Jyak
To Not the Painter. Absolutely yes, it works, but you will note, I added, “it is very hard to teach”. Many paddlers try to drive the kayak forward by paddling the boat - go figure.
First time I paddled a 9 ft kayak: Reach as far as possible, jab the paddle into the water, pull back hard and recover, then jab on the other side. Each motion a separate start/stop action that used energy to execute and more energy to recover. It cause muscle and joint shock, exacerbated by reaching beyond the arch of efficiency.
Energy is wasted by over-reaching; jabbing the blade into the slipstream blunts momentum; dragging it back creates cavitation and flutter as water dumps from the blade; flutter cause an unconscious tightening of the grip. If you watch distant paddlers, it’s almost universal - five to ten strokes, sit and rest, repeat - it brings up painful memories. Intense!
While in physical therapy durimg 2018 for the torn rotator cuff and two detached tendons, I was worried about how to compensate for the damaged shoulder. I asked the therapist for exercises to help me return to kayaking. When he demonstrated some exercises, I told him that won’t help. He looked puzzled and said show me how you paddle. While demonstrating, I realized my shoulder was in isometric tension, and I wasn’t moving the shoulder joint, so I said, never mind, I don’t need a rotator cuff to kayak.
Proof is that I resumed kayaking last month and have been on eleven trips since then. After a painfully slow start, I now manage sustained speeds of between 4.6 and 5.2 mph for several miles, and have hit max bursts of 6.2 mph. The longest trip since then is 20.69 miles, but it took over seven hours; I used to cover that in 4 hrs 20 minutes. The paddling technique does work. It has never caused soreness in my waist, back, or abdomen, ever. I also had back issues in 1996, but none since, and I’ve been kayaking since around 2006.
My paddling technique improved over the years by watching videos, reading articles on the internet, reviewing forums, and by talking to experienced paddlers at good kayak shops. A Garmin Colorado GPS helped me to polish paddling efficiency because it registers every action, every twist of the blade and how that stroke affects speed; it shows how fast speed bleeds off after a stroke; it also show the effect of current and wind on speed (ex: waves from behind do not always equate to higher average speed). I used the GPS to verify which paddle techniques work best for each condition. It’s important to point out, the techinque I described isn’t exclusive. I still do everything from over-reaching, even manage some high angle and employ every muscle that hasn’t gotten sore, but swinging from the waist is still the primary method.
Paddling is like pushing a merry-go-round, or shifting to a lower gear on a bike (or how far you inset the paddle blade). Just get the boat moving and build on it as you pick up cadence. The momentum keeps the boat gliding forward, as each stroke becomes easier, until you reach the “Hull Speed” of the boat (the speed where a “displacement hull” gets trapped in a trough and has to climb out of the bow wave). The longer and narrower the boat, the faster its speed potential; however, the greater the wetted surface, the bigger your engine has to be, or the better your stroke.
The human engine will develop both strength and efficiency. While the boat sets the limit of speed, your body provides the power, your paddling techinque determines the efficiency of power delivery. You have a finite amount of energy when you climb in that boat. When the energy stores are depleted, you hit the wall, bonk, run out of gas, blow up - paddle two strokes and drop, two and drop. I’ve been there and been with others who have. Lean the engine to get the most mileage. You can’t replace energy reserves with sports drinks, power gel, or bananas (read glycogen window for more info).
Find the spot where you can drive the boat at an aerobic pace; your breathing let’s you know when you go anerobic. High angle tends to be more anerobic; low angle aerobic and catches less wind (maybe). I don’t feather my blade, because I want the swing to be rythmic and automatic. Rock the baby - paddle dips, then pops out of the water as you sway to the other side (aided by a foam filled blade that is more buoyant - really? Yes, if it helps you feel like it’s working, maybe).
Reading between the lines is the answer to high/low angle, how light should my paddle be, but the better question is how efficient is the blade! Does it create drag/cavitation, which is more critical than weight. When you test a blade, pay attention to how quietly it slips in/out of the water; hold it with a light grip to see if it flutters in your hand; sense whether it creates bubble and turbulence when forced faster; see how it reacts when the blade is plunged deep, feathered or just skimming the water partially submerged. High cadence of 60 to 70 strokes per minute means you can’t always bury the blade. A rhythmic high cadence motion catches the water as it moves past, exerting slightly more pressure before slipping out and repeating on the other side.
(I saw a comment regarding cadence at 60 strokes per minute and checked my math. Sorry for a gross error. 60 strokes per minute X 60 minutes = 3,600 lifts per hour, that’s 60 times less than I stated. Thanks to the contributor for checking my math. That’s what’s great about forums. Also sorry about the length of my post. It’s hard to demonstrate the technique, even more so to describe, but keep at it. Once you get it, you’ll wonder why you haven’t done it all along).
