How to Steer an Outrigger Canoe, Strokes and Pokes

[@eugeniosolari]

Really good for watching and learning. Pleasant to listen. Thank you Dale.

[@brmotoraiz3428]

Simple and effective! Great Video!

[@13_13k]

Dale --- nice video and nice pleasant narration to listen to. Informative without a lot of unnecessary dialogue. I had started steering my 2nd year as novice and I loved it. It came pretty naturally to me. Probably due to growing up surfing and skateboarding and snow skiing and every other sport a kid from SoCal beach area could enjoy. My first race as a steersman was a coed novice canoe, I'd only been paddling two seasons usually in seat one or two. This race was out of Horseshoe Bay on the Marin side of the Golden Gate Bridge it was Saucilito's canoe club's race you have a cliff on the left and the Bay on the right but the tankers and cargo ships have a lane to leave the Bay only about 200 yrds maybe a little more off the cliffs and a ship came by and kicked up a wake off the bow that was about ten or maybe fifteen foot face when it hit the sandbar and it was parallel to the canoe. I told everyone to keep paddling hard and don't stop. I waited for the wave and when we were nosing into the trough, plunged the steering paddle in and prying as hard as I could on the right side the canoe responded perfectly and we turned right up the face I then switched to the left side fearing that the ama was going to come up or have the wave lip sink the ama. Being new to steering I wasn't sure but I was going to be ready for whatever would happen. To my surprise all I had to do was poke left and it swung the stern out right and I was at a perfect 45° dropping down the back of the wave. The crew didn't seem to panic too much and kept paddling. Even seat one was paddling with the nose about five feet in the air for a couple seconds but didn't lose timing. There was some cheering from the canoe and from the cliffs and we ended up winning that race. That's one way to initiate a new steersman into their first race. Thanks again for the video

[@PGAmaboy]

We have done that race several times. Starting right by the Golden Gate bridge is very cool, and that finishing line run along the cliffs with people cheering is always great. It can be an extremely challenging course with strong tidal currents, steep wind chop, head winds, ferry boat wakes that are like walls, and ship wakes like you guys hit. Lots of paddlers love the challenging conditions and the spectacular setting. Well done following your instincts when faced with such a tough situation. I'm sure all of your experience and background with sports, and especially with water sports like surfing, was a huge part of your natural ability. We call it water sense, or we might say she is a water woman or he is a water man. New to outrigger paddlers who are surfers, experienced kayakers, river guides, sailors, rough water swimmers, stand up paddlers, and those who have been on the water a lot seem to take to steering. We always encourage everyone to give steering a try, and encourage them to spend time on an oc1 to help them develop that water sense. Thanks for sharing your story. And well done! That brought back a bunch of memories. If you ever get to Monterey, look up Ke Kai O'Uhane, and come paddle with us. (Assuming we'll get beyond this covid thing and resume club paddling.)

[@freddy3074]

Very thorough & well done. I really like your calm voice while going over all the details. Mahalo Dale.

[@rogershane8676]

Instablaster...

[@JoelCollinsDC]

great video, thanks. stressful watching some of those videos though. brings back my huli PTSD.

[@rickleflore4281]

Great words of wisdom and encouragement. Many thanks.

[@giselehostel]

Thanks Dale

[@hawaikinui]

Mahalo for a great analysis of different strokes; now what about the C-stroke? Any comments on it?

[@PGAmaboy]

Really a great question. When paddling my V1 rudderless, I use the C stroke, and also, I guess you could call it a reverse C stroke, for course corrections and to make turns. And I know some steersman who use it while in a V6, and they obviously paddle V1 too. There is a problem with using the C stroke in the V6. In the V1, the canoe pivots around your body weight as the center. So when you reach out front, say on the left side, and sweep the paddle outward away from the hull, you are pushing the nose of the canoe to the right. And as the paddle continues to sweep toward the back and in toward the tail, you are pulling the stern to the left. This effectively turns the canoe to the right. In the V6, the pivot point for the canoe is way up toward the front of the canoe, usually somewhere near the front wae, or near seat 2 or 3. So if you do the same stroke from seat 6, reaching out front, sweeping away from the hull first, you are not pulling the nose of the canoe to the right, you are acting only on the back of the canoe, since you are way behind the turning fulcrum. So that outward sweep is pushing the stern to the right, effectively turning the canoe left. Then as you continue the stroke toward the back, bringing the paddle in toward the tail, you start to pull the stern to the left, effectively turning the canoe to the right. Which is probably the intent to start with. I think the only reason it works for people is that the outward sweep at the front is generally not as strong or as effective as the back part where they pull in toward the canoe. Basically, the physics of the C stroke in the V6 is just fighting yourself for half of the stroke. Hope this makes sense. I come from a science background, so I just see the physics involved.

[@ocwest]

I find the J stroke puts a lot of stress on your elbow and can create problems if you use it frequently

[@PGAmaboy]

I agree. And it really is not very effective most of the time. It is easier and more effective to do a quick pry or poke. But when doing a race turn, after I do a pry to get the stern moving, I go to the J to add speed, rather than "cranking" by twisting the T grip, like most people do, which slows the canoe.

[@CaduCoelhooo]

Thanks for share.