Comments from a girl
Hardly, but if my 86 yr old stepmother and her like-aged friends can talk about lunching together as going out with the girls…
I’ve been on paddles with all levels of guys trying to trying to help their significant others paddle better, from those who didn’t know how to paddle right themselves to those with seriously good skills. What I have seen the most is what your GF complained about - too much information, corrections coming too frequently for any one point to be captured well.
You have to let some mistakes happen so that she can focus on one thing at a time.
The second thing I have seen is a tendency to react to a slower speed as a problem in itself, something that is often a diff between the genders in their learning. Guys tend to equate speed with better paddling early on so tend to use that as a primary gauge of their paddling. Women are more likely to care more about taking the time to really observe and understand what they are doing. Odds are that, at least while your GF is getting her paddling down, you should figure on slower and shorter paddles with her. Find some guys to go out with for the testosterone runs.
Only you can answer the question of whether you should try to be her instructor, but as above there is much experience out there to suggest that paying for lessons from a neutral party may be a better idea.
As to her paddle - I have recently verified by personal experience what a number of coaches have mentioned to me - a smaller surface paddle that makes a faster cadence easier will be much easier for her to work.
totally : > )
Yes all good C.
I have adopted the only respond when asked by my GF or for that matter my friends as well. And, only answer the question asked no more. And use 7 words or less.
Given my history of feeling overly responsible, overly helpful, and not knowing when good is good enough, those who know me, like you, are astonished I have been able to curb myself.
Can an old dog learn new tricks? YES, in this case me. That sentence has 7 words! : > )
Tell her you found a new "toy"
on the internet…
Bookmark this site on her computer:
http://www.kayakpaddling.net/?go
Maybe she’ll interact with it on her own and learn some basics - and you didn’t do anything other than point out a fun website. 
THANX to Brazilbrasil, who originally posted the link here on p.net last fall…
Your worst coach is the one you
sleep with.
Dogmaticus
Someone I introduced to paddling
just didn’t get it. Same issue swingin g the bow back and forth.We went on a night paddle where all she could see wasn’t much.I thought I was watching someone else. Very noticeable improvement.
The basic aspects of paddling for most people seems almost instinctive; sometimes you can overthink and overanalyze.
video and learn
i did this while teaching myself to horseback ride.it works, i would have an experienced friend tape and then we would go over it together. i went on to competition and did real well.
go it alone
maybe she should go it alone and she’ll figure it out. maybe this would take the pressure off.
i’m self taught and do quite well.( i think…ha ha)
just like driving…spouses and family should be kept out of this equation.
some lessons!
The lessons I took were really helpful because my instructor broke the whole stroke down to it’s individual components and then worked on each part with me. I got lots of praise for what I was doing right, correction where I needed and immediate feedback on how effectively I was paddling, by paddling.
What was really helpful was that until I followed up by reading the ACA guide, I’d no idea that he had broken it down to so many little parts.
I don’t think everyone can be a good instructor, being an good instructor means that you have more than mastery, you must have great observation skills, understand all the components and incredible communication skills.
I was trying to explain to someone this weekend what I’d learned about the forward stroke in the last couple of lessons I took. Even though I’ve committed it to muscle memory (my boat goes straight and I am strong and efficient) I couldn’t really explain all the components I’d mastered…
Gave me new respect for my instructor!
Oh - and my spousal unit has tried to teach me stuff before, it just doesn’t work!