rotation and boat outfitting question
all this paddling from the hips sounds challenging to do if your boat is foam outfitted for a snug fit. my hip pads are grippy as is my seat cover. with my drysuit and insulation on even more so. how snuggly are you super rotators in your boats- i’m talking sea kayaks here, not race boats.
big spoon
"I agree on the comment that doing more distance forces torso and leg use "
Or use a large blade paddle so you can’t pull it by your arms alone!
After a couple miles, the arms get sore enough the body had to pitch in more to move the boat.
Not the best way to “learn” the technique itself. But if you already know what you “should be doing” but keep reverting back to bad habit of arm paddling? A large blade exaggerate the issue a lot quicker and reminds you what you SHOULD be doing.
Push with the top hand
Is another trick that i tell people. took me awhile to do automaticly.
fairly loose
I have no thigh braces in my Q600. I also tape a plasitc bag over the minicell foam pad so my butt slips on the seat. My legs are free and pumping unless I’m edging on a wave face or really doing hard handling in surf. Fit is just tight enough to allow me to control/edge/roll when needed (can shove my knees under the deck and snug in) but loose enough so as to not interfere with the forward stroke as 99% of my paddling is just going forward and I like to have my legs pumping.
If I wanted to play in rock gardens I would have a touring boat outfitted like a whitewater boat. But for general purpose touring I don’t like a snug fit.
Loose feels unstable in a side chop at first and the instinct is to grab the underside of the deck with the knees for control. But over time the body adjusts and the boat just does its thing under the paddler.
I like it tight
I have all my boats snuggly outfitted w/hip pads and thigh braces. I rotate my torso, not my hips. While I do put pressure on the foot pedals, my butt stays fairly still in the seat. My stroke power comes from my lower back and abs.
Stretching is also good…
for your torso rotation. I know some paddlers that are not very flexible in the torso and it can make some of the stropkes harder or less efficient.
I like to do this in the kayak after I have warmed up with some light paddling. If you think about your activity of tapping the opposite side of your kayak with you blade, the stretching involves hold the paddle in that position and using it as a lever to stretch your abs and back.
First make sure you are sitting up straight, rotate your upper body until you can place the power face of your right blade on the left side of you kayak. Pull with your right arm and try to look over your left shoulder. Hold this for about 20 seconds. Unwind slowly and do it for your other side.
Starting out, this can be a little tricky with respect to balance so you can do it on shore in your kayak, but the balance practice never goes astray.
As with any stretching or activity, if something starts to hurt, stop! And don’t forget to breath.
Cheers,
Ian
Accidentally doing things right.
My first kayak actually practical to paddle over any decent distance was a Tarpon 160 SOT - and with it I got a big bladed Werner San Juan - (the Camano is a smaller version). Big heavy kayak - big paddle - good match. Kept the seat pan bare and never put in a big SOT style seat (easier to get on and off - and allowed rotation). Nearly always did 10 miles or more, 15-20 many times, and near 30 a couple times (all before I knew any better - or read anything - or saw any videos). This sort of paddling does tend to weed out arm paddling.
I’ve since gone to skinnier hulls and blades and gotten weak and lazy - but the early lessons about torso and leg use remain - and of course can still use some work!
tradeoff
Took hung seat out of t-bolt because it was snnug and hurt rotation. Am now faster but tippier. Trimmed thigh braces on glider so cannot rotate but still have something for knees.