Northwind Solo Kneeling Drop Update

[@jbaccanalia]

Gorgeous filming, the colors are amazing! If you take the freestyle course, you'll enjoy the canoe so much more with good knowledge of paddle control on a river like that. J stroke, c stroke, drawing, feathering. You'll be able to manoeuvre any direction, like a hovering humming bird. No need to switch sides and dump all that water in the canoe. Great video. My knees are ok, but it's the ankles that take a long time to get out of the canoe.

[@clifffawcett]

Thank you! I haven’t taken the freestyle class yet, timing hasn’t been right. It’s on my list!

[@NikonF5user]

Kneeling has a couple of advantages, but it is certainly not the only way to paddle! It gets your body lower in the canoe, meaning lower center of gravity (less tippy) and less wind resistance. I always kneel going into wind! It also gives you a different level of control because you have three contact points with the boat (both knees and your bottom on the seat). This means you can control leaning with more precision than you can with only your bottom on the seat. Lastly kneeling allows you to reach further forward with a straight-shaft paddle, keeping the blade in the water at the point where your arm's power is most effective, making for stronger power strokes.

[@clifffawcett]

Well said Russell. Thanks for watching and commenting. 😊

[@ThePursuitofPassion]

Nice, glad to see ya back in the canoe! I've never personally used a kneeling drop, as I just use the seat in the same fashion. But likely also because I don't own a solo canoe. But, yeah as you mentioned the benefits are lower center of gravity, better control not only with the paddle, but your thighs and hips with leans and balance. And lastly it helps with posture as it straightens you back. (But not as great on the knees.) Nice Cliff!

[@clifffawcett]

Thanks David. It’s been too long man! Hopefully I can get out again real soon!

[@philsorensen2697]

Glad you finally made it back out on the water, Cliff! I'm 36 and I second the necessity of padding for your knees when kneeling. I have a Northwind 16 Tandem, but I have a kneeling thwart for soloing with it, or when I am taking my youngest out on the water for a ride. The first few times I went out kneeling it killed my knees. I have since epoxied in a few rectangles of closed cell foam so they don't scoot around on me. A little bit of padding for the knees makes a world of difference.

[@clifffawcett]

The padding has made all the difference! Also, with practice, moving back and forth from kneeling to sitting has become more fluid. I can see the advantage of fixing them in place with epoxy, but I just can't do it (yet) to the "Black Beauty." Maybe after she has some more scratches on her :)

[@philsorensen2697]

@@clifffawcett Oh yeah, it took me a while to come to terms with epoxying it in, but its nice rectangle sheets of gray foam designed for canoes/kayaks, so it should hold up well, and I was taking an overnight trip down the Little Miami, and did not want to have to carry the pads loose along with all my other gear around log jams and other obstructions. My boat is the IXP material, so the gray foam kinda' sorta' matches the exterior. At least that's what I tell myself!

[@clifffawcett]

@@philsorensen2697 I originally ordered the IXP layup for mine but changed my mind because of the weight difference.

[@philsorensen2697]

@@clifffawcett oh yeah, the Northwind 16 in IXP is a beast. I can still carry it on my shoulders, and it's lighter than fiberglass, plastic, and aluminum boats at least. And I feel less bad when I scrape over some rocks than I think I would in blacklite. But man, the blacklite is so pretty, and so lightweight.

[@clifffawcett]

@@philsorensen2697 the IXP is bulletproof and lighter than any comparable option. Great boat!

[@oldsmokeeater7075]

This was informative. You looked like you have been out of the boat for a good while. But isn't everything once Ya get back to that disipline. An added bonus was the beaver swimming across and than perched on the stump. Stay safe and continue to enjoy life.

[@clifffawcett]

It’s been way too long without paddling! I’m hoping to go more often now. I was so excited to see that beaver! What a treat! Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@Sirrehpotsirch]

I don't know if you will see this comment but there is an easier/more stable/simple way to switch between sitting and kneeling. Starting from a kneeling position with your feet tucked under the seat: First, lean forward as far as you can and grab the gunnels with both hands. Do your best to keep your center of gravity low. Second, shift your weight forward toward the center of the canoe and lift your weight off the seat. You should be quite stable since this is the widest part of the canoe and you are still maintaining your grip on the gunnels. Then, in one smooth motion, pull out each foot one at a time and plant them firmly on the bottom of the canoe as wide as you can, while you lower your body down and back into the seat. I've practiced this motion many times to shift from sitting to kneeling. Finally, there is another method: Replace the webbed seat with a saddle that you sit astride. This gives great control, saves your knees while keeping the majority of the weight on the seat.

[@clifffawcett]

Thank you. I’ll give it a try next time out.

[@VK-vm4xe]

After some training of the position changing kneeling / sitting in my Northwind Solo I find myself doing it so that at first I go kneeling in front of the seat, then I "reverse" my legs under the seat. My hands are taking support from the gunnels while doing it. And from kneeling to sitting it's the same the other way, first going forward on my knees until my legs are no more under the seat, ... It has really taken some time to get used to the Northwind, but now it seems it get's in to the water more often than my heavier prospector canoe.

[@clifffawcett]

I’ll have to try that method. Sounds intriguing. Thanks for watching. I think my first viewer from Finland! Nice.

[@countrybowwow]

All right. 70/11th friend. Nice to meet you, buddy. Thank you for sharing a good video.👍🏼 Have a happy day.

[@clifffawcett]

Thanks man. Appreciate it.

[@fredbalster3100]

Have you tried a white water solo saddle?

[@clifffawcett]

I’m not sure I knew that even existed! I’m going to google it now.

[@robertlee6949]

That looks really painful... as a fellow lizard who has always paddled a tandem with another person and gear I really want to try a solo canoe and these advanced techniques.... I think that dedicated knee pads worn rather than trying to pad the whole bottom of the canoe would make sense but I'll just have to give it a try. Maybe not...

[@clifffawcett]

Thanks for watching