Straight ahead – two canoe strokes to move you forward

By Paul Mason

OVER THE YEARS, my forward stroke has been transformed. I learned a canoe-tripping-style stroke from my late father, Bill Mason. Later on, my stroke became more orientated to whitewater from paddling with, and observing, whitewater freestyle champion Mark Scriver.

I’d like to think that by now it is perfect, but I readily admit that it will continue to change. If you have a unique method of steering that is not mentioned below, that’s okay — as long as it is better than my stroke! Canoeing is always an educational experience, and fortunately, learning is what makes it fun.

THE J STROKE

There are two correction strokes that make the canoe go in a straight line that we’ll look at in this article.

The first is the J stroke. Near the end of the power stroke, turn out the power face of the paddle — the side that pulls against the water — and pry it away from the canoe to bring the canoe back on course with a minimum of zigzagging.

The path of the paddle describes the shape of a “J.” Use your upper grip hand to control the angle of the paddle blade, while letting the shaft rotate freely in your lower hand during the steering component of the stroke. Steering is accomplished at the end of the stroke.

The clue to whether you are doing the J stroke correctly is to freeze at the end of the stroke and look at your upper grip hand. If the thumb is pointing down, you’re doing it right. If it’s pointing up, you’re doing the “goon stroke.” Another common problem when learning is not rolling the paddle over far enough. The blade should be parallel to the side of the canoe. If necessary, pry the paddle off the gunwale for maximum leverage.

At the end of the J stroke, the paddle is knifed forward underwater with the power face of the paddle almost flat and facing up.

Steering is accomplished by pulling up on the blade as it is arced forward. About halfway through the recovery, the paddle is allowed to slip out of the water in readiness for the next power stroke. The trick is getting a very slight angle on the blade as it arcs forward. If the angle is wrong, the paddle will plane out of the water or dive too deep. The angle is controlled by the upper grip hand.

How hard you pull up on the blade and how long you knife the paddle in the water during recovery determine how much the canoe turns toward the paddling side. It’s a very efficient stroke because you have to bring the paddle forward to begin the next power stroke, so why not do your steering along the way?

The J stroke works fine, but with the steering done at the end of the stroke, time and effort are wasted. A well-executed Canadian stroke is the pinnacle of perfection in motion, but it can take years to master.

EFFICIENT PADDLING USES THE WHOLE UPPER BODY

A good paddling technique requires the use of the whole body. Your back, shoulders, and stomach muscles are a lot bigger than your arm muscles, so why not use them?

The secret to tireless paddling lies in complete relaxation during the recovery. Your upper hand drops very low and the paddle is brought forward in the feathered position (flat) to cut wind resistance on the blade. Just remember that if you are going to average 14,400 strokes a day on a wilderness journey, good form makes for efficient use of your available energy.

To help follow written or oral instructions for the various strokes, it helps to identify which side of your paddle blade is the power face that pulls against the water in a forward stroke. To facilitate the learning process, mark one side of your paddle and then always use that side as your power face. This helps to avoid confusion when following instructions.

Whether you use the J stroke or the Canadian stroke, always bring the paddle back feathered (flat) to cut wind resistance. It’s amazing the difference this can make during a day’s paddling against the wind.

—Paul Mason is the son and former paddling partner of the late Bill Mason. Paul appeared in his father’s Path of the Paddle series of films and books, and has pursued a career as a canoe instructor and guide. He won a bronze in OC-1 at the Whitewater Freestyle Worlds in 1993. He co-authored the instructional canoeing book, Thrill of the Paddle, and is a freelance illustrative cartoonist.