Paddle Notions

Below are come great instructional videos for basic sea kayaking techniques. There is nothing quite so beneficial as one on one time on the water with a good instructor, but watching videos like these, visualising and internalising the movements and later practicing them on the water with friends, must be a close second. This list is evolving as I come across new and interesting videos on YouTube. If you know of better examples, please share them in the comments. I'll let Tom Nickels kick us off with a quick introduction. Forward stroke. This is the stroke we spend 99% of the time doing, but spend the least amount of time training to get right. Having a good forward stroke opens up all kinds of possibilities in your sea kayaking. Reversing. Might not seem that important now, but when you feel yourself being drawn into a tight spot by a wave or tidal stream, you'll be glad you practised the 'Get the hell out of here' stroke.   Edging. Another vital skill to develop, and...

The C to C is not my preferred roll, but often when I do a sweep roll, the paddle misses the water at the start of the sweep, and it kind of becomes a hybrid of the sweep and C to C. In any case, some people swear by the C to C, and insist that it is easier to learn. Staring with some dry land practice.  Next, here is a deep-dive into the mechanics of the C to C. It's an old one, but a good 'un. This next video is the polar opposite of the one above. No talking at all, just showing how to teach the C to C to a beginner, step by step in the pool. in fairness, she does make it look easy to learn. And here's some lovely demonstrations that do all the talking.   Finally, here's Ken Whiting comparing and explaining both the C to C and the sweep rolls.

There are lots of ways to roll, and lots of ways to teach rolling. While there is no substitute for a 1:1 lesson with a good instructor, it can be really helpful to get the theory internalised first, to make the most out of time training in the water with either an instructor, or a learning partner. If you watch these videos, and run through the motions in your mind, and visualise yourself doing it in real situations, that can be a great head start. Whatever style of roll you try, it is all about technique, not about power. Essential to that technique is torso flexibility and upper body:lower body coordination. Here's a great video with a number of stretching exercise that we can all practice every day, whether we are on the water or not, that will help with flexibility and coordination. And another. It is possible to practice rolling in your boat on dry land; it is particularly useful for working on the knee/leg actions required, and for building up muscle memory. In this video, s...

There are lots of ways to roll, and lots of ways to teach rolling. While there is no substitute for a 1:1 lesson with a good instructor, it can be really helpful to get the theory internalised first, to make the most out of time training in the water with either an instructor, or a learning partner. If you watch these videos, and run through the motions in your mind, and visualise yourself doing it in real situations, that can be a great head start. Whatever style of roll you try, it is all about technique, not about power. Essential to that technique is torso rotation and flexibility. Here's a great video with a number of stretching exercise that we can all practice every day, whether we are on the water or not. It is also possible to practice rolling in your boat on dry land; it is particularly useful for working on the knee/leg actions required, and for building up muscle memory.  In this video, she is demonstrating a C to C roll, which isn't my preferred roll for a sea kaya...

I have been struggling for some time to find a satisfactory securing arrangement for my split spare paddle on both my sea kayaks ( Virgo HV  & Romany Excel Expedition ). The Virgo tries to present a solution by having two indentations in the foredeck that theoretically the loom of a set of splits could sit in, with bungy to hold them down, but the reality is that my Werner Corryvreckan doesn't naturally lie in those recesses, and the bungees just don't hold it in place when waves break across the deck. They end up pointing every which way, if not floating away on their own journey. After lots of ultimately unsuccessful experimentation with plastic piping and hot glue, I eventually decided to put a lot more bungies on, and added rubber sheathing to them. Finally the paddles seem to be staying in place , in all but the worst conditions, such as a full-on surf session. The situation is more complicated with the Romany. There is a decent bungee arrangement on the foredeck for ...