KAYAKING April Femrite, General Manager, Bent River Outfitters, Mankato Whether through Girl Scouts or with family, you’ve perhaps paddled a canoe at some point, but if you’ve never tried kayaking this is the summer to do so. The main difference between the two crafts is that kayaks have a deck while canoes are open. Kayakers typically use a double bladed paddle vs. the single blade used for canoeing. CHOOSING YOUR KAYAK When deciding which craft to use, first decide where you will go: calm water such as a pond, lake or river; or open water with potential extremes of wind and waves? Will you paddle alone or in a tandem? Are you skilled or a novice? For southern Minnesota rivers and lakes, Bent River Outfitters recommends recreational or sit-on-top kayaks.
RECREATIONAL KAYAKS These are best for easy usage in calm conditions. They offer initial stability that’s reassuring for novices, photographers, anglers or casual paddlers on ponds, lakes or slow-moving rivers. They are not so good for open water or use in heavy wind or currents. Recreational kayaks usually have a smaller bulkhead (storage area) for short day trips, though some have a larger storage area for day touring. Pros: Affordable, easy to use and great initial stability. Cons: They don’t track (hold a straight course) as well as a touring kayak. If flipped, they can be a challenge to bail out. SIT-ON-TOP KAYAKS Sit-on-tops are great fun for kids, beginners or swimmers. They have a sealed hull and molded depressions on top for sitting. It’s easy to get on and off of one whether you are on a dock, shore or in the water. The seats are above water-level so these boats are typically wider than traditional kayaks and slower. It’s hard to capsize a sit-on-top, but if it does flip over, it’s easy to flip it back and get on it. Pros: You sit up high and don’t have climb into it like a traditional kayak. Cons: Slower than traditional kayaks; your body is exposed to the elements in wet and cold conditions.
HOLDING THE PADDLE Here’s how to come to grips with your paddle: • Picture the width of your shoulders. That, or a little less, is the amount of space that should separate your hands when hold the shaft. If your hand spacing is too wide you’ll gain power but tire out rapidly because this position requires a lot of upper-body strength to pull the paddle through the water. If your hand spacing is too narrow you risk having no strength in your stroke.
• In each hand, press the tips of your index finger and thumbs and create an “O” shape to loosely hold the shaft. This is a favorable, fatiguefighting grip that reminds you that you actually push the paddle during most forward strokes. When your hands are in the correct position knuckles are pointed up and one of the blades is vertical (this makes it your “power hand”).
• Wherever you hold it, avoid applying a death grip on the shaft – it causes fatigue. Instead, use a relaxed grip. Open your fingers slightly and create a loose handhold.
THE FORWARD STROKE The forward stroke, paddling’s most fundamental motion, involves more than arm power. A well-executed forward stroke is a collaborative effort that combines upper arms and core muscles (back, abdomen and glutes). Intertwining these muscle groups allows you to efficiently propel your boat while minimizing arm and shoulder fatigue. Think of the forward stroke as putting your blade in the water and moving past it rather than pulling a paddle’s blade through the water. This allows greater paddling efficiency. There are several ways commonly used to describe the stages of a forward stroke: • Phase 1 (catch): Wind your torso into the stroke. Dip your paddle on one side of the boat and “catch” a blade’s worth of water. If placing the blade on the boat’s right side, the right side of you rib cage should
be angled toward the bow (front). The best place to dip your paddle is in an area roughly parallel to your feet. • Phase 2 (propulsion): Rotate your torso as the blade pushes the water behind you. Use core muscles to push past the blade rather than pulling the blade through the water with your arms. This boosts efficiency and reduces fatigue. • Phase 3 (recovery): As the paddle pops out of the water, you’re now wound up for the next stroke, with the opposite side of your rib cage angled toward the boat’s bow. Overall, the forward stroke is a continuous, simultaneous push-andpull motion: a push with the upper hand, a pull with the lower, all resulting in smooth torso rotation. >>>
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