Moving seat foward

Advice
#1

I have short arms & a long kayak.

I understand to get more power from your stroke you should put your paddle in the water around where your toes are.

From where I am sitting now it is a real stretch to do that.

Would I be better of movind my back rest a little foward to get more power into my stroke?

#2

Before you do that…
Why not try not using your backrest?

I paddle all day long and don’t use mine, except when someone comes along side of me and we stop for a chat.

Lock your self in using your foot pegs and thigh braces and try not to use your back rest.



cheers,

JackL

#3

caution: when you move forward
your toes will move forward too


#4

Row the kayak
Best method is to install a sliding seat, face the rear, and then use the rowing scull technique. Your elbows will be beyond your toes when wound up, and you will get amazing stroke length and boat speed. Have to get new paddles, called oars, though.

#5

What boat do you have?

– Last Updated: Nov-11-06 9:15 PM EST –

One of my sea kayaks, the 16 bft one, boats, has a pretty noticeable response to moving the seat forward. Not bad necessarily, but something to think about depending on the boat and your fit in it re weight and volume. So what boat do you have?
And as Jack said, you shouldn't be using the backrest as a gauge for your torso position when paddling. The seat and your balance is in the middle of the boat, if the backrest is too far back to support that it's the backrest that is wrong or inappropriate.

#6

touching toes
Can you touch your toes when you’re legs are straight and you’re not in a kayak? Your toes aren’t that far away!

#7

foot pegs
I think it sounds like you need to move your foot pegs back.



Liveoutside

#8

seat
I am faster in 19 ft seda glide with seat forward because it it called trim. The nose will rise at speed and am now cutting water with wide, short boat becasue nose will rise. If you check kayaksport.net movies, You will see knees up to give more leg drive in liwowski. Rowers are much faster than kayak. To go fast in kayak, lower source of force with hip slide. Before right blade goes in water, the right hip has slid forward and straightening of right leg makes wing go out.

#9

Torso roatation!!! is the key
Need good instruction, or to buy a book or two practice, videotape yourself etc etc.



If you move the seat up the boat should weathercock all the more.

#10

Hey speedy, where have you been?
We missed you down at the Wrightsville beach race, so I figured you went down to the Beaufort Race, but then didn’t see you in the results right behind Barton and figured you skipped that one too.

Know any more races not too far away that might be coming up?



cheers,

JackL