Paddling technique
View Paul Aguirre in a long video on outrigger canoe technique--26 minutes!
Johnny Puakea and Danny Ching on YouTube:
- part one Length 5:49. Pay particular attention at about 2-3 minutes on making the "catch"
- part two Length 4:33. Using your legs. At 2:29 (paraphrase), "when your elbow reaches your torso you start taking the blade out of the water."
- part three Length 4:36. Instead of commanding "Next change four" (meaning 4 changes at 100% power), they suggest "next change, two more inches," reaching forward with the paddle. Also,using your core muscles and rotating. Paddling straight arms. Feeling your knees and hips while rotating
- part four Length 4:06. Common mistake: Starting the stroke while the paddle is still in the air--don't straighten the upper arm early.
Here is Danny Ching on a standup paddleboard. Observe his lower hand at about 1:30--see how it does not grab the shaft with all four fingers until after the blade is in the water. A four finger grip will shorten the paddle stroke by at least an inch.
Here's a race sequence from world outrigger sprints uploaded in 2008. at 0:35 the video goes to slow motion so you can watch the boat float as the paddler (Taaroa Dubois) moves forward in the cockpit and prepares to make the catch, the canoe rising as he makes the catch.
And now for a little showboating in the surf in a rudderless outrigger canoe.
Peter Heaver, of Mountain Home Canoe Club in Portland, gives 5 minutes of outrigger paddling tips.
Greg Barton gives a great 28 second lesson on kayak forward stroke technique
A primer on handling surf in a kayak
Safety links
This is an incomplete list.
Cold water boot camp, a Canadian video (COLD water!) on why you need to wear a Personal Flotation Device (PFD). Our water is not very much warmer than theirs.
PFDs that we especially like for warm weather:
- WestMarine inflatables,
- Stormy Seas Inflatables
- Astral V8,
- Kokatat® Orbit Tour PFD.
Kayak kits
Pygmy boats sells kayak kits that are easy to build, look beautiful, paddle well, are tough and weigh about 32-45 pounds, much easier to car-top than a 50-60 lb plastic or fiberglass kayak. They also cost much less, too. Below, the bow of a Pygmy Arctic Tern 14 under construction--now complete, it weighs about 32 lb.
Look up tides for days when you want to get a free ride. Go upstream with a flood tide and turn around as the tide ebbs. Find the best time to ride waves in the Chehalis.
Other Paddling Clubs
Sound Rowers Open water rowing and paddling club
Pacific Northwest Outrigger Racing Ass'n.
Boats and Boards
Huki Excellent canoes and surfskis made in Sacramento. Also excellent service. Jude explained how to make repairs on Huki canoes that we had bought on the used market.
Waterwalker sells stand-up paddleboards, canoes and surfskis
Epic Kayaks and surfskis designed by Greg Barton twice Gold Medal Olympic kayaking champ and Oscar Chalupsky, surfski champ.