less skilled in front
but that less skilled paddler has to achieve a minimal skill level to have a consistant cadence and stroke length. It’s just not going to work if they dip and dab with variable cadence and placement leaving the aft paddler to respond on EVERY stroke.
Rudder!
Happiness in a tandem is having your feet on the rudder pedals. You should be in back and ask your husband to keep an even stroke. As the back person you can also gently correct course by skipping stroke on one side or the other.
Alternative 2. take away his paddle and give him a fishing pole. Casting is much easier in the front seat.
yes, rec kayak
We only hit paddles in the rec kayaks, and we have not done that in sea kayaks. We traveled around and rented sea kayaks last month. My husband loved the rudders. I hope to fly to different places and rent kayaks, so buying one is not in the cards for me until I get a lot of experience. But I have been trying different ones, and I personally love the Necky line.
rudders are a good idea
Does any of what I said make sense regarding keeping a steady paddling cadence?
then
Let me reccomend the Necky Eskia for someone with your experience level—it has great primary stablity(doesnt “feel tippy”) is relativly comfortable and great for novices and intermediates—comes with a rudder(not something I need or want but some folks swear by them). I am a registered Maine sea kayak guide in Stonington Maine–the service that I work for uses Necky Eskias as well as other boats and I have only heard two complaints about them in the three years I’ve been working there—both had to do with back discomfort while sitting for long periods of time—might have been the same in any boat. I don’t use them, prefer my own WS T-170 but that’s just personal to me. If you insist on using a tandem, thereby putting your marraige in jeopardy, I would reccommend the Necky Amurak----huge tubby boats but with plenty of room, the best thing for marital relations since the king size bed.
Not In Our Canoe, You Don’t…
…see the usual setup!!! When we’re canoeing, my wife paddles stern and I paddle bow.
I paddled stern until I developed a case of tennis elbow some years ago just as the season was starting - couldn’t do a J-stroke, so my wife reluctantly switched with me.
Over 20 years later, with the elbow long since healed, I’m still bow paddle. We quickly found that she holds a better course (as she did when we sailed keelboats), and I’m a solid bow paddle - seems the ‘power’ balances out better with me up front, and I can handle the ‘scrambly’ bits when launching and landing. For us, that bum elbow proved a blessing in disguise, as we both feel we’re a better team with her astern.
BTW - when we got into kayaks, we went for two singles, mainly because we felt it better to have two vessels in case of problems on the water. If we did go double, tho, I’d be inclined to try it with her astern - after all, why mess with success???