How do you paddle a kayak?

Using correct paddling techniques not only ensures that a kayak moves quickly and easily but also guarantees your safety during a paddling venture. Proper paddling techniques also will ensure that your hands will be less sore afterward, your trip will be smooth and your movement on water will be graceful. Here are a few steps to learning how to paddle a kayak.

Holding the paddle

To be able to execute perfect strokes, you need to hold the paddle at a good distance from your body. Ideally, the position of your hands on the paddle should be at a distance slightly more than your shoulder width. Placing your hands very close to each other will diminish the power behind your strokes while spacing the hands too wide apart on the paddle will tire you too quickly.

For an effective grip of the paddle, place your hands on the shaft so your elbows make a 90-degree angle. Also make sure to keep your grip relaxed because squeezing your hands tightly can strain your hand and arm muscles. Just hold the paddle shaft loosely with your fingers slightly open. A good grip should make an O-shape with the index finger and thumb touching the shaft.

Positioning yourself

Good posture is important if you are to apply your body effectively during paddling. Ideally, you should sit up on the kayak, maintaining a straight back and relaxing your shoulders. Your body must not lean backward. Be sure to keep your legs together and place your feet on the foot pegs. That will allow you to rotate your torso easily and make strokes with minimal effort. To achieve more balance, you can bend your knees slightly in order to spread your legs and have them pushed firmly against the kayak’s inner hull.

Remember the legs and torso do most of the work when paddling while the shoulders and arms only help to transmit power. Think of paddling as a dance where the leg and torso movements propel the kayak forward. With that in mind, stop trying to push and pull your arms as you paddle.

Making forward strokes

The forward stroke is critical in paddling because it helps to drive the kayak ahead. To make an effective forward stroke, you should start by placing the paddle blade as close to your toes as possible. Just let it be in the water closer to your feet. Then pull the paddle blade back along the kayak and up to the hip. Lift the paddle and make the same movement on the other side of the kayak. To turn a kayak, make a wide (broad) sweeping stroke on one side of the boat so that the bow can swing away from the point where the stroke is made.

Once a stroke is completed, the paddle blade must be lifted from the water, using the elbow to draw it up and away from the kayak’s hull. The wrist must follow in order to have the elbow fully below shoulder level. Perfect forward strokes typically follow in a continuous motion. When the strokes are executed properly, a greater distance can be covered quickly and with minimal effort.

At Captain Mike’s Kayak Academy, we not only sell some of the most stable, adjustable, tracking, comfortable and safe kayaks available on the market, but also provide enough information to our clients so their paddling ventures can be fun, thrilling and fulfilling. We provide top-value kayaks to outdoor enthusiasts and make the effort to give our clients as much kayaking information as possible. Paddle safely and memorably by renting one of Captain Mike’s kayaks. For more information, visit the “Captain Mike’s Kayak Academy” site.

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How do you steer a kayak?

 

Effective kayaking is much more than just making simple forward strokes. In fact, once out on the water, you will face a variety of challenges requiring different skills. You will need to have the ability to steer a kayak seamlessly using a paddle. Steering a kayak means directing or controlling its movement and often includes the ability to turn or propel a kayak as necessary.

Opposite side paddling technique

The most commonly used technique for steering and turning kayaks is called opposite side paddling. Opposite side paddling helps to direct, turn or control a kayak by redirecting water around the paddle’s blades. It is usually achieved by making two simple strokes, a forward sweeping stroke and a stern rudder stroke.

To make a forward sweeping stroke, you simply need to reach forward and insert the paddle into the water alongside the hull. By sweeping the paddle blade out and back in a wide arc and then pushing the bow in a direction opposite to that of the sweep, you will make an effective stroke.

When using the opposite side paddling technique to steer the kayak left, you will need to perform the sweeping strokes on the right side of the kayak. Likewise, to turn or steer the kayak to the right, you will need to perform sweeping strokes on the left. While one or two sweeping strokes are quite effective, multiple strokes are often necessary to fully direct a kayak.

Refining your steering technique

When you are just starting out, it is important to master the opposite side paddling technique. Basically, you will only need to place your paddle into the water behind you, keeping it parallel to your kayak. Then to turn left, you will paddle continuously on the right side of the kayak, while to turn right you will need to paddle continually on the left side of the kayak. With more practice, you will be able to direct your kayak with ease in whichever direction you desire.

However, as you improve your mastery of kayak steering, you also will realize that the opposite side technique will often just make the kayak move faster without actually turning it quickly or with minimal effort in the desired direction. For instance, in some situations making forward strokes can accelerate the kayak in an unwanted direction, while trying harder to turn the kayak by paddling on one side may only make the boat move faster, over-shoot and frustrate you.

To avoid such frustrations, it is important to refine your steering technique. You can do this by first learning that the reason for paddling the opposite side is to force the bow toward your desired direction. With this knowledge, you will recognize that steering strokes should be made away from the hull. You also will ensure that the paddle pulls the stern as you make strokes to turn your kayak.

Are you planning a paddling venture? Would you like to have a stable, steady, comfortable and safe kayak for the trip? And would you like to rent a kayak from a store with a track record not only for premium quality kayaks, but also for providing the right information to kayakers? Then Captain Mike’s Kayak Academy is the right place for you. At Captain Mike’s, your comfort and safety when out on the water is our number one priority. For more information, visit the “Captain Mike’s Kayak Academy” site.

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