read the post on high vs low angle
Falcon
For starters…
guys like you are usually a lot of fun to be around, paddling or not. Your desire to help folks is admirable. One day I hope to buy you a beer. However, Someone just learning to paddle their boat straight could benefit from a more, shall we say, distilled version of your spirits. There is a lot of corn in one ounce of whiskey. I will buy you a shot after that beer.
Dogmaticus
Dan
I read the artical and it really is good. If I remember correctly it talks about some of the same things that you were attempting to help me with about a year back.
thanks,
Mark
wow
There’s some great stuff in this thread.
And I love Jell-O. Especially the green kind.
Did we ever find out what kind of boat it is?
Bryan
You bet
Hey, that’s what makes the option of having these sub-discussions that are set aside from the main thread a pretty neat thing. I do get carried away with semi-technical stuff that one can try to wrap ones mind around more than some people, and sometimes it’s best to try to keep that in check. I wasn’t going to tie up any more board space, but I looked at you last post and decided to say thanks for keeping a friendly attitude. That’s the best way to do these discussion. Gotta run. My stack of gear needs sorting, and the Current River (Ha! No pun intended) beckons!
great article …
yes it is good isn’t it. after i read it a few years back, i tried to include the same info in my teaching style. glad you read it … nobody else seems to have 
Something I found out
Sometimes boats are sensitive to your butt being dead center. If you are not centered in the boat it is like leaning, the boat will turn. I have a Perception Bimini which is very susceptible to this. When centered properly the boat will go straight as an arrow, when not it goes right or left, it didn’t take long to figue out proper butt placement and hit it every time.
And where is Sarah, anyway?
LOL, I was wondering if the subthread was much ado about nothing. For all we know, Sarah never paddles in current.
Heck, she could be paddling an inflatable kayak, double-LOL!
Damned straight!
Errrr, or not straight.
My Prijon Twister is very sensitive to both body position and blade angles. For that reason, I consider it a great tool for learning on/in. Things I could get away with in the long boats…forget it in this thing.
Leaning and edging don’t have to be as pronounced, force on the paddle can be lighter, and body position is obvious without any deck or sprayskirt to obscure views.
Lean turns - Paddling secret
Shh do not tell anyone…Leaning your boat is the best way to keep your kayak in a straight line…Its a secret so keep it to your self.
I used to do corrective strokes. I no longer need them. I simply lean to the left and the kayak strightens to the right. Vice versa for the otehr side. No need to change my stroke.
Another trick is to count in three’s. Sometimes you naturally count in two’s and sub-coniously put more power on one side or the other. By counting in three’s you will level out your stroke.
Reporting to you in my secret bunker,
Mickalous
Counting in threes
A good way to test if you tend to paddle in lopsided ONE-two, ONE-two accents is to have a ONE-two type of song going through your head…but switch which side gets the downbeat accent. If you are unconsciously stronger on the downbeat side and switching the beat makes the boat pull to the other side from normal, then you know your stroke force is asymmetric.
Another thing that can help is to have a friend quietly paddle behind you and listen. A strongly asymmetrical stroke will sound unbalanced. I know someone who had a very lopsided stroke, and when he concentrated on evening out the stroke, he sped up noticeably, plus endurance improved. (Unfortunately, he kept reverting to the lopsided stroke, but he can’t say he wasn’t told about it.)
Forward Stroke
Sarah,
a good forward stroke takes years and years and years to master. I’ve been paddling about 12 years and am an instructor and I am still always working on and refining my forward stroke. Don’t get dishearted, just practice and don’t over-power your strokes and you’ll do fine.
Also, keep in mind that while leaned turns are great, not all boats respond well to a leaned turn. For example, the Current Design GTS is great boat but does not respond to a leaned turn at all. Well, you can drop your shoulder in the water and that might do something. Every boat it going to require a slight adjustment of your stroke to keep it turning and going straight.