Function of boat design
Whether to use a skeg, rudder or neither without considering the boat design is putting the cart before the horse. Sea kayaks are designed to do two mutual exclusive things. 1. Go straight efficiently. 2. Turn efficiently. A kayak with a lot of rocker turns more efficiently. A kayak with less rocker goes straight more efficiently. A kayak with larger volume may have more weather helm. And so on. In order to make up for the inefficiency of the functions the designer generally chooses should my kayak be equipped with a rudder or skeg. Kayaks such as the Current Design Caribou are standard with skegs and kayaks like the Current Designs Expedition are standard with rudders. This is a function of design, not paddling skill.
A skillful paddler will paddle either kayak better than a less skilled paddler. Just like a skillful piano player will play any piano better than a novice.
Hmm
I have never had a problem with all my Rudderd boats, but recently i had my Skeg get jammed in the up position!
Skeg jammed up, yep,
this happens to me all the time. On the explorer it has not really mattered, on the shadow I might be more inconvenienced.
Launching stern first if possible. Checking the skeg close to beach if it might be really important, putting a 3mm cord for a partner to tug on through a hole in the bottom outside corner, these are common tricks, you probably know them well, but others may not.
Yeah
I wasnt careful as i knew i wouldnt need a Skeg for that trip (Tight River). Just something to chek on the big water trips!!
rudder up in wind
You might find that without the rudder, you’d also remove the need for it.
A rudder in the “up” position can have a drastic effect on your weathercocking. Consequently, what you’re interpreting as a need for the rudder in wind, might just be a symptom of having a 4" sail on the back of your boat.
I have no idea since my boat, and my wife’s, both have skegs. But I’ve paddled in 30 knot winds with a rudder and loved it…EXCEPT when it was in the “up” position catching wind.
Just my $0.02…paddle what feels good for you and you cannot go too wrong.
Yup…
I was thinking if the rope breaks on my S&G, it would deploy and stay down. Hasn't happened yet. But neither have I had a rudder cable break on me either.
I have heard of skegs getting stuck up. Mine have. Anyway, any of these things happen in conditions and without a partner, one has a definite handicap. No getting around it.
Judgement call and taking what comes with that call are part of the game, ain't it? :)
sing
"Pre-flight check"
I try to remember to cycle mine up/down just after launch, and check that it’s returned to full upright position before landing.
I use mine sparingly - and if only 1/4 to 1/2 deployed I will forget it sometimes. Trying to get in the habit fo checking it regularly while underway too.
Related note: GPS is helpful for dialing in right amount of skeg. Whatever gets the best speed is the right amount.
Who says you should not have a rudder?!
I believe you should have every piece of technology available that you can afford and that you want… Use it whenever you feel like it. Unless you are Nanook of the North paddling in ice flows being chased by polar bears, you aren’t likely to need any difficult skills. The basic skills of leisure paddling are easy enough to aquire. Having a rudder won’t prevent you from leaning a turn whenever your ready to.
And don’t let those elitist minimalists steer you away from a rudder or any other device you might like. A lot of them have their own indulgences such as GPS’s or special seats.
So…
If a paddler doesn't use equipment that you like, they're an "elite minimalist", but if they use something you don't, it's an "indulgence"?
There's an old saying about glass houses....
And another thing Jim…
I would not want to go camping in Florida’s 10,000 Islands, or some of the NC estuaries, or a lot of big swamps without my GPS.
And I am not elitist, just an ordinary paddler like most who post here.
Cheers,
JackL
wasn’t aiming at you, Jack,
GPS is good to have. I don’t criticize any equipment. And that area is damned difficult to find your way around in.
Notwithstanding the trolling
I also have a hard time with the idea that using a rudder is “bad technique.” You can use or not use, and best to be prepared for foreseeable malfunctions, but I’m another unrepentant rudder user. Not that there’s anything wrong with skegs…
My Rudder
Here’s just my opinion and a little advice that was given to me once. I have a Prijon Eski. I picked it up at the factory in Germany just outside of Munich. I use my rudder as a “variable set skeg” but usually it’s up. When the boat is loaded I use it less than on day paddles with an empty boat. Higher in the wind I guess. It has the Prijon “peddle on peg,” as the Germans say, which I love. As for the advice, one of the guys at their test lake told me to switch the rudder lines. i.e. When the right pedal is pushed the boat goes left. This way it is the natural bracing you should be doing for your turns.
Paddled a friend’s Romany – no rudder. Liked it, too. My boat’s designed for one - his ain’t… I like both.
ptb
IMO…
Rudders are for girls…But y’all knew that.
My take on the situation
Like others have said many many times that have waaayyyy more experience than me. Learn boat control with your paddle and body English first. If you start out using the rudder exclusively for turning you will find your self in a world of trouble when your boat is moving the same speed as the current!! My wife figured that out the hard way on her first trip a few years ago, I didn’t realize she was using her rudder exclusively for turning. After pulling her out of the tree branches several times I realized what she was doing I taught her sweep strokes, Draw strokes and slack paddeling. and ever since than she doesn’t even use the rudder. She paddles pretty good now and realizes that rudders and skegs are really there for fine tuning your boat to the water and weather conditions. They all make paddling easier. I am no expert but I did stay at a Holiday in express last night!!!
you’re right
now that I think about it I think I called a rudder a safety item more than once.
Good example
of what the concerns are with someone starting out with a rudder.
As Jim is so fond of saying - it's not rocket science - and sure, you can still learn sweeps and edging - but the problem is if someone is relying on the rudder too much - they may not know it until there IS a problem - and so won't be learning as well as they could have been. Sort of like trying to learn skinny boat balance and leaving Sp0ns0ns on all the time.
There is a reason most sea kayak rudders can be raised and lowered from the cockpit. It' not meant to be a full time thing, and great when needed (skis and race boats are different).
Original poster was using rudder well. Taking advantage of it, not abusing it as a crutch. Good thing to have in that sort of situation - and many others.
Amen
Amen brutha.
I have a friend who only really ever paddled with a rudder. We went out in a tandem, in 3’ rollers (nothing too crazy), the rudder got stuck in the “up” position and I had to teach him sweep strokes, on the fly. It wasn’t all that fun, and he wasn’t all that good at it having never done it before.
Truth is, if you learn without a rudder, you will be a better paddler.
A skeg is the same way. My boat has one, and for the first year, I got pretty good at turning and edging my boat. But I paddled with the skeg down 99% of the time and my ability to paddle a straight line was questionable at best. When I finally just said “screw it, no skeg for the next 30 days” I got immeasurably better at handling my boat. Even the things I thought I was good at before got better.
Learn with no help, and add the help later.
There are countless analogies. In mountain biking, learning to ride singletrack with no front shock teaches you about optimal lines over obstacles and bumps that a front shock hides. You’re a better rider for having endured the leanring curve on less advanced equipment.
In a car, learning to drive with a stick shift as opposed to an automatic transmission gives you a better understanding of RPMs, power driving, and acceleration characteristics of your car. Sure, an auto-tranny is more popular, but if you learned on a stick, I’d say you’re a better driver (or at least a smarter one).
I could go on and on…but you get my point: Learning on base equipment forms a foundation of knowledge that will benefit you down the road when you decide to use a rudder/shock/automatic-tranny
All depend on what kind of paddling
someone does…
My first boat did not have a rudder, and I was able to get around very well. Nonetheless, it does not mean that it was efficient.
Nowadyas, I would only paddle rudder depended boats because they are way faster!
The rudder allows me to go straight in all kinds of conditions. Therefore, I produce the same amount of strokes with my right and left side. The workout is sound, and as a result, I might go faster 
Regards,
Iceman
Some of us
LIKE girls!