Author: Arthur

One of the most important articles of kayak gear a whitewater kayaker will buy is a whitewater kayaking helmet. While most kayak helmets are purchased based on price or on style, very few are bought due to their features. The first step in knowing what to look for in a kayak helmet is knowing the parts that make them up. A kayak helmet is basically constructed of three parts: Shell The outer shell is the hard part of the kayak helmet that is seen by the outside world. The shell will be the surface that comes into contact with the…

What is Olympic canoe / kayak? Even though canoeing and kayaking are centuries old activities, they weren’t introduced to the Olympics until the 1924 Games. 12 years later, in 1936, flatwater canoe / kayak racing gained full Olympic event status. In 1972, the whitewater version of canoe / kayak known as Slalom was added to the Olympics. Competition In today’s Olympics, men and women compete in 16 different Flatwater and Slalom Olympic Canoe / Kayak events: Canoe / Kayak Flatwater Races Canoe / Kayak Slalom Races Canoe / Kayak Flatwater Races Flatwater races are held on calm water across a…

Paddlers have a wide variety of choices to employ in their arsenal of paddle strokes. There’s the forward stroke, the draw stroke, and the j-stroke to name just a few. One thing all of these strokes have in common is their anatomy. That’s right. No matter what paddle stroke you use in a canoe or kayak, they all have the same parts. The anatomy of every paddle stroke consists of three phases. First there’s the catch phase which is followed by the power phase and then by the recovery phase. While each type of stroke may require the kayaker or canoeist to vary a…

It should be surprising that most canoe owners don’t know how to canoe. Unfortunately this is a fact that is evidenced by watching people fumble around in their canoes while out on the water. All too often these people only employ one type of canoe stroke and switch the side they are paddling on way too frequently. This guide will explain the skill progression needed to learn how to canoe. Difficulty: Average Time Required: A few months, maybe less, maybe more. Here’s How: Tips: What You Need

There are times while sitting stationary in a kayak where you will need to spin the kayak around in a tight circle. Spinning the kayak in place is the fastest way to turn a kayak around and the only way to do it in tight places. This how-to will direct the paddler on how to spin their kayak in place. Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 10-15 minutes of practice each time Here’s How: Tips: What You Need

While kayaking there are times when the paddler might need to adjust the direction they are facing by a drastic angle. The kayaking reverse sweep stroke is the perfect manuever to do just that. This how-to explains the proper technique to use when doing the reverse sweep stroke in a kayak. Difficulty: Average Time Required: A few minutes of practice each time. Here’s How: Tips:

I know how hard it is to find the ultimate kayak rack for your Kia Optima. You simply can’t install a run-of-the-mill kayak rack on the roof of your car. You need something special, something that will add to the grandeur of your car, right? Also, you need have a kayak rack that’s as sturdy as a rock because you don’t want to spend money on it again. But don’t worry – we’ve compiled some of the cream of the crop racks for your Kia Optima. Best 5 Kayak Racks for Kia Optima 01. Thule Hull-a-Port XTR Roof Rack N/A…

There are times when paddling underway in a kayak when you will want to make a correction to your heading. There are other times when you are stationary in a kayak and you will want to turn the kayak to one side or another. The Forward Sweep Stroke is the perfect stroke to accomplish either of these maneuvers. Following are the steps on how to execute a forward sweep stroke on the right side of your kayak. This same technique can obviously be performed on the left by making the necessary adjustments to the instructions. Difficulty: Average Time Required: 5-10 minutes of…

Being able to efficiently get your kayak from point a to point b is more than just utilitarian, it is elegant. Boat control is everything in kayaking and the more strokes one knows how to perform, the more effective the kayaker will be in getting where they want to go and enjoy the process of doing so. At their core, kayaking strokes have the same basic parts and should always be performed while maintaining the paddler’s box. The list of six kayaking strokes found below are the first ones that kayakers should learn and are the prerequisites to learning the more advanced kayaking…

Whitewater kayaking involves a number of different pieces of equipment that, in effect, serve as extensions of the body. This creates a layered human-machine interface situation. An ergonomic approach to whitewater kayaking requires addressing each layer. Human-Machine Interfaces The first human-machine interface is between your lower body and the inside of the kayak. The kayak acts as an extension to the body so the second interface is between the kayak/body combination and the river. The third interface is between your hands and the paddle. Much like the kayak, the paddle acts as an extension of the arms, so the fourth interface is between the…