How to Paddle a Kayak Properly

[@PaddleTV]

Take your FREE online ACA Paddlesports safety course here: americancanoe.org/paddlesports-online-course/

[@wolfkayakingbahamas]

Ken was my 1st Kayak Instructor. Watched his videos a 1,000 times. Excellent stuff.

[@It0621]

Same

[@RyderDye1983]

He seems like he'd be the nicest person you could ever meet. Which makes him great as an educator. Thank you! I learned a lot, which is true for all his videos! :)

[@doubled5037]

Always great to get a refresher course from the master paddler! Thanks for sharing!

[@PaddleTV]

:) My pleasure!

[@davidmok108]

love all the SIDE NOTEs given! on point! off to paddling now..

[@PaddleTV]

:). Enjoy!

[@notl33t]

I do like the hint to bring a sponge! Really makes for a cleaner, easier ride over time.

[@delightsmash3291]

I tried kayaking for the first time yesterday and I rolled over in the water -.- kinda embarassing and I got a little bummed out. But now Ive been bench watching your videos and im pumped for revenge! xD I think I rolled over cause I wasnt prepared for how it would feel to kayak. It is something I never experienced, I was stiff as a rock and wobbled all the time! So tomorrow im going back with my friend and this time I will use every advice from these videos.

[@lauravictorious4670]

I went kayaking, in an inflatable kayak, for the first time ever a couple of days ago and fell into the water trying to get in it.

[@hapa8642]

Never ever feel embarrassed or bummed out when you're trying out something new. Embrace it. Everyone starts everything somewhere - including anyone that you think might judge you. There's elitists everywhere, but pretty well anytime I've tried something new with regard to casually entering a new outdoor activity, I've rarely encountered anyone that wasn't willing/able to give me pointers.

[@hapa8642]

@@lauravictorious4670 It happens! Get back in and try again.

[@lauravictorious4670]

@@hapa8642 I have but unfortunately I had my keys and car fob with me and the water made my car fob stop working. I have a second one so that's good, but I wasn't thinking that would ever happen or I wouldn't have had it with me.

[@KayakingBubblehead]

I started watching your how to paddle videos before I bought my 1st kayak, now I guide on a flat water tidal river in Florida and just bought a great paddle that has made paddling more fun and easier to do. Thanks for all of these videos and keep them coming please.

[@PaddleTV]

That's awesome to hear! Glad I could help Chris!

[@argo84]

Hi Chris- Just wondering what that great paddle is? I live south of Tampa/St. Pete and probably kayak under the same conditions as you. Many thanks!

[@KayakingBubblehead]

@@argo84 Bending Branches Navigator, wood blades carbon shaft, it was not cheap but worth every penny in my opinion. I paddle on Lofton creek mostly since I get paid to do so.

[@argo84]

@@KayakingBubblehead Thanks!

[@KayakingBubblehead]

@@argo84 You're welcome

[@Dutcharmytent]

My go to channel, just started back up in retirement, I was at school when I last paddled in the sea scouts. Canvas canoes back then.

[@PaddleTV]

Thanks! Welcome back to the world of paddling! :)

[@Dutcharmytent]

@@PaddleTV You inspire me when I see you out in freezing weather, can you do something on leg placement and footrest position. For us beginners. My Dagger Infrared is hurting my legs and feet. Taken the old fixed seat out now and re drilled 105mm further back. I am a guy and only 5’ 7”. ?

[@ryandalusung]

Great tips, thanks!! Never kayaked before, but wanna try it for a couple hours with a friend. Good things to keep in mind before I actually get in the water!!!

[@ninaroaming3051]

Thank you so much for your video. I just got an inflatable kayak two days ago and I'm ready to binge watch all your videos 🎉 this one is so helpful, keep up the good work💫

[@ShakespeareCafe]

You have a real engaging personality...thank you Paddle TV for providing all this knowledge and tips

[@TheEpic0523]

You are a great instructor, which I really notice and admire in people.

[@grahamashby1409]

Your earlier paddle technique video helped immensely Ken. This one is equally good. Thanks as always. Loving the look of that boat, too.

[@dianes6245]

On a long Kayak trip in Alaska - Prince William Sound - I had huge trouble with my kayak stroke. It destroyed my arms. The right way to paddle is with torso rotation, as explained in the video. My Kayak friends didnt know how to explain it to me, but I eventually figured it out and it made the trip MUCH easier. I used my arms as flexible supports for the paddle, and put very little arm energy into the stroke.... Mean while, my paddling partner ( 2 person kayaks) never figured it out. He used his arms the whole way, and suffered alot of soreness.

[@Gerooge]

I have always understood that the purpose of feathering the blades was less about air resistance on the recovery than it is about helping the blade slice cleanly out of the water at the end of the stroke without having to turn the wrist so much. Otherwise, there is a tendency to withdraw the blade with more face upward, lifting more water than with a clean, slicing exit, unless a more aggressive wrist twist is employed, which wears the wrist a lot more.

[@logotrikes]

What a lovely kayak. Here in Australia they're not cheap, but look well worth the coin.. Excellent vid for absolute beginners like me dude...

[@guycharron11]

Your videos are always interesting and entertaining. Thanks Ken.

[@kevini4295]

Went kayaking first time yesterday. Wished I watched this video prior. I figured the basics, but I wasn't a pro like him :)

[@HarryLewinASR]

Re side note 2. Try bicycle gloves to protect the thumb from blisters.

[@ianashmore9910]

There are more appropriate gloves to use.

[@myshihtzudontstink]

Holding the paddle to tightly will cause blisters

[@paulg.5997]

Can you tell us?​@@ianashmore9910

[@jordanadams5902]

Or just get blisters a couple times so your hands can develop calluses and never worry about it again

[@bttv1465]

Just be a man and it’ll be fine

[@mikemason4792]

Excellent video. Thank you for this information. I had to take a year off and going paddling tomorrow.

[@PaddleTV]

Glad it helped! Happy paddling!

[@sheldons1501]

Haha. Sidenote 3. I hate Sand too!! Just cleaned all my gear after a 2 day North Saskatchewan river trip. BTW nice paddle. I have the Tango in that blade color. Nice video!

[@cbrvench2483]

I like how you say "It sucks" It's like, word of advice, you can go ahead and do it, but remember; "it sucks."

[@brandonchannel5283]

Great video! This was a good introduction for me before I take my first kayak outing on a local lake. I appreciate the funny faces in the camera and the Star Wars reference 😆.

[@gracemon2oe]

I love this man, what a personality 😂 instant subscribe I was laughing along the whole time. Great info too!

[@DB-cx6cb]

Thank you for all you do for kayaking. ❤️

[@high_fructose_corn_syrup]

My paddle has 3 holes, they all have a twist to them. Wish it didnt have them. And ty. I didnt know there was drip rings! Gonna order them asap!

[@jonahchabaniuk9165]

Thanks. This video helps a lot. We are kayaking our tandem for the first time today. Looking forward to it

[@PaddleTV]

Hope you had a great one!

[@jonahchabaniuk9165]

@@PaddleTV thanks again. I had my wife watch the video & we had a great time with minimal struggles, thanks to you. 38 km (23.6 mile) river run. We conquered the sand in boat issue by wearing water shoes. Ours both have a rubber covering the heels and I didn't feel a thing

[@calabrais]

2:57 Great advice! I would get blisters there and having a more relaxed grip definitely helps. I would also suggest "3M Blister Tape" which prevents blister and is a little nicer than duct tape :D

[@xx12aabc52]

Look! 9:45, 9:47, 10:37, 11:39, 11:54, 15:42, 15:47 he is putting a drip ring into the water!)

[@tominnenPL]

Come on, Ken! 🤔🤫😁

[@ingokaica4775]

Next video will just be all side notes!!! LoL Thanks again for this great information Ken!

[@PaddleTV]

Not a bad idea... a video of random side notes! :)

[@michellef.554]

New Kayaker here! I'm hooked 🤗💞 Thank you so much for your videos and helpful information! Saying hello from Eastern North Carolina ❤ #freshwaterkayaking

[@PaddleTV]

Hi Michelle, and congrats on discovering kayaking! Glad you're enjoying the videos!

[@benjaminklenner4310]

Thanks for the tips and side notes!

[@johncostelloe743]

Thank you ive learned a lot from your videos

[@Beyondthebackyard-au]

I see the logical sense in having a 0 degree feather, and also in the curled shaft paddles, from an ergonomic point of view. I just find that after years of paddling with a feathered paddle I just feel incredibly gumby every time I try without lol

[@Beyondthebackyard-au]

I also do a lot of ocean paddling and the wind can sometimes be intolerable.

[@PaddleTV]

I hear you! I moved to a no-twist paddle for whitewater play boating, as there was some real advantages to it. I use the no-twist in-part because it's what I'm comfortable with now, and I don't like the idea of bouncing between different twists. I think you''re best off sticking to a single feather angle for any type of paddling, rather than bouncing back and forth.

[@pamelastewart5700]

using bike gloves for hand protection works great!

[@JosephPolvino]

You can also flip your thumbs on top of the bar. I do this about 50/50 on a trip to reduce blisters.

[@brooklynzoo81]

Thank you.

[@anselmoreyes6160]

Thank you very much!

[@whocarescameraj1809]

cool paddle

[@JakkeLehtonen-Jagster]

You could take a bit different angle sometime: why something unwanted happends, like a kayak is turning all the time to left (or to right if a paddler is leftie). Or should we worry about too big volume of a kayak. Or what the heck a trim means.

[@marccountry]

I'm confused by how deep the paddle is going into the water on these strokes... the drip rings seem to be consistently submerged, which is counter to the spoken instructions.

[@andregomesdasilva]

Awesome

[@leesaballe2969]

Hello 1st time paddler here, got an inflatable kayak(solstice rouge) and tested it out on the water, tried to go straight but kept on spinning, the whole time there were moments of going straight then giving up to the spin, tried to fight the water but ya cant. Help, haha tips and suggestions please, thanks :D

[@charlesc8751]

Some wonderful tips Ken, thank you. Discovered I was guilty of gripping the paddle too tightly. Perhaps you or some of the other paddlers have a tip that might help my wife; she has arthritis in both hands which has made gripping somewhat difficult, particularly her thumb. Are there any adjustments that might help alleviate that issue?

[@jimmywallhanger8402]

Nice video... lots of things suck lol

[@ml9602]

Tucktek Review?

[@rgsparber1]

I’ve gotten used to paddling with my arms always stiff. After 5 miles, I feel fine. Probably looks odd.

[@rgsparber1]

@@NoTrail Do you kayak on Tempe Town Lake or Saguaro Lake? The stroke is comfortable for me and it would be hard to break the habit.

[@rgsparber1]

@@NoTrail never know. Metalworking is my hobby. Electronics is my profession. Both are my passion. Ah, but I sure like kayaking too.

[@danareed1656]

awesome info!

[@6yjjk]

Found out about the sand yesterday, *man* that sucked. I'd appreciate some advice on how to adjust the foot pegs in my kayak; I went out on a short circular route on Sunday and, while my arms could easily have completed the trip, the backs of my thighs were burning, the rest of my legs hurt, and I had to bail half-way and get a bus home. (Yay inflatables.) Whatever I'm doing, it's wrong.

[@PaddleTV]

What kayak are you using? Usually sorry hamstrings is because the legs are too straight. Your knees should be comfortably bent in the kayak, and your foot braces help hold your legs in that position. One of the big challenges with portable (inflatable or folding) kayaks is that they typically don't have great seats. You might need to 'test' a few different kayaks to see what works best for you. Many 'paddling shops' have demo days, where you can go and test a bunch of different kayaks. It's worth looking for that locally.

[@6yjjk]

@@PaddleTV Thanks Ken! "Legs are too straight" was exactly what I needed. I've pulled the foot braces closer and I can feel the difference already. I'm in an Itiwit X500, where the foot braces are infinitely adjustable, so I'll keep fine-tuning it. As for the seat, I hated it - until I got the foot braces right. Still need to do another longer session to see how it all works, but your advice has already made a huge difference to both my comfort and my confidence in the boat. Thanks again!

[@mortschubert3909]

How did you choose that paddle?

[@JackIsNotInTheBox]

OMg you saved my arm joints! Use your body ppl

[@charleshead8962]

I have a older Necky Rip 12 seems a lot like this boat They where awesome would this be a good replacement boat

[@PaddleTV]

Great replacement for the Rip 12! Very similar kayaks for sure.

[@mowglijones]

What is this red x appear near 2:30?

[@juanzuniga5976]

very informative, i just got into kayaking. took my first trip down the Colorado river

[@ADVENTUREKM]

I mention the sponge idea to people and they are like so surprised how good it is in the kayak. If you get a good one it can bail water out pretty quick. Now do you have any tips on cleaning solutions for the inside of the kayak? I use hot soapy dish soap when it starts to get funky..lol

[@PaddleTV]

I don't have good solutions for cleaning the inside of the kayak... I'm pretty bad about letting it go. :). Adds character to the kayak, right? :)

[@jerrys576]

If you wash the yak after every trip out (or 2 trips) you can clean inside with just the wet towel you used to dry the yak. I've done this for yrs & the inside of mine look great.

[@ADVENTUREKM]

@@jerrys576 yes I have to wash the outside all the time because I put my yak inside my SUV but the water isn't always clean near the take out. I live in an apartment to if its gets bad it's the car wash lol

[@ADVENTUREKM]

@@PaddleTV I have some long car rides with my kayak in my SUV with me, or otherwise I wouldn't bother as much lol. You would be surprised when your stuck in a car with a swampy smelly boat lol.

[@ClaudioCosta70]

Hi, I am relatively novice and would ask your opinion about one aspect; I noticed that while paddling I rarely put my back on the backrest, I don't need it all and moreover the backrest makes harder to get a good torso rotation as you suggest, so my question: do I really need a backrest? I see everyone uses a seat or a band, would it be strange or not reccomendable not to use one? are there contraindications or just good as I am fine? My kayak is an Advanced Elements Airvolution2. Thank you.

[@Cypress612]

I know this is an old comment, but I dont really use mine either. I really recommend leaving it on however. Its nice to be able to lean back and relax after paddling for awhile.

[@otumanienie]

How did you know about that blister?!?!? o_O

[@PaddleTV]

:)

[@ahilbilyredneksopinion]

What is better to use a longer blade or a wider blade 🤔

[@MikeGillSeaKayak]

Hey Hilbily, Use a wider blade if you paddle with your hands high (~eye level), longer blade if you paddle with your hands lower (~chest level)

[@ahilbilyredneksopinion]

@@MikeGillSeaKayak thanks bud,persheate it...

[@sterlgirlceline]

👏🏻👏🏻😊⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[@NarleyAdventures]

👍👍👍👍👍😄

[@joshuatatro4503]

So the origin/purpose of feathering in paddle shafts has nothing to do with wind resistance... Just think: does the wind always come head-on? What happens when the wind comes from the side/beam? The "twist" would in theory be useless then. In reality, feathering is a remnant of competitive kayaking, particularly slalom and the like, meant to provide the proper blade orientation for extracting the most power from extremely high-angle paddling. Indeed, watch some Olympic kayaking events -- they're all still using 60-90 degree feathering. For low-angle, flat-water paddling, feathering is essentially useless.

[@tominnenPL]

Cool video! I have a proposal to next topic of paddletv video. What about a solutions to preserve plastic, fiberglass or carbonfiber kayaks? Make them shiny, or more decorative, or just tuned to yourself? 🛶👏

[@PaddleTV]

Good suggestion... although I don't know much about that. I'll be honest... I don't give any of my outdoor gear extra special attention. I treat it well, but I don't pamper it. I'm sure it would last longer if I did take better care of it... :)

[@tominnenPL]

@@PaddleTV alright! Perhaps a some interesting journey to kayak company, "how its made" episodes paddletv? What you think Ken?

[@kattotonic3143]

I just picked up an Aqua-Bound paddle! Can't wait to try it out!!! Thanks Ken!!!

[@engchoontan8483]

Besides technique, there is the load-distribution of 2, tandem, for one... back-seat for person and front for back-pack(...). rental prices usually not too-bad between single and double. Saves drinks and food, which are a lot expensive.

[@p.a.ch.3861]

Excellent tips and side notes explanation

[@PaddleTV]

Cheers!

[@stevenlowry9689]

I love the channel. I recently got a recreational kayak and was wondering if you could do a video on best practices for storage. I looked the video history and didn't see anything specifically for that. I see a lot of different things being said on youtube, but you are a source I trust.

[@peacefulplaces3634]

Thank you. This video is really helpful for a novice like me.

[@dianadickson1663]

Great Video, thank you.

[@adamfrbs9259]

How hard would it be to paddle a 120lb dog in a tow behind inflatable little boat? Impossible on flat water, no current?

[@PaddleTV]

Not impossible, but definitely a lot more work, and you'll constantly feel a jerking motion from the slack in the tow line. I would get a tandem kayak that has room for your dog in the front. It will also be more work, but easier to paddle. Better yet... train the dog to paddle! 120lbs is a lot of extra weight! :)

[@adamfrbs9259]

@PaddleTV thanks for taking the time to respond. He's a Presa Canario, but wasn't real excited about water as a pup. Think he'd be too lazy and tire too quickly to paddle ha. Though I'm thinking now maybe instead of a tow line, something like a hard line but of aluminum or something not too strong. Like a good aluminum broom handle or something similar to take the slack bouncing out. I'm literally at the point of Forrest Gump..."I just started running", and I'm tossing the idea around of walking two blocks over and doing 95% of the Mississippi River down to the gulf. "I just started paddling"...lol

[@paulmphoto]

I think you neglected to mention a offset paddle blade angle can be great in a strong headwind. Great video!

[@kebolton]

Perhaps, but I wonder about the kind of paddler that finds themselves constantly paddling into a strong headwind. I use a fifteen degree feather with wing and euro paddles because it allows for a neutral wrist position as the blade enters the water which reduces fatigue and allows for longer multi-day trips. Proper technique does more in a strong headwind than any feather.

[@davehaggerty3405]

I have paddled into headwinds so strong I needed to feather my paddle to cut thru the air. The wind was blowing me back with nearly the same force that the blade in the water was pulling me forward.

[@davehaggerty3405]

I like you demonstrated long sleeves and a brimmed hat along with the sun glasses. I only use the low angle paddle stroke if the water is too shallow to use the high angle. The low stroke put too much of the effort into moving the kayak sideways instead of straight ahead.

[@paulmphoto]

@@davehaggerty3405 Me too, feathering you blades in a situation like that makes a huge noticeable difference.