Kayak Stroke Hip Rotation

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Simon Loveland - 10 years ago

Absolutely perfect form. However, for sea kayaking in any sort of chop, it's best to keep the knees under the thigh braces—The moment the knees are together the boat becomes MUCH more tippy.

That's OK on a flat pond using a wing paddle that gives additional support. In the open sea using a Euro blade, it's not so clever. Trust me on this—I wound up swimming because of trying close knees paddling on the high seas...

It's still possible to get reasonable leg drive even with the thighs spread out and under the thigh braces—Not quite as efficient as knees together, but instant, instinctive control of any rolling in the hull which is crucial when kayaking on the open sea...

Nicholas Cryder - 10 years ago

Rotation and leg drive isn't just for flatwater. Watch an elite paddler like Greg in a 16" wide V14 surfski in the open ocean with huge conditions coming beam, quartering, rebound and downwind with no thigh braces whatsoever, and he's totally fluid and very stable. This isn't just for the elite paddlers, its foundational for everyone. The key is to learn to drive balance with the catch that then spills over to the entire body from the footbrace all the way to blade exit. It's the wing paddle (not a "Euroblade") that creates traction in the water by reducing cavitation and allowing the paddler to create a lever. The thigh braces in a cockpit are great for executing a role, but they can quickly become a crutch that keeps a paddler from developing true balance skills.