Sea Kayaking Tips and Techniques

2009-02-11T03:27:00.001-08:00

Paddle Design and Sizing

2006-05-04T08:04:00.000-07:00

Some random thoughts about paddles and common beliefs
1. Greenland paddle being easier on body- Could it be that because the paddle has less grip on the water that it provides less resistance? In order to keep it gripping instead of slipping you must apply less force. Stiffness is not a positive attribute in this situation.
2.Curve of blade-The spoon of the blade have more impact on the ability to slice than the curve. The curve affects the direction that the pressure is forced toward. More Curve =more pressure=more grip. Slice is more inhibited by the spline on the back of the Shuna than the smooth back of the Ikelos/Cyprus. 3. Shaft Diameter-Although I think Jon's analysis is correct I would suggest that one would do well to consider that concentrating on lightening ones grip on the shaft would coax more force coming from the Torso than the arms and I think this process would benefit the arms/shoulders as well.
4.Paddle sizing-I checked both the Epic and Werner sizing applications and while I appreciate the effort, anytime one uses overall height as a factor I think it should be suspect. There is a more effective way to determine correct paddle length IMHO, that uses your height while in your boat. The considerations of this method are; that there is no reason to put any more of the paddle in the water than is necessary, the higher the angle the more efficient the stroke and that the elbows should not bend more than 90 degrees. The path of the blade then is a diagonal to the boat, thereby gripping the water while keeping the stroke length short. I made a short video that shows the method at http://www.secondwindsports.net/Key%20Elements.htm
5. Paddle weight has more effect on muscle fatigue and connective tissue damage than blade design or shape when the stroke is performed efficiently using torso rotation. Blame your stroke not your paddle.
6.Cranked shaft-I was never a big fan as I always felt that the spacing of the bends was never wide enough, but I found, much to my surprise that the AT shaft was very easy to adjust to.

Effects of wind

2006-03-01T08:44:00.000-08:00

A couple of things to consider regarding the effect of the wind on your ability to control the boat. The shorter and wider your boat is, the more effect a tail wind will have on your control. Two things are happening here; short water line and more surface area exposed to the wind. The wind is pushing on the above water surface area at the stern and the this causes the a spinning effect with the short water line. Best solution is the trim the stern heavy and paddle harder.
The other part that wasn't mentioned is the amount of time the wind has been blowing and the resulting waves that have been created. Waves compound control problems as they effect the boat below the waterline.
For all the people that suggest that a particular boat does not need a rudder or a skeg, I would recommend they try to paddle against waves at their stern quarter. In this situation, virtually all boats with turn (actually be pivoted) into the waves and will benefit enormously from a skeg and even more so from a rudder.

Paddle Leash Safety

2006-02-23T16:49:00.000-08:00

While I use a leash myself, and find it very helpful in assisted rescues, mine has a quick release in the form of a practice golf ball that is easily released from under the bungee cord. And yet, I am not aware of any commercial leashes availble that have this feature. Most come with a plastic hook that is very difficult, if not impossible to unclip with gloves or cold hands. I would recommend to everyone that they replace this clip with some kind of quick release.

Safety Concerns

2006-02-23T16:37:00.000-08:00

I participated in the Sea Kayak Georgia symposium this year and while assisting with a BCU 4* assessment I noticed that one of the students was wearing a mesh muti pocket overvest that was worn over his PFD. He had every pocket filled with items presumably to have easy access to without the need to open a hatch cover. The overall weight was substantial and this student seemed to have noticeably more difficulty in both controlling and rentering his boat. It dawned on me that not only did the added weight compromise his buoyancy, but also contributed to his balance. I have since considered the possibility of the mesh catching on something on the deck and concluded that while the idea of the vest seems good at the onset, I am not sure that I would recommend it to people paddling in challenging conditions.

2006-02-13T09:22:00.000-08:00

There was a post on paddling.net that I responded to that I thought might be of interest on this blog. The poster asked for help deciding between a Romany Explorer, Nigel Foster Legend and a Tempest 170. He received a lot of very subjective opinions with very little substance so I offered my 2 cents as follows;
Hi Greg,
Normally, I don't get involved in this type of discussion, but it seems like your inquiry is genuine and the amount of subjectivity on this forum is really a disservice to you.
First of all, I have owned an Explorer and presently paddle a Tempest. I have spent a great deal of time in a Legend as well. All three are good boats, but have distinctly different charactaristics. When you consider "balance" you must consider both above the water and below the water. A boat that is balanced below the water will be less effected by water movement as in current and waves, Whereas a boat that is balanced above the waterline will be less effected by wind.
The way to discover this quality in a boat is to paddle the boat unloaded abeam to the wind. Stop the boat. A boat that is perfectly balanced above the waterline should turn into the wind when you lean forward and away from the wind when you lean back. To test the balance below the waterline paddle the boat in moving water, i.e. current, surf or wind waves. A boat balanced below thw waterline will behave the same way backwards as forwards.
People often mention rough water performance, but fail to distinguish between comfort and performance. You can feel comfortable in rough water while sacrificing the ability to manouver the boat and vice a versa.
So it is important that you seriously consider what conditions you are planning to paddle in before selecting the boat as all of the three are good boats.
My own observations for the three are as follows;
The Romany Explorer feels the most stable and because of the lowered back deck is by far the easiest to roll. This same quality of lowered back deck changes its above water line balance and as a result it has more tendency to turn into the weather in the wind.
The Lengend is a hard chine boat and as a result it carves turns beautifully and predictibly without the tendency to skid like softer chine boats. It is the faster of the three. The hatches are the easiest the use and completely waterproof. The "initial" stability is a result of the rounded keel and is much less pronounced when the boat is loaded. If this initial stability issue is the only barrier to purchasing the Legend then I would recommend considering the Riot Aura which is an almost identical hull and deck shape with a vee keel that almost entirely eliminates this initial stability issue.
The Tempest is the most balanced of the three both above the waterline and below. It performs the best of the three in surf, current and wind. It is slower than the Legend but faster than the Explorer. The seat is by far the most comfortable. The hatches are the least waterproof, however and you must keep cargo in dry bags.
Keep in mind that these are my opinions resulting from many years of paddling primarily on the US west coast.
Good luck in your decision and happy paddling.

hanging draw

2005-11-17T06:16:00.000-08:00

The key to the hanging draw is the placement of the blade at the pivot point of the boat. Usually this point is at the thigh just in front of the hip, although this varies from boat to boat. The way to find this point is to start by placing the blade in at the thigh perfectly neutral (no pitch on the blade so it slices cleanly through the water). Then open the blade slightly ( the leading edge or front slightly outward). If you start to turn (yaw)slide the blade towards the stern.

Wind Gauge

2005-11-16T16:37:00.000-08:00

Here it Long Beach we keep it fairly simple yet incredibly accurate. I
have a rock on a string hanging outside the window. If the rock is
moving, it is windy, if it is wet then it is raining, if it is warm then
it is sunny and if I can't see it then it is foggy. What else do you need?

Short Tows

2005-11-14T16:19:00.000-08:00

I see many people with short tows attached to their decks, usually just some line with a carabiner at each end. Some use them exclusively as a paddle park and others use them with contact tows or while rafting up. It recently dawned on me that without a quick release these could easily become a hazard, so I have taken to removing one of the carabiners and substituting it with a slip hitch to my deck line. The knot I use is a mooring hitch and while it easily releases with one hand, it binds well under pressure.
The following is from scoutXing

Knots - Mooring Hitch

An underhand loop toggled to the standing part with a bight made in the running end

To securely tie off a rope so that it can be quickly untied, especially a small boat to a dock or piling.

A secure knot that is easily tied or untied in wet or dry rope; when properly tied a non closing loop is formed, this allows the hitch to move up or down a piling as the water level changes.

(1) Take a bight around an object. (2) Form an underhand loop in the running part. (3) Place the eye of the underhand loop over the standing part. (4) Pull a bight of the standing part through the eye of the underhand loop. (5) Pull the underhand loop tight around the bight. (6) Place the running part under the eye of the bight that was pulled through the underhand loop. (7) Pull a bight of the running part through the eye of the standing part bight. (8) Pull on the standing part to tighten the standing part bight around the running part bight.

The value of professional instruction

2005-07-05T16:31:00.000-07:00

The primary benefit of professional instruction (ie instructor makes his/her living at it), is that to be successful the instructor has to be able to not only introduce the skills, but develop activities that address each individuals learning style. The more you teach skills the better you can become at identifying and correcting mistakes in technique before they become embedded. I have met paddlers with great personal paddling skills that had trouble sharing them because they did not have good teaching skills. Great instructors measure their success by their students success.

Forward Stroke

2005-07-05T12:09:00.000-07:00

In regard to the the cadence and blade placement, consider the following. The blade has the most grip on the water when it is vertical and perpendicular to the boat. In a average stoke this distance is only about 18-24". The idea of spearing the fish, ie reaching forward on the catch places the blade less than vertical initially is far less than efficient but is neccessary when the boat is moving rapidly. This is more of a wind up than a catch. So if the most efficient stroke length is only 24" you can actually get more out of it with good torso rotation and straighter arms because as you rotate with straight arms the blade while still vertical and perpendicular moves diagonally turning the 24" of grip to say 30" or more before the slice. The key is a vertical paddle shaft. Cadence follows as the slice out sets up the following stroke on the other side. Try paddling slowly with nearly straight arms and see if this makes sense.

The Forward Stroke

2005-07-05T12:06:00.000-07:00

I agree that "torso" rotation is a misnomer, but I think hip rotation might also be misleading. I consider the rotation to start from the feet. With the foot braces positioned correctly the paddler should have the ability to nearly straighten one leg at a time. The straightened leg then forces the hips to rotate and that in turn rotates the lower back. One little simple excercise that demonstrates this clearly is to place paddle behind back with arms over the shaft.Try to paddle. Now try the same thing without contact with the foot braces. Usually a fairly concrete demonstration that needs little explanation.

Paddle Float

2005-04-06T11:09:00.000-07:00

If it is hard to keep your legs from falling asleep while paddling, try putting your partially inflated paddlefloat under your knees. I strap mine to the seat with 1" webbing and quick release buckle.