balance and upper/lower body control
I’ve only done whitewater and flatwater paddling, and I’m fairly new to both, so I’m not sure if this will be helpful or not. But what the heck, if I’m wrong, you guys will tell me.
The key to not flipping is keeping the boat under you no matter how the water moves you. You do that by moving your upper and lower body separately to keep your center of gravity, well, centered. We flip over when our center of gravity moves too far to the side for us to recover. J-leans, head dinks and braces are all tools we use to bring our center of balance back under control so we don’t flip over. Wide boats are another tool we use to prevent our center of balance ever getting out of whack in the first place.
For another sport I do, I’ve spent a lot of time working out on yoga balls (also called thera-balls). These are giant inflatable balls that you can sit, kneel or stand on during exercise. In particular, I’ve spent a lot of time learning to kneel on top of these balls. Maintaining your balance on top of the balls requires you to move your lower and upper body separately. In particular, I’ve learned how to use my hips and core to snap my butt back into vertical line. When I started whitewater, every time I started to flip, I was able to use this skill to bring the boat back under me. Kneeling on them while lifting weights is a lot like paddling in tippy conditions, so it taught me how to do multiple things at once that also has been useful in paddling.
Better skills and a more appropriate boat will help you, of course. But you might consider buying one of these balls (around $20 US) and learning to kneel on them. It’s a lot of fun, and it’s been extremely useful for me in my short time on the water.
My balance…
in shore is okish…
As I said before its not so much that I can’t paddle a few metres without tipping but that I can’t find any balance point and if I’m looking for a balance point whilst in flat calm water then it can’t be right really.
Regardless of the conditions I find that I’m only moments away from a capsize unless I’m bracing nearly every stroke and whilst sat still.
As some pointed out to me… my thighs ARE too tightly wedged I think… their under the braces but firmly there whilst relaxed there isn’t any room between thighs and braces when relaxed.
Also the gashing of legs was put down to entry and exit technique I understand but the boat is such a fit that I couldn’t stand in boat and lower myself in feet, knees, bum without having to bend one knee and make way for the other leg first as there isn’t enough width to get knees and quads past the thighs braces.
This weekend the instructor is removing seats, weighting hatches etc… just to see how it makes me feel… then during the week a few demo kayaks arrive for me to try… Tuesday night is the start of my 4 week indoor heated pool sessions for rolling, rescue and bracing instruction…
I’ll keep you all posted… which could mean Weight and Balance Pt3!! Sorry! 
I guess the
… thera-balls/yoga ball is like the pilates ball?! If so I’ve recently purchased one and now watch tv with my feet raised on a stall and sat on the ball… the cat and dog seem to enjoy emulating a ripple in the livingroom to provide entertainment!
With your determination
you’ll be feeling better soon. Seat time will develop the muscles you need to help gain more stability. Just think of it as a great ab workout. Once you learn how to roll everything will feel even better because you will have confidence in your bracing. Give it some time and let us know how everything is going. Good luck.
I’ve been there, Floyde.
I started at 6'2" 290 lbs, July 2006. 21.5” boats were scarry tippy, some more than others. I bought a Tempest 180, 23” wide. At 255 lb about 5 months later, I downsized to a Tempest 170, 22” wide. At 225 lb now I’m looking to get into and explorer but haven’t found a used one in the area.
Paddling experience matters, but so does weight. A slim person migh overcome the gitters on the water in a few outings. A heavier person might take 5 months in a 21.5” boat, if ever. It’s hard for me to seperate factors since my weight went down at the same time that I increased experience on the water. Including the weight loss, it was 9 months before I was comfortable in a 21.5” boat. And it may have been mostly about weight loss. I do have solid rolling and bracing experience. Not that I need to roll and brace more in the 21.5”, but the rolling and bracing ability enhances confidence and balance. Best case scenario though, If my weight hand't gone down, would be 9 months before I'm comfortable in a narrower boat, balance wise. That would assume that experience was the primary factor.
I do a drill on a balance beam, about 5 times a week, where I try to balance with my eyes closed. I have inner ear hearing loss in one ear, which make balance with my eyes closed more difficult. I’ve noticed big improvements though with loss of weight. I think it’s just higher body awareness and ability to shift and adjust more rapidly based on what I feel in my legs and hips rather than in my head. It used to be as soon as I closed my eyes I’d start tipping over and off the beam. Now I can balance for about 20-30 seconds. I’ve leveled out at 225 lb and haven’t really broken through the 20-30 seconds. I think at 200 lb I’ll be able to balance indefinitely, we’ll see. My point is that weight is a big factor in balance. Not the only factor, but a significant one.
I’ve only had time to skim the above posts, so apology if this is redundant, or if I don’t acknowledge those who said it before me. I would say go with a boat you are comfortable in. If 6 months later you want to go narrower, that’s fine. But you’ll advance quicker if you are comfortable. I don’t think you’ll get there in a few sessions in a 21.5” boat.
If you want to do back finishing, Greenland style rolling, the Tempest is the best big guy boat I’ve tried, likes to be on it’s side (for side sculling and the rolls requiring more finesse,) really comfortable for laying back on the rear deck. Tempests also have a little more primary and very good secondary stability. In fact I think they’re a little more work to keep on edge until you get good at riding on one cheek and really hanging (raising) the opposite thigh. If G rolling is not a priortity then there’s other choices that I think were mentioned above: P&H for example.
Paul
floyde
If you get the chance to try a bigger boat, please drop in and let everyone know how it turns out, this could be a good lesson.