Just wondering if my knees and thighs should always be in contact with the thigh braces and/or inside of boat? Lately, I’ve had my foot pegs a little farther forward. There’s still a slight bend in my legs, but I can move them around a bit and straighten them if needed. I sort of move them a little like peddling a bike. My thigh braces are barely touching my legs. I can sometimes feel them lightly touching. When I need full contact, I can bend my leg a bit more and really lock it in.
I wasn’t sure if this was the norm or not. I think I used to have the pads/braces firmer on my legs, but I realized that doesn’t allow for much leg movement.
That depends on your paddling style. You’ll need to lock up if you’re paddling aggressively. My personal paddling style doesn’t require bracing and I get adequate speed. At times, my legs are flat in the bottom of the boat without compromising speed, but I rely on my cadence rather than physical power. I brace up just to control edging. I try to avoid steering by using paddle strokes except when strong weather cocking is a problem.
Legs straighter and not in thigh braces is nice for easy paddling. I often get in thigh braces for better control in rapids (small rivers) or motorboat wake (lakes, larger rivers).
As KayakerBee said
The energy for your paddle stroke should originate with the foot, travel through the leg to the hip and finally be transferred into torso rotation.
I choose to set my foot pegs to where neither knee/thigh is engaged, but just barely. With each stroke my knee just touches the brace as I push to rotate my pelvis and torso. I like it to be very close so that edging is almost but not quite engaged. I prefer to not have to lift my knee much to edge so this works for me. I don’t feel that I am crowded or wearing the boat. It is just comfy and maybe too close for some.
Don’t know if it matters but I I paddle a Grand Illusion with foam seat and I don’t touch the 'backband/rest/block and keeping things close helps me stay straight and tall. The boat is very responsive. If I am going to be playing in really ragged water I might snug the footpegs up one notch but not for most paddling.
“Out of fashion” is just an expression. Usually means that something everyone accepted as the way things are done has moderated in some way.
Most of the instructors I know (or have studied with) now teach that being able to paddle with your legs nearer the center line rather than in tight frog legged configuration offers a more stable position that encourages less yaw with each paddle stroke.
This is not to say that you should slosh around in your kayak or eschew hip pads. Only that slipping easily into a cockpit seems more common than squeezing into one and locking your legs into the braces.
At the BodyBoatBlade boot camp, they actually wanted us to be able to rotate our butt on the seat to facilitate a static brace more easily.
Thanks, everyone! This is helpful info. It sounds like I’m doing it “right”. I used to paddle more locked in, but now I like a little extra wiggle room. Like others were saying, it’s kind of hard to do the pedaling motions with my feet if my knees are unable to move.
Another thing…I was wondering if pressing the knees against the hull and thighs against the thigh braces helps produce more power during a stroke, or if it’s really just useful for stabilizing the boat? Maybe both.
I’ve never paddled a surf ski, can’t speak for the instructors.
An L4 did a simple exercise on land during a “Paddle Smarter Not Harder” class that clearly showed it was easier to tip a paddler over in the frog legged position than with the legs in a less bent.
So no surf ski influence there, because that seems a strange argument to me.
The so called “frog legged position” is visual to me though, as that is how I felt after the first hour paddling in waves that way. Now I only use that when in the surf for stability and making high braces.
I’m assuming you mean the exercise? I’ve posted it before in response to similar discussions. In a nut shell…
Sit on the ground in the frog leg position, ie, as if your feet are on the pegs and knees in the thigh braces. Have someone stand behind you, place a hand on the side of your shoulder and then apply increasing amounts of pressure until you start to tip over. Repeat with your legs more straightened and a mildly bent knee.
Takes less pressure to tip you off balance in the first position.
So, yeah, get into those thigh braces for dynamic water as has been said. Otherwise, do your body a favor and straighten your legs a bit. A Rolfing practitioner of my acquaintance has interesting tales to tell about WW kayakers who spend their days with contracted legs.
No, the suggestion that it would be less stable confused me a bit.
But with your explanation about the exercise I understand the point.
I already paddled with my knees up because it was uncomfortable an less fast with my knees under the bracing, but so it has other benefits too.
Good to know.
An inuit instructor says it’s important not to have your kayak fitting you tightly…especially during rolls, you need to be able to adjust your position.
Frog like position takes pressure off lower back. As someone w large thighs, I found that shifting my weight from 1 butt cheek to the other was far more stable than using my thigh braces. Lower center of gravity and easier to balance with relaxed hips.
Don’t waste a lot of energy mashing with your foot. If your butt isn’t sliding around that pressure from your feet is totally worthless… OK… it makes you feel like you’re faster but trust me, you’re not.