If you look closely at the paddler in the red kayak in the foreground you'll notice that he isn't paddling with just one paddle, but with two! This exercise was set up by Kevin during a coaching session in Brittany France . Kevin really rates this exercise as it helps in incident management as the paddler in trouble will often let go of their paddles even though the golden rule is not to do so! The range of skills demonstrated by the group whilst holding on to two pairs of paddles was amazing - they all managed to perform the basic strokes with ease and they all also managed to roll. Have a look at the photos below - and then go out and have a go. It'll really improve your technique and improve your confidence. At the bottom of the page there is a gallery of shots showing Kevin practicing a range of strokes whilst holding on to an extra pair of paddles.

Please Note: We do not advocate paddling on the open sea without a buoyancy aid (pfd). This exercise was carried out in a very controlled environment, on a hot sunny day when the water temperature was 20 degrees Celsius. We had spent a considerable amount of time messing about in the water.

Chris Jones

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