the seat and rotates your torso. This…
The exit
Once your rotation has finished, your paddle should be taken out of the water quickly and cleanly. The blade should be lifted out sideways at around the position of your hips (or sooner). Your lower hand can now bend to 90 degrees lifting the blade out of the water to about shoulder level. At the…
The paddler’s box
When paddling, it’s important to maintain a square produced by your chest, arms and the paddle shaft. Although your arms will obviously bend during a paddle stroke, the important bit to remember is that the paddle should remain parallel to your torso as much as possible. This is a strong position and will allow you…
Paddling drills
We have a number of tips on paddling technique. If you take each component in isolation i.e. the 4 phases of the stroke, it all seems fairly straightforward. However, it takes time and practice to put it all together and develop a fluid and effective stroke. To bake it all into your muscle memory, and…
Getting in and out of your kayak
K1 There really is only one way to safely getting into a K1 from the pontoon without falling in or damaging the boat: Firstly make sure you face the boat in the direction you want to set off. Make sure your paddle is set down close to you so you can easily reach it and…
Emergency stop
We don’t have brakes on our kayaks but knowing the most effective and safe way to stop in an emergency is essential. If you need to stop quickly, you don’t need to change your grip on the paddle or turn the paddle around, just use the back of the blade to paddle in reverse to…
Paddling backwards
We may need to paddle backwards for a variety of reasons, perhaps to assist in a rescue etc, so a little practice is worthwhile. As with the emergency stop, don’t reverse the paddle and don’t try to fully immerse the paddle perpendicular to the water as you would do in a forward paddling stroke. Instead,…
Forward sweep
If you want to make a sharper turn than is possible using the rudder in a K1 or edging in a sea kayak, you could use a forward sweep. Using single or multiple forward sweep strokes will keep you moving forwards but will turn you quite quickly. It can also be combined with other strokes…
Reverse sweep
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…
Sculling draw
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…
The T draw
One option for moving sideways is the classic draw stroke or T-Draw. This is a simpler version of the sculling draw but is probably easier to perform in a sea kayak than in a K1 but it’s worth experimenting with both.The body and arm position is almost identical to the sculling draw: rotate your core…
Hanging draw
This stoke is used to go sideways on the move and is very useful for obstacle avoidance, rafting up etc. It’s strictly a sea kayaking/white water stroke and quite an advanced one.To perform this stroke you need to be paddling at a fair speed. Place the blade out to one side and angle the face…
Low brace
The low brace is a ‘bread and butter’ (i.e. essential!) stroke that everyone should know and practice. The low brace will prevent a capsize in most situations and can be used in a K1 or sea kayak (or any kind of kayak for that matter) and should become an automatic response to losing your balance.…
High brace
*Warning* – this is an advanced paddle stroke and performing it incorrectly can result in a shoulder injury. This one’s for the sea kayakers in the club who want to take their skills up a notch.The high brace is similar to the low brace in that it will help you to prevent a capsize. The…
Edging
Edging is a key technique for sea kayaking but can also be used in a K1 in certain circumstances.Putting your kayak on an ‘edge’ helps with turning and can either be very subtle for slight changes in direction or, especially when combined with a steering stroke, can really speed up turning.The easiest and least tiring…
K1 deep water rescue
Emptying the kayak If a paddler capsizes a K1 and it’s either some way from the bank or getting out and emptying the boat is difficult, it may be a better bet to carry out a deep water rescue. Here, we’ll look at the first part; emptying the boat. Because most K1s and K2s don’t…
K1 rescue of another paddler
If you’re paddling with someone else and one of you falls in, follow the same procedure as a self-rescue, but this time your fellow paddler can help you get to the bank, especially useful if it’s a bit far to swim. Once the capsized boat has been righted, the rescuer holds on to the cockpit…
Simple sea kayak self-rescue
If you capsize in a sea kayak near to the bank/shore, sometimes it’s easiest just to swim to the bank, empty the boat and get back in. The suggested method is very similar to a simple K1 self-rescue. Keep hold of your boat and paddle, flip the boat over at the cockpit so it’s the…
Sea Kayak T rescue
This tip considers how you can help someone to empty their boat in deep water. Firstly the capsized kayaker should keep hold of their kayak and paddle and then flip the kayak the right way up at the cockpit. This will make it easier to hold on to using decklines as well as making it…
The heel hook
Here is one way of getting back into your sea kayak with assistance. This is my preferred assisted rescue which works well in both calm and very rough conditions.To start, the rescuer positions the emptied boat alongside theirs. It works better if they are bow to stern (but it’s not essential). The rescuer holds onto…
Motor Imagery
If you haven’t been able to paddle over the winter or haven’t been paddling for a while because the river has been on red boards for a while, this one’s for you. There has been a fair bit of research on the benefits of Motor Imagery. This is a process whereby you mentally rehearse (imagine)…
K1 self rescue
If you capsize and are paddling a K1 alone or with a group and you’re near the bank, here are some tips on how to rescue yourself.Firstly, let anyone nearby know that you’ve fallen in! Don’t assume everyone will be aware. Shout ‘capsize’ loudly or blow your whistle (the one that’s attached to your BA!).…