Loose Fit
I think it is important to emphasize that fitting in the boat should always allow for movement.
Some folks have their boats so padded out that their hips are locked in place. This not only makes sculling and bracing more difficult, but restricts torso rotation when paddling.
The more my skills improve the looser I like fitting in my boats. The looser I fit in my boats the more my skills improve.
Wetback scull !
What a great, perfectly descriptive, also slightly whimsical name for it. Yes, let’s try to spread this one!
– David (who is a bit biased ;-)))
Wetback Scull vs Sculling for Support
– Last Updated: Jun-03-06 10:59 AM EST –
I came up with that term (and I assume Greg with "immersion scull") to distinguish it from "sculling for support" as defined, say, in the BCU 3-star curriculum -- which is fairly different. I was getting into long discussions of "sculling" without agreement which technique we were talking about, which led to confusion and ultimately exchanging somewhat complicated definitions. Having a single descriptive term like "wetback scull" made that simpler.
Anyway, when you scull for support, you start upright and scull to generate strong supporting force, and then let yourself down on that support until you are leaning to the side, well past the tipping point. You need not get your body immersed (though you can go pretty far), that is, your back stays mostly dry. You also need to maintain a fairly vigorous scull throughout, since that's all there is to support your weight.
With wetback sculling (aka Greenland side sculling), of course, you are lying on your back in the water, lackadisically sculling to add a bit of extra support, but the balance brace forces (the boat's desire to go upright, body and paddle bouyancy) do most of the work of keeping you from going under.
--David
Balance Board
A Greenland balance board (kayak trainer) is basically just a plank with circular supports on each end - very simple and easy to make. In the old-days Greenland boys were often balancing on such a board before they could even walk. http://www.qajaqusa.org/albums/G-style_2003/105_0597.jpg ;
Some threads on the QUSA forum are:
http://www.qajaqusa.org/cgi-bin/GreenlandTechniqueForum_config.pl/noframes/read/28778
http://www.qajaqusa.org/cgi-bin/GreenlandTechniqueForum_config.pl/noframes/read/22816
Greg Stamer
