Sea kayak forward stroke | body position for powerful sea kayak forward stroke
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- Опубліковано 22 тра 2021
- Sea kayak forward stroke. Body position for powerful sea kayak forward stroke.
Go here to sign up for free mini course on powerful sea kayak forward stroke: www.dancingwiththesea.com/fun...
This video is about giving you something that will instantly make your forward stroke feel much easier, and more gentle on your body.
And also give you more power and endurance.
What you won’t get are more techniques to practice.
You may have heard that it takes a lifetime to develop an efficient forward stroke.
There are a lot of parts to it.
But I’m not even going to pick one part to work on.
Instead I’ll give you something so fundamental that it makes all the parts of the forward stroke work better.
Actually paddling will be easier even if you do nothing else right.
And it’s so simple and easy that anyone can apply this right away, even if they have never kayaked before.
Yet it has done more for my paddling pleasure, and for my clients than any complicated tutorial I can give you.
And I think you’ll see why in a minute.
This tip is what will allow you to produce a lot of power without stressing your arms and shoulders. Even if you don’t have much arm strength.
So you don’t end up at the back of the group frustrated that you can’t keep up.
If you like to explore wild places, this will help you develop the endurance to keep going for hours and hours.
But that’s not all.
As you practice this simple tip, you will notice that your body is much more often in the perfect position for giving you support when you need it. So you feel less tippy.
You feel more comfortable in the wind and waves.
And you have less fear about capsizing.
As your friends notice your comfort and confidence, you may get invited to trips in more wild places.
Because it’s obvious in the way you move that you can keep yourself safe.
Before we look at the forward stroke I want you to imagine that you are using a shovel full of heavy rocks.
Notice what position you take to make this easier on your body. You don’t keep your arms stretched out and move the shovel, right?
Instead what most of us do to make it easier, is we bring the shovel close to our core. And then use our core to move the heavy shovel.
Perhaps you move your legs and hips to get the movement started, and then add some torso rotation.
And then you may add a little more power and distance with your arms and shoulders.
I’m going to suggest that you try the same thing with your paddle.
Bring the paddle close to your core.
And use your lower body and core to add the power.
And only when your body feels like it’s in the perfect position to make this as easy as possible.
I wonder if you can imagine how much more endurance this gives you.
Before you start thinking that the paddle stroke should be over at that point, and you’re wasting energy by lifting water, consider that you can actually go full speed using just the last little bit of the forward stroke.
It’s one of the little known benefits of using the Greenland paddle.
It’s very efficient at transforming upward force into forward movement.
When you go over a wave, you may notice the kayak moving in a seesaw motion. As the bow drops down on the other side of the wave, the stern moves up. You can have your paddle ready to take advantage of that movement…
To essentially get a free ride.
With your body in a strong position, it feels very easy.
And that’s not all. You can get support from the same force that gives you a forward push.
To feel perfectly stable.
So while others are plowing their way through the resistance of the waves, and pausing to brace when they lose balance...
You're actually letting the waves move you. As it supports you.
I wonder if you can imagine how much easier it is to paddle in the waves when you tap into this.
How much energy you can save.
How much easier it is on your body. And how much further you can go in a day.
Paddling becomes more enjoyable and relaxing.
Here’s a little bonus for you.
You may find that because you’re moving your body naturally, it’s easy to transition to a high brace if you need to stop a capsize.
I mean a high brace that is not only easy to learn but that feels powerful.
And is very effective.
Because you move your body naturally, you have much better control of your kayak.
It moves with you more like a pair of pants.
Instead of you having to force a boat to move.
All of a sudden controlling your kayak is much easier.
Like rolling your kayak...
It Is now so easy.
You wonder why you ever thought it was hard.
You become quite a different kind of paddler.
If you enjoyed this video and you’re ready to practice a powerful forward stroke that gives you the support you need to feel nice and stable, click the link in the description below to start the mini course I created for you.
Thanks for watching.
Paulo! THAT IS EXACTLY RIGHT! I call it "reverse surfing" or "paddling downhill". The shovel was a great illustration.
The great thing about the way Paulo teaches is that he not only explains what to do but also, why you are doing it. This makes it easy to remember. The shovel demonstration works perfectly. Great video, Paulo.
I really liked the "shovel dance" as well, I will think of this next time kayaking!
I find it very impressive that you can keep the kayak so much under water, but still have full control over it! I understand that, that is what is helping it to keep it stable. Not something I'll try any time soon, but very inspirational! We all have our different styles. :)
On your repeated recommendations, I decided to invest in a Greenland Paddle (Gear Labs). Despite incorporating your many tips for technique, I'm still finding that I can still go faster with the European paddle. Also, the European has drip rings and notches, which is a bonus in the very cold water. I had to switch to it on my last outing because my fingers were freezing. (I tried poggies but didn't like them, and I've since acquired a pair of neoprene gloves for my next outing.) The Greenland is definitely quieter, and feels more comfortable. I'll keep at it :-) Thanks.
Plenty of waves and chop where I'm at, looking forward to trying these tips with them. Thanks Paulo.
Hi Paulo. I'm really enjoying your video footage of the Greenland paddle and would love some tuition on how to use it correctly. I am presently using an inflatable kayak, does this matter??
Also, is there an optimum length for a Greenland paddle as I will need to purchase one. I am new to kayaking and I'm keen to develop my skills using the Greenland paddle before I learn bad habits with the Euro blade paddle I am using at the moment.
many thanks, Seth.
You are telling a lot of hazy things, Paulo, but I do get the feeling most of the time you never get to the point. What are you trying to tell here? Use your core muscles?
I like the way your red kayak sits down in the water but I'm curious what the yellow and white one is. Do tell please....