Hold to Hold Your Paddle:

Forward Stroke:

Paddling’s most fundamental stroke, the one you will spend most of your time doing, involves more than arm power. It’s important to engage your stronger torso muscles (core and back) to do most of the work.

Double-check how you’re holding the paddle. Now you’re ready for the three phases of the forward stroke:

1. The catch phase: Wind your torso and immerse your blade fully on one side of the boat next to your feet.
2. The power phase: Rotate your torso as the blade moves behind you. Follow the in-water blade with your eyes and your torso will follow. Focus, too, on pushing against the shaft with your upper hand as you move.
3. The release phase: When your hand reaches just behind your hip, “slice” the blade out of the water.

To repeat, you simply immerse the out-of-water blade next to your feet. (Your torso will already be wound correctly.)

Technique Tips:

• Focus on using your strong core muscles to power your stroke rather than the weaker muscles of your arms. Your muscles will tire quickly if you’re not using proper technique. You’ll also be more prone to injury.
• Maintain the blade in a near-vertical orientation and at a consistent (full) level of immersion. You’ll track straighter and move faster.
• Keep as upright as possible. You’ll maintain balance and gain efficiency.
• Think about the paddler’s box throughout the stroke. That helps align your body correctly for every phase of the stroke.

Reverse Stroke:

Braking a moving kayak can be done with the reverse stroke. If you’re stopped, then the reverse stroke can be used to back up. The stroke is the exact opposite of the forward stroke:

1. The drop phase: Wind your torso and immerse your blade fully on the side of the boat next to your hip.
2. The power phase: Rotate your torso as the blade moves in front of you.
3. The release phase: When your paddle blade is even with your feet, “slice” the blade out of the water.

To repeat, simply immerse the out-of-water blade on the opposite side of the boat next to your hip. (Your torso will already be wound correctly.)

Stopping:

Very straight forward, all that’s required here is 3 deep strokes in the opposite way you’re paddling.

1. If you’re paddling forward 3 reverse strokes.
2. If you’re paddling in reverse use 3 forward strokes.

Forward/Reverse & Combination Sweep:

If you repeatedly do the forward stroke on the same side of the boat, you’ll notice the boat slowly turning in the opposite direction. Doing the sweep stroke on the side of the boat is a more efficient way to turn the boat.

1. The catch phase: Extend your arms forward and immerse the blade near your feet to begin your sweep. Begin on the opposite side of the boat from the direction you want to turn
2. The turn phase: Sweep the blade in a wide arc toward the stern of the boat. Put some power into your body’s rotation to optimize the stroke, especially after the paddle has passed the cockpit.
3. The release phase: When the blade approaches the hull behind your cockpit, finish the stroke by slicing the blade out of the water.

The result should be a gradual arcing turn with little loss of momentum. You can repeat the sweep stroke if needed, or resume your forward stroke.

Technique Tip:

A wide sweep is important, so picture the hands of a clock in the water and try to touch all of the clock numbers along your arc.

Draw Stroke:

Draw strokes are used to move your boat sideways. This stroke is useful if you need to pull close to a dock or another boat:

1. Rotate your paddle blade so it’s horizontal.
2. Reach out with the tip of the blade to touch the water about two feet away, directly on the side of your boat. (Your paddle shaft should be angled steeply.)
3. Use your lower hand to pull the blade straight toward you, keeping the tip of the blade immersed in the water during the stroke.
4. Stop before the blade hits the side of the boat.

Typically, several draw strokes are needed, so you can repeat the stroke:

1. Rotate the blade 90 degrees, then slice it out of the water sideways.
2. Repeat steps 1 through 4 above.

Safety Tip:

If the paddle does hit the side of your boat, don’t try to pry the blade out of the water because you can tip your boat and capsize. If you feel it hit, simply let go of your top hand or relax your body and start over. Don’t pry—retry.

Low Brace:

After the forward stroke, no kayak move is more frequently used than the low brace. Whatever your kayaking passion—sea paddling, whitewater, surf—you’ll call on your low brace at the first sign of instability. So you’d better get it right.

The most important thing to remember about a low brace is that your paddle blade merely stops your downward momentum when you lose your balance. You regain your balance by rotating the boat back underneath you with your hips.

1. The low brace is powerful, effective, and safe only when your body is properly aligned. From your normal paddling position, place your paddle shaft on your spray deck and pull it in tight against your belly. Now stick your elbows straight out to the sides, like a gorilla walking on its knuckles.
2. For a left brace, the back of your left blade should be flat against the surface of the water, or just above it. Change the blade angle by swinging the forearm of your control (left) hand slightly forward or backward—as if it were a pendulum hanging from your elbow.
3. Slide your left hand a few inches away from your left hip until your forearm hangs straight down from your elbow. Your left shoulder, elbow, wrist, and hip should all be in the same plane, and should roughly outline a box. With the paddle held low across the cockpit and close to your belly, you’re ready to brace powerfully and safely.
4. If your kayak is carrying momentum—either because it’s being pushed by a wave or because you’ve just been paddling—then simply trailing your paddle blade on or just below the water surface provides plenty of stability. Keep a flat blade or a very, very slight climbing angle. As long as your kayak keeps moving, you can apply significant pressure to the blade.
5. In the case of a loss of balance, use a hip-snap to pull the hull of your kayak back under your body. Remember, you’re not pushing your upper body back over the center of the kayak; you’re using your lower body—the hips and knees—to draw the kayak back under your head.

Edging/Leaning:

Edging a kayak is actually quite easy in flatwater. In order to engage the right edge of your kayak, lift your left knee. In order to engage your left edge, lift your right knee. The part where edging becomes difficult, is when you combine it with moving water and whitewater. For this reason, it is important to practice edging in flatwater before you take it to the river.

This drill exposes the kayaker to the four different “levels” of edge. When paddling different difficulties of whitewater, you will use different levels of edge—lower levels for easier whitewater, and higher levels for more challenging whitewater,

• Start by sitting upright with good posture. The boat is flat, and your knees are both relaxed.
• Step 1: Lift your left butt cheek, as if you are sneakily trying to let out a fart.
• Step 2: Combine step 1 with bringing your rib cage over to the right side of the kayak. Lean your torso a bit.
• Step 3: Combine step 2 with engaging your left knee and lifting it up. You should be fully on edge at this point.
• Step 4: As far as you can get on your right edge without flipping over.

This drill is effective in teaching a kayaker how to control their edges, and how to maneuver their body in a way that allows for the most efficient edging techniques. Practice holding each level of edge for 20 seconds, then switch sides and do the same thing with the other edge.

Turning on the Move (Low Brace Turn):