Paddling tandem kayaks BY KEN WHITING AND ALEX MATTHEWS
PHOTO BY HELICONIA PRESS – www.helipress.com
TANDEM KAYAKS OR “doubles” are a great way for two people – who may have very different paddling experience or skill sets – to get out on the water and share the joy of kayaking together. Typically wider than single kayaks, tandems have awesome stability, which makes them ideal platforms for introducing to the sport of kayaking those who may be a little nervous about being out on the water. You can take almost anyone kayaking in a tandem, whether it’s your kids, your parents, your grandparents, or even your dog. A great thing about tandems is that your passengers don’t even need to paddle if
Something to keep in mind is that the size of your paddle blades is like the size of chain rings on a bike, so if there is a weaker paddler, he or she should ideally be using smaller blades in order to keep a similar paddling pace to the stronger paddler. It is also preferable (although not crucial) to use slightly longer paddles for a tandem than you would for a single kayak, because of the boat’s added width. Some tandems are equipped with a rudder, which aids greatly in manoeuvring the kayak and making small course corrections. The best way to turn a tandem kayak while stationary involves a little teamwork. Ideally, the front paddler takes a forward sweep on one side, while the stern paddler performs a reverse sweep on the opposite side of the kayak. If you think that tandem kayaks won’t be as much fun as singles, think again. In fact, sit-on-top tandem kayaks are so stable that you could consider them to be highperformance floating docks, which makes them terrific for families. Watching kids play with a tandem kayak
they don’t want to. Just sit them in the bow and take them on a tour of the bay! Although tandems provide a great opportunity for taking a passenger for a ride, if both people are paddling, tandems can travel surprisingly quickly. The most efficient way of paddling a tandem is for both occupants to paddle in unison. Not only will this drive the kayak forward the quickest, you’ll also avoid the clashing of paddles. If there is one paddler who is physically stronger than the other, the weaker paddler traditionally sits in the bow and dictates the paddling pace. The “motor” sits in the back of the boat and modifies his or her stroke rate to keep the bow paddler’s pace. www.OttawaOutdoors.ca
at the lake, you’ll see the boat transform in seconds from a pirate ship, to an aircraft carrier, to a diving platform. Tandem kayaks can be so many different things to different people, and this is what makes them one of the most versatile and fun watercrafts from the cottage to the coast. ≈ Look for this and other great outdoor books from Heliconia Press. You can purchase online at www.helipress.com or telephone them direct at 1-888-582-2001.
OTTAWAOUTDOORS SPRING/SUMMER 2006
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