Too frequently many paddlers, myself included, think that the power and control of a kayak comes solely from the use of the upper body and largely ignore the contribution that the legs and feet can make to kayak control. This can actually be quite significant.
Three separate strokes have been identified where the use of the legs is particularly useful. They are forward paddling, sculling and edging. Each stroke will be considered in turn.
Forward paddling: An efficient forward paddling technique requires appropriate upper body positioning, including at times the somewhat mystical technique known as upper body rotation, and correct positioning of the hands on the paddle. It is also possible to use the legs to assist with paddling, particularly when extra power is required.
There are a number of possible techniques but the most effective one I have found for use in a sea kayak is as follows. When paddling forwards and the left blade is placed in the water close to the left foot, press at the same time with the left foot onto the foot rest. This technique does not need to be used all the time, it can be reserved for those occasions when extra power is required. Such circumstances include towing, paddling into a headwind or needing extra speed to push through a tidal race.
This is any easy technique to introduce and if you are coaching a group it is possible to bring it in as early as the second time on the water. It is something which students quickly catch onto.
Edging: This is a particularly useful technique to assist turning particularly in those kayaks which have a skeg. Assuming that you wish to turn the kayak to the left it is necessary to edge to the right. Here the use of the legs is absolutely vital.
The left knee should be forced against the underside of the deck whilst at the same time the right leg is allowed to fall slack. It is also important to rotate the hips to ensure that the paddler’s body remains as upright as possible. Once the kayak is on its edge it is much easier to turn using a series of sweep strokes. By leaving the kayak on its edge for as long as possible it is possible to increase the effectiveness of the turn. With practice it is possible to hold the kayak much further on its edge purely by using the legs alone.
When introducing edging to a group of students it is advisable to work in pairs with the kayaks parallel to each other. One paddler holds their paddle about 15 cms above the hatch cover of their partner. With the option to use the paddle as a support, if things go wrong, it is then possible to experiment with edging just using the legs to adjust the position and balance. To improve the learning, perform this exercise with your eyes shut, in this way you will develop a “feel” for the kayak, something which is to be recommended.
Sculling for support: Many people would argue whether a stroke such a sculling for support actually falls into the category of a useable stroke. What is beyond argument though is that the ability to perform a comprehensive demonstration illustrates a good level of skill and shows a paddler who has mastery of their craft.
There are two levels of sculling for support. Initially with the kayak is only slightly off balance but as the skill level increases it should be possible to perform sculling with your ear in the water. To begin with the paddler leans to the right and the right hand paddle blade moves backwards and forwards across the surface of the water, thereby providing support. It is important to perform the action in a smooth fashion, creating as little splashing as possible. The left knee will be pushing up against the deck of the kayak whilst the right knee will have fallen slack.
The problem comes when we want to scull with our ear in the water. In this case if we are sculling to the right the right knee will be engaged with the deck whereas the left knee should be slack. This is the exact opposite to when sculling is performed with the kayak only slightly off balance. The problem is if you try to go over slowly, at some point you will have to swap the leg over which is engaged with the deck of the kayak, something which is not that easy to do.
If you wish to scull with your ear in the water the simplest way to achieve this is to push the right knee against the underside of the deck, drop the left knee away, and then fall to the right. You should start to scull as soon as your ear hits the water. The legs are therefore positioned correctly to assist with the sculling. To come back to the upright position it is a simple matter of a hip flick to bring the kayak back up to the horizontal.
There is life below the spraydeck! Now that you are aware of the potential of using your legs and feet it is important to get out there and practice, the benefit to your paddling could be enormous.
