Wind Paddle
Wind Paddle
How to Paddle Your Sea Kayak Efficiently
The key to great kayaking is getting out there and enjoying what you are doing and experiencing. Practicing some basic skills always helps to do this. The foundational skill in sea kayaking is the forward stroke. It is great to have a reliable roll and be able to high brace, leaning all the way over in the water, but unless you want to be a trick kayaker, you need a good, efficient forward stroke. Every time you paddle, you need to be working on the forward stroke. If you consciously work on this basic part of kayaking, your skill and enjoyment will increase. Here’s how:
The Right Sea Kayak Paddle Size is Important
Paddle blades come in several sizes, depending on the paddling conditions. Narrower blades cut through the wind better, but they lose speed. Mir-size paddles are good for most paddling conditions. They catch a good amount of water for good power and can usually be adjusted, or feathered, to deal with wind. Wider blades catch a lot of water and can increase speed considerably. The down side of wider blades is that they tend to flutter, can be hard on joints, and can catch the wind quite strongly. The first step is to get the right paddle for your activity. If you paddle more and longer journeys, then a lighter paddle is important. A mid-range and narrow combination of paddles-mid-range for most paddling, narrow as a spare set and for windy conditions, is usually a good way to go. Go to paddlefests and events in your area and try out the products available. Make sure your sea kayak paddle is right for you.
Good, Upright Posture is Critical for Sea Kayaking
If you are slouching in the seat of your kayak, you are not getting maximum movement or power. Sit up straight, with a slightly forward lean to be efficient. This just becomes habit if you continue to work on being conscious of how you are sitting while paddling your sea kayak.
Use a Relaxed Grip When Holding the Sea Kayak Paddle
Holding a paddle with a death grip is tiring. Loosen your grip on your paddle. Hold it just tightly enough to prevent flutter and to maintain good movement. This helps you relax in your paddling motion, which also slows down fatigue, letting you paddle longer and more efficiently. Much of the key here is to just relax. Sometimes the conditions get rough and scary, but working on relaxing usually helps with stability and certainly helps with efficiency while sea kayakaing.
Sea Kayaking With Torso Rotation Increases Stamina
Use the trunk of your body to paddle, not your arms. We have large muscle groups in our torsos. By using these large muscle groups predominately, we give ourselves more power and more stamina for paddling longer. If you shoulders are rotating, most likely your torso is as well. Try practicing with rotating shoulders. If you are having trouble keeping a good rhythm and flow, put your rudder of skeg down to take the work to maintain good tracking out of the equation. Teach yourself good forward stroke technique and paddle without rudder or skeg later. Don’t try to power your strokes as far back as you can. Stroke smoothly and rhythmically, and pull your paddle out of the water beside your hip.
More Paddle Strokes While Kayaking Means Faster Travel
Your speed comes from how many times your paddle is in the water. Increase your paddle rate without the power pull at the end. Taking your paddle out of the water at the hip helps increase your paddling rate and increases your stability.
These are very simple techniques that anyone can do. The key to getting a good forward paddling stoke is to continue to work on it on every trip, no matter how long the trip is. By following these simple suggestions, and trying to be conscious of how you are paddling, you will improve your sea kayaking skills, become a better paddler, and enjoy your trips even more.
About the Author
Gary Ward has been leading trips and teaching in wilderness areas for 20 years. Having traveled from desert to sea, he spends most of his time now in coastal areas, exploring the boundary between land and sea, land and sky, and sea and sky, looking for the best kayaking destinations.
He can be found leading sea kayaking tours in the Gulf Islands of BC, teaching, and writing for his business, Coastal Bliss Adventures.
How to Choose Between a Canoe or a Kayak
If you’ve thought about purchasing a recreational boat to do some paddling with your family or friends, it can sometimes be a tough choice as to whether to get a canoe or a kayak. There are certain points to consider before you make this decision.
Canoe or Kayak?
Whether or not you purchase a canoe or a kayak is completely a personal choice. Both offer an environmentally friendly and affordable way to get out and enjoy the water. There are advantages and disadvantages to both so it is up to you to decide what kind of boat will work best for you.
Facts about Canoes
- Canoes are versatile and are good boats for lots of different types of fun. However though they are good for a lot of things – they are not great at anything.
- Canoes can be very comfortable. Usually there is lots of space in a canoe so there is room to stretch out your legs, maneuver around, load up lots of gear, sit or even kneel if you want to.
- Canoes are very easy to get in and out of. Many older folks will enjoy a canoe simply because of their stability. They are very easy to get in and out of whether you are in or out of the water.
- Canoes are an open concept boat and therefore they will often let in a lot of water. It is not uncommon to be bailing excess water out of a canoe.
- Canoes can get caught by the wind. Often times canoes ride quite high up and can be very light. They are very susceptible to being swayed and pulled by the wind which can make paddling an awful lot of work.
Facts about Kayaks
- Kayaks are much sleeker than canoes. Their sleek style allows them to paddle further, faster and without much trouble from the wind. They are capable of plowing through just about any weather condition and any type of water.
- Kayaks will often keep you much dryer. Many kayaks have closed cockpits and even sprayskirts in order to keep the water out. There are many open concept kayaks especially with inflatable kayaks that will let in more water. Often times though they will have a drain valve that makes it very easy to let the water out quickly and effortlessly.
- There are many different types of kayaks from recreational kayaks to whitewater kayaks to expedition sea kayaks. Whether hard-shelled or with an inflatable, there are lots of choices.
- Kayaks use a double ended paddle which allows for much more control, much more speed and a lot of fun.
Final Thoughts… Canoe or Kayak?
The choice is truly up to you. For me there is nothing like the thrill of a kayak. I find them to be much more versatile and a million times more fun to paddle. Canoes are a little more laid back, a little more relaxed and a lot slower. So in the end, it comes down to what kind of boat will work best for you and what you will mostly be using it for. If you still can’t decide, you may need to take each one for a test drive and find out which one simply feels right.
About the Author
To learn much more about canoes and kayaks visit www.InflatableKayakWorld.com where you’ll find comprehensive information and reviews on inflatable kayaks.