Technique Tips Safety  Common mistakes Practice drills

Technique Setup

• Maintain normal hand position. 
• Place the back of the blade on the water as far back as your torso rotation allows (keeping your elbow tucked into your hip to protect your shoulder).
• Keep your paddle shaft almost parallel with the kayak - you achieve this by torso rotation. 

Catch

• Fully immerse the blade and bring the paddle forward by unwinding your torso. 
• The path of the blade runs almost parallel to the kayak, instead of sweeping. 

Exit

• Pull the working blade out of the water when the working hand is about mid-way between your knee and foot.
• Repeat the stroke on the other side.