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A basic forward stroke is the first to learn, but possibly the most difficult to master. This stroke is used repeatedly over-and-over for a whole day, month, year - tens of thousands of times. Having an efficient and effective stroke will mean less fatigue and reduce the chance of repetitive stress injuries. The stroke should involve the whole body, not just the arms. There are lots of variations published on how to complete a forward stroke - some from the sprint/racing groups, others from more relaxed recreational paddlers. Two techniques have been provided below.
Although there is variance in techniques there are a few things that remain consistent: When paddling, the blade should be fully submerged in the water before applying force. The blade should be perpendicular to the direction of travel (vertical & horizontal). Enough force should be applied to pull the canoe forward without drawing air down behind the paddle (minimize whirlpools and aeration). Overall, the actual movement of the paddle blade in the water should be minimized during the power phase - think of the blade being static and pulling the canoe past the paddle.
How to execute an efficient forward stroke.
Catch (setup and stick the paddle) Lean slightly forward at the waist.
Rotate shoulders (wind up) with shaft hand further forward than grip
Grip and shaft hands should be in line over the water
Push the paddle blade down into water, submerge the whole blade.
Start applying force gradually, pulling the canoe forward.
Power Phase (pull canoe forward)Sit-up from the forward lean, and at the same time
Rotate shoulders (un-wind, grip hand shoulder rotating forward, shaft hand shoulder moving backward with straightening motion).
Pull canoe forward, feel as if you are pushing your hips forward with knees/feet braced in the canoe, weight over the paddle feeling like pushing down. Grip and Shaft hands should be stacked one above the other, & over the water.
Stop applying force as the paddle approaches the hip.
Recovery (setup next stroke)Slice the paddle out of the water (without any force or pitch on the blade)
Feather the paddle back through the air (your body should follow the paddle setting up for the next catch).
If you are paddling in a low-seated 'marathon' canoe, try using a bucket seat and foot braces for support. Paddling with higher seats (or no seats) drop your knees either to the floor of the canoe or brace them against the sides or gunwales. In either case, having a positive connection to the canoe through your lower body is critically important to an efficient forward stroke - this is where the paddling force is transferred to the canoe.
Because it is difficult to maintain a vertical paddle as you pull the canoe forward, using a bent shaft paddle may provide a significant increase in efficiency by keeping the blade vertical in the water for a longer period during the power phase.
The following two clips provide different examples of paddling styles used with a forward stroke depending on the power, control, and paddling personality. In each case submerging the blade in the water, stacked hands during the power phase, and vertical paddle are consistent. The length of the stroke and bend of the grip arm are the primary differences.
Forward Stroke
Forward Stroke
The standard forward stroke is relatively long, starting reasonably far forward, and continuing to pull until the hip. The forward catch is accomplished with modest body rotation, and slight forward lean.
The following provides some further information and demonstration material:
Traditional Stroke
Traditional Stroke
A 'traditional' stroke has been advocated for long paddling days and as a more relaxed alternative. This stroke starts with the grip hand close to the cheek then punching out. The shaft hand may act as the fulcrum point. This stroke is very short (when compared to the above forward stroke) and a higher cadence is used. This stroke is often associated with the Canadian correction stroke. It has been described by many authors over time.
The following sources have good descriptions of this more traditional stroke:
The American National Red CrossCanoeing 1977, pp137-138
Cliff Jacobson, Basic Essentials, Canoeing 1997, pp 35-36
Bill Mason, Path of the Paddle 1980, p 16
Some Thoughts for Strokes
Some Thoughts for Strokes
The water around the blade should be relatively calm during a paddling stroke. The blade, relative to the water, should have minimal movement, meaning little aeration/ventilation (whirlpools and bubbles), and almost no splash.
At the catch the blade should be pushed into the water, completely submerging the blade, before applying power. During the power phase the blade should be submerged and as vertical as possible throughout the stroke. At the end of the stroke, the blade should be removed without power, slicing out of the water, rather than lifting and splashing. Overall the stroke should be quiet causing minimal turbulence, whirlpools, and splashing.
The video provides an idea of an efficient stroke along with a comparison to a less efficient stroke.
Should See:
Vertical Paddle Placement - by stacking hands.
Plant/insert blade fully into the water before applying force
Wind-up, and extend forward (just enough to plant full blade)
The shaft arm is kept relatively straight. The grip arm may be straight or bent at the setup/catch and straightened throughout the pull/power phase.
Pull forward in the direction of canoe movement. You should have the feeling of pushing your hips forward with your feet or knees anchoring you to the canoe.
Stop applying force at hip, slice out.
Overall the stroke should be quiet without splash at catch or end.
Avoid:
Splashing or aeration at start of stroke (applying force too early)
Whirlpools from edges of the blade through the stroke (applying too much force, or blade not submerged completely)
Following the curve (gunwale) of the canoe (this turns the canoe)
Tip of the blade further out than the side of canoe or grip
Pulling past hip
Lifting water at the end of the stroke
A Final Thought
A Final Thought
While making this page I was brought back to a discussion about what kind of class lever is a canoe paddle. In most of my reading, a paddle is identified as a 3rd class lever with the fulcrum at the grip, effort applied by the shaft hand, and the resistance (or load) at the blade. When looking at the 'traditional' (Punch) or north-woods stroke the shaft hand is held relatively still and the grip is punched out - this kind of stroke would be considered a class 1 lever. Yes, this is a simplification. Both strokes use body rotation to facilitate the paddling motion and power. The fact that both the grip/shaft hand may actually be the fulcrum at different points in the stroke is also ignored.
The 3rd class lever (Standard Forward Above) has the advantage of contact time in the water to pull the boat forward. There is no mechanical advantage but if the paddler is strong enough there will be much more time to apply force over distance, and the blade remains perpendicular for a longer period. The distance between the grip hand and shaft hand should be maximized within the paddlers box (just my opinion).
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