Forward Lean

The number one mistake that I see kayakers make when paddling in dynamic water is leaning back.

It is a natural reaction to lean back when you are dropping in on a wave or hitting whitewater.  Leaning forward seems counter intuitive but training your body to do it will improve your paddling skills in dynamic water - rock gardens, surf, whitewater, and tide races.

Leaning is the simplest way to explain it but technically we are hinging at the hips to keep our core muscles and legs engaged - similar to the "ready position" in other sports.  Look at the body position of Liquid Fusion Kayaking's Jeff Laxier on this rock garden feature on the Mendocino Coast.

Liquid Fusion Kayaking's Jeff Laxier shows good posture riding this rock garden feature on the Mendocino Coast.  He is in a position of power to boof over the hydraulic on the backside of this pour-over. Leaning back here would land him in the hydraulic and potentially expose him to injury.

Leaning forward is an effective way to 

• maintain stability

• be ready for the next hit, drop, or stroke

• prevent injuries

There are times when the force of the water or the verticality of the drop tries to push you back.  Watch top paddlers - they anticipate those forces and lean forward.

Dave Fusilli takes his whitewater skills to the sea.  Here he uses good posture and timing to get a sea boof on this pour-over.

Check out this Posture and Trim Video from Christopher Lockyer of Committed to the Core

Lessons Learend - Trim and posture from Christopher Lockyer on Vimeo.

Here are Christopher's Keys to Posture -

• Try and sit up tall when performing forward paddling 
• When in bumpy water - try and change your posture to a slight forward lean
• Work on bracing and recovery stokes in your forward posture
• When working on rolling - practice your forward finishing roll
• Posture is key to overall body health. Back fatigue can be a result of weakness in your core

Homework - 

• Be mindful of your posture in your everyday paddling.  Have a coach or friend video your paddling.  In particular when reverse paddling, stopping, or riding a drop.  

• When paddling in dynamic water - whitewater, surf, rock gardens, tide races - be especially mindful that you are leaning forward and not allowing the water or your fear to put you in the back seat (leaning back).

• My simple trick is to focus on contracting abdominal muscles when dropping in on a wave, riding a pour-over, or boofing a hole on the river..  Check out these tips for reverse paddling.

• Perfect practice makes perfect.

Especially when running large drops, hinge at the hips to keep your weight forward or centered.
Liquid Fusion Kayaking's Cate Hawthorne keeps her weight centered to ride this rock garden drop on the Mendocino Coast
Photo by Jeff Laxier

Note:  I try to keep my tips and tricks as simple as possible.  I can support my instruction with more of the why (technical details about bio-mechanics and physics) but find it is more effective for students and instructors to keep it as simple as possible.

Reverse Paddling Tip

When paddling backward (in reverse), are you leaning back?  

Many paddlers lean back when reverse paddling and stopping quickly.  In doing so, they are decreasing their stability, power, and efficiency.

Instead of leaning back, try keeping your torso centered over your hips.  You will find  that your reverse strokes will be more powerful. Your core will be more engaged, and you will be more stable.

Keep your torso centered over your hips when reverse paddling to increase power, efficiency, and stability. Photo by Jeff Laxier

For even more power, focus on crunching with your abdominal muscles and pushing with your feet.  When I do this, I envision myself as compact and powerful.  Think about punching - you don't lean back to punch.

No smiling here.  I am focusing on crunching my abs and being compact and powerful to stop quickly. Photo by Jeff Laxier

Practice, practice, practice good posture when reverse paddling and stopping quickly for it to become muscle memory.  And especially focus on this good posture when in the surf, whitewater, or rock gardens.  You will find yourself more powerful and stable.

A Liquid Fusion Kayaking student crunching to get good power to back paddle over a wave in the surf.

Try it and let me know how it works out for you.

Lessons Learned from Whitewater Kayaking

Last week, I posted Why Sea Kayakers Should Learn to Whitewater Kayak.  This was a Liquid Fusion Kayaking post compiled by Jeff Laxier and written by me.  This week, I wanted to share my personal perspective about whitewater kayaking.

Jeff Laxier running Mears Creek Falls on the Upper Sacramento River

When I started dating a gypsy kayak instructor (Jeff Laxier), I was gun-ho to learn how to sea kayak and to surf kayak.  I was not drawn to whitewater kayaking.  I am not inclined toward gravity or adrenaline sports - which was my initial perception of whitewater.  My first whitewater kayaking experiences of course involved swimming.  As a kid, I did a bit of inner tubing on the river behind our family farm .  However; as an adult, I have decided that I really don't like swimming in rivers (I love swimming in the ocean).

Swimming on the river is not one of my favorite things. Photo by Jeff Laxier

So how did I catch the whitewater bug?

Whitewater kayaking is very important to Jeff.  In the winter and spring, it is pretty much all that he thinks about.  So one winter, I asked him to take me on as a private student and teach and train me how to run the river.  He did and I fell in love with whitewater river running.

Starting out in easy current when learning to river kayak is key. Photo by June Ruckman

What did I discover and learn about whitewater?

1.  PLAY and FUN - I discovered how playful and fun whitewater kayaks are.  They are lighter, more playful, and easier to manage in dynamic water than a sea kayak.  A friend lent me a Eskimo Kendo Starlight which is super lightweight.  I can easily carry and load it myself.  It was so easy that instead of loading up my sea kayak, I started throwing the whitewater kayak in the back of the pick up and playing with it at home in the surf and rock gardens.  This of course built my skills for the river and vice versa.

Whitewater kayaks are playful and fun on the river and in the sea. Photo by Jeff Laxier

2.  A PUZZLE - Initially people wanted me to follow them down the river.   Then I discovered that as long as I had a general sense of the line, I liked reading the water and choosing my own lines.  I discovered that the rapids were a maze or puzzle that I had to figure out and find my way through.  As my skills and water reading developed, I was able to take different lines, catch tricky eddies, and ferry across chutes and onto waves.  Now, I love slaloming down the river - ferrying, attaining, and eddy hopping until my cheeks are sore from smiling and my paddling partners are ready for burgers and beers.

Eddy hopping down the Youghiogheny River in Pennsylvania.  Photo by Jeff Laxier

3.  BEAUTY - River canyons are special places and each has its own unique character.  I have discovered that I loved exploring different rivers.  I especially love camping on the river and overnight river trips.  There is a magic about the 360 degree immersion in a river canyon.  The peacefulness to river running - going with the flow, watching for wildlife, and contemplating the scenery - speaks to my soul.

The Smith River is one of the most beautiful places in the world.  

Skills Learned from Whitewater Kayaking -

Vision - Looking where you want to go is key.  Find a reference point (a tree or rock) and focus your vision on that spot to get where you want to go.  Conversely - avoid looking at hazards or obstacles.

Look where you want to go! Essential skill in all action sports.  Photo by Jeff Laxier

Drive - The river has current and momentum but sometimes you have to be aggressive to make your kayak go where you want it to go.  I tend to go with the flow and try to be as efficient as possible.  Whitewater kayaking has taught me that there are times when you need strong powerful strokes to get where you want to go.  For example to build up speed to leave an eddy.

Anchor the blade and drive the boat to where you want it to go! Photo by Jeff Laxier

Fear Management - Things happen fast on the river and you have to learn to be in the moment and let go of fear.  I have found that taking a couple of deep breaths before starting down a rapid helps me to relax.  The more relaxed I am, the better I am able to move and work with the water.

Lava Falls on the Grand Canyon is definitely a lesson in fear management, looking where you want to go, and making it happen.  Photo by June Ruckman

Decision Making - I like to challenge myself but have learned to know when to say when.  Some times it is portaging a rapid and other times it is opting for an easier run or a day off.  Days when a river it above your skill level, the paddling group is questionable, or you are feeling "off" are good days to eddy-out and choose a different adventure.  Always have a Plan B and C.  I always carry in my kit a good book to read, a pair of hiking shoes, and a camera so that I have enjoyable options if I decide not to run the river that day.

When in doubt, scout.  Good decision making will make for a better day for you and everyone else on the river.  Photo by Jeff Laxier

Whitewater Technique - Vertical paddle strokes, stern draws, edge control relative to the current, surfing standing waves, and boofing are whitewater specific skills that I have generalized to improve my overall paddling skills - especially when sea kayaking in rock gardens and surf.

Boofing the ledge on Rancheria Creek.  Photo by Jeff Laxier

Learning to run whitewater has definitely has made me a better all around sea kayaker.  It has also opened up a world of different paddling options.  As I am writing this post, I am dreaming of our next multi-day self support whitewater river kayak trip.

Kayak camping on the Eel River.

If you haven't given whitewater kayaking a try, I encourage you to find a seasoned and reputable instructor and take a lesson or class.  If you don't know how to roll, sit on top whitewater kayaks and inflatable kayaks can make whitewater kayaking fun accessible. 

Jeff Laxier makes sure that you develop the fundamentals before moving on to harder water.

Why Sea Kayakers Should Learn to Whitewater Kayak

My partner Jeff Laxier and I often wonder why don't more sea kayakers paddle whitewater rivers - especially sea paddlers who like to play in rock gardens and surf.  Both Jeff and I see huge improvements in our students' skills when they take up whitewater river kayaking.  We both can attest to how our personal skills in the sea improve the more we run the river.

Whitewater kayaking on the crystal clear waters of the North Fork Smith River

Jeff wrote the following post for Liquid Fusion Kayaking's February newsletter.  If you are interested in finding out more of what we have going on with Liquid Fusion Kayaking, sign up to receive our monthly newsletter.

Jeff Laxier kayaking on the Smith River.

Do you want to improve your skills to have more fun paddling dynamic waters – rock gardens, tide races, over-falls?

by Jeff Laxier

If so, LEARN to RUN WHITEWATER RIVERS.  Becoming proficient on the river will accelerate your learning and performance on the sea. 

Jeff Laxier whitewater kayaking on Mendocino County's Eel River

Here are Jeff's top 10 reasons - 

Why Sea Kayakers Should Learn to Whitewater Kayak

1.  It’s Fun 

2.  Rinses off the Salt

3.  Adds river running as a possibility for future paddling adventures

4.  Develops whitewater strokes that apply to sea kayaking in dynamic water

5.  Improves Confidence

6.  Challenging

7.  Increases water reading skills

8.  Tunes up your roll

9.  Focuses on Paddling Posture

10. Builds skills for surfing standing waves and playing in current – tide races, over-falls, and tidal rapids

Students working on peeling out of eddies during a Whitewater River Kayaking Class on the Eel River.

Class II/III Whitewater Rivers are a lot of fun.  With systematic instruction and experienced guidance, the skills to paddle Class II/III rivers is attainable by most.  Once you know how to paddle a whitewater river, you may be tempted to plan multi day sea kayak river trips like on Oregon’s John Day River, Utah’s Colorado and Green Rivers, and even Northern California’s Eel River. 

Multi-day river running trip in sea kayaks on the John Day River.

Part 2 - Lessons Learned from Whitewater Kayaking (my personal journey)

Vertical Forward Stroke

GET VERTICAL!

Improve your sea kayak rock garden and whitewater kayak skills by perfecting your vertical paddle stroke.

A well timed vertical paddle stroke will boof you over hydraulics/holes on both the river and the sea.  Boofing is super fun and helps prevent you from getting sucked back over pour-overs and getting trashed in a hydraulic.  It is kind of like bunny hopping over an obstacle on a bicycle.  One of the main components of an effective sea boof is a vertical paddle stroke.

Cate Hawthorne using a vertical forward stroke to sea boof a rock garden feature on the Mendocino Coast of California.
Photo by Deb Volturno

A vertical paddle stroke will also help propel you along through tight narrow spaces like slots and sea caves.

Sea kayaking through a narrow slot into a Mendocino sea cave.

Flat water is the best place to practice and perfect your vertical paddle stroke.  One of my favorite tips for getting the paddle vertical is to focus on stacking my hands.  Pretend that you are using a single bladed paddle (canoe or SUP paddle).   Align your top hand over your bottom hand so that your hands are stacked and your paddle shaft is vertical.

For a vertical forward stroke, practice stacking your hands.

Another common tip that instructors will use is "helmet hand."  While doing your forward stroke, pretend that the back of your top hand is glued to your helmet (or forehead).

Practice vertical paddle strokes as much as possible so that they become automatic in your muscle memory.  Once you have a powerful vertical paddle stroke, you can work on the blade placement and timing for sea boofs.

Liquid Fusion Kayaking's Jeff Laxier is the sea boof master.

Gaining Courage

“Courage is the power of the mind to overcome fear” 
                                                                          – Martin Luther King

The following post has tips to empower the body and mind to overcome fear - co-written by Jeff Laxier and myself (Cate Hawthorne).  It is written about whitewater river kayaking, but one can apply these skills to many different situations on and off the water.

Make hard moves on water you are comfy with. photo: Jeff Laxier

Bobbing in a surging eddy, I bounce above an elevation drop.  Time slows, and the river holds me in its trance. My heart pumps loudly above the roar of the river as I second guess my ability to negotiate the rapid.  My inner voice screams “STOP,” and I start to work through my fear.

There are many ways to overcome fear. Here are 3 strategies that work for us:

Mathew Nelson reads the water with perfection. photo by Jeff Laxier

1.    Warrior Cry – Reach deep down into your core and belt out a primal roar.  This activates inner strength, positive attitude, and clears the head of “what ifs?”  By clearing the mind, it readies the body for action.  Don’t worry – no one else will hear you above the roar of the rapid.  If they do, they will blow off the stress to by laughing at you or emitting their own warrior cry.

Cate Hawthorne demonstrating a Warrior Cry. photo by Jeff Laxier

2.    Train Hard – Show up at the rapid with the skills necessary to style it.  In your training, build general and specific skills that you can apply to the rapid.  Examples of general skills include look where you want to go, generate speed, keep strokes forward.  Examples of specific skills include precise eddy turns, ferries, and boof strokes.  These skills don’t come by just running the river every weekend but are earned with focused practice and training.

It does not need to be hard or scary to learn, train hard. photo by Cate Hawthorne

3.    Visualization – Review the moves that need to be made and rehearse them in your mind.  Visualize them and talk yourself through them.  Emphasize the positive.

Cate Hawthorne in the flow of the Eel River. photo by Jeff Laxier

Often our minds get in the way of what our bodies know to do.  We allow ourselves to doubt our training and skills and focus too much on the hazards rather than the correct line.  In your training, focus on building your skills and using positive visualization and self-talk.  When you get to the tricky rapid, pour-over, or scary wave, use these tools to squelch fear and style the line.

Do you have strategies that help with managing fear?  If so, please share them in the comments.

Rivers, Arteries to Life! photo by Cate Hawthorne

Stability in Dynamic Water

This weekend Jeff and I taught Liquid Fusion Kayaking's Sea Kayak Rock Gardening Class.  We built our students skills as individuals and as a team as we guided them through the rock gardens and sea caves of the Mendocino Coast.  Our students had many key learning moments.  One particular skill that worked for them this weekend was this pry that helps with looking behind when paddling in dynamic water.

360 degree awareness is key when kayaking in dynamic ocean waters.  One needs to be aware of waves, the environment, wildlife, and paddling teammates.  When the water gets bouncy, paddlers tend to have difficulty turning and looking over their shoulders.  Dynamic water is one of the most critical times to be able to effectively look over ones shoulder but one of the most difficult.

I have found this pry technique to work.  I call it the owl pry.

Sitting in your kayak, take your left paddle blade and place it next to your right foot.  Anchor your blade against your kayak and use this to gain stability to rotate your torso to look behind you.  The stretch feels good, improves stability, and allows you to increase your range of torso rotation and safely look over your shoulder.

The "Owl Pry"

Start practicing it in flat water on both sides, then give it a try in dynamic water and let me know if it works for you.

So why do I call it the owl pry?  Might have to take a class with me to find out - it will definitely be a hoot.

Performance Surf Kayak Resources

On the Mendocino Coast, we always have surf. Some days are definitely better than others, but we always have something to surf.  We play in the surf as much as possible.  Through Liquid Fusion Kayaking, Jeff Laxier and I share our knowledge and love of the surf to teach basic surf zone classes for sea kayaks, whitewater kayaks, sit on top kayaks, and fishing kayaks.  We also offer private lessons and teach Performance Surf Kayaking Classes.

Liquid Fusion Kayaking's Jeff Laxier surfing at home on the Mendocino Coast. Photo by Cate Hawthorne

Below is a compilation of surf kayak resources that we share with our students. Check them out and please let us know of any other helpful surf kayak resources that we can share.

Basics - Check out Keith Wikle's Go Kayak Now blog post - Surf Kayaking Basics.  This has information on what is surf kayaking and the type of kayaks used.

Etiquette - Gotta follow the rules of the playground (kayakers are notorious for misbehaving in the surf zone).  Surfline's Bill of Lefts and Rights is a good resource for the rules of surfing.   I like visuals so check out this diagram by Robert Saunders.

For an explanation of this diagram, click here.

The Tsunami Rangers have some good points to consider when surf kayaking.  Here is the Tsunami Ranger post on Surf Kayaking Etiquette.

Surf Kayak Skills - Many paddlers learn to surf kayak via the school of hard knocks.  Learning to surf takes hundreds of hours in the surf.  A little education and skills instruction will speed along your learning.

Liquid Fusion Kayaking's Cate Hawthorne surfing her hp surf kayak on the Mendocino Coast.  Photo by Jeff Laxier

Here's a website dedicated to surf kayak skills.

Here's a surf kayak skills video by expert kayak surfer Dessie McGlinchey.  The footage is awesome.

A good reference book for Surf Kayaking is Surf Kayaking: The Essential Guide by Simon Hammond.

Many paddlers can catch a wave, but the best way to learn performance surf kayaking is to take a surf kayak class or lesson, then get out and surf.  Another resource to help you with getting out there is the US West Surf Kayak Website.  It has surf spots, classes, and lots of other information on kayak surfing.

Cate Hawthorne surfing her freestyle whitewater kayak on the Mendocino Coast.  Photo by Jeff Laxier.

For those that don't live near the surf or get to surf enough, you too can improve your surfing skills.  One way is to watch surf videos - board surfing as well as waveskiing and surf kayaking.  From time to time, I post inspirational surf videos on my Facebook Page.

Do you have any favorite surf kayak tips or resources?  If so, please share them so that I can add them to this page.