Hi all
I'm new to the forum, just bought a skin-on-frame kayak that I'd like to paddle canoe style (single blade) before I attempt reskinning it in winter. I'll post some more info on the kayak when I got some images of it.
I haven't done a lot of paddling so far and nobody ever showed me how to do it properly. I read about the Canadian and Northwoods stroke which are supposed to be quite similar. I understand that you "slice" the paddle through the water on the recovery but I don't know which way to turn the paddle on the transition from stroke to recovery. Does the outside edge of the blade or the inside edge become the leading edge (see first attached image)? Both is possible but you have to hold the grip differently. Which is the "correct" way to do it?
Another thing I'm not sure about is regarding your position in the canoe. When paddling solo, you'll probably sit or kneel amidships. But that makes the leverage for a correction with the paddle very small compared to when you sit in the stern (second attached image showing j-stroke, lever marked in red). Isn't it much more difficult to do a correction when you sit amidships? What are your views on this?
Any information and advice is very welcome as I'd like to avoid getting into bad habits.
Thomas
I'm new to the forum, just bought a skin-on-frame kayak that I'd like to paddle canoe style (single blade) before I attempt reskinning it in winter. I'll post some more info on the kayak when I got some images of it.
I haven't done a lot of paddling so far and nobody ever showed me how to do it properly. I read about the Canadian and Northwoods stroke which are supposed to be quite similar. I understand that you "slice" the paddle through the water on the recovery but I don't know which way to turn the paddle on the transition from stroke to recovery. Does the outside edge of the blade or the inside edge become the leading edge (see first attached image)? Both is possible but you have to hold the grip differently. Which is the "correct" way to do it?
Another thing I'm not sure about is regarding your position in the canoe. When paddling solo, you'll probably sit or kneel amidships. But that makes the leverage for a correction with the paddle very small compared to when you sit in the stern (second attached image showing j-stroke, lever marked in red). Isn't it much more difficult to do a correction when you sit amidships? What are your views on this?
Any information and advice is very welcome as I'd like to avoid getting into bad habits.
Thomas