Remember that understanding river dynamics gives you the best advantage. Avoid any places in the water that look like they’re outside of your kayaking skill level, even if you think they’d be fun. It’s best to wait until you’ve picked up more advanced training.
When you sit upright, you keep your weight distributed on your sit bones and feet. If you do this, you “brace” yourself and can easily shift your body whenever you need to “side surf,” or ride a wave. If you hold the same posture and keep your paddle low, you won’t need to overthink. When there’s a change in conditions, you’ll be more likely to react because you’re alert instead of anxious.
If you don’t move your legs or feet, you’ll save your stamina so you can steer your kayak more easily
As you rotate, make sure you relax your grip on your paddle. If your knuckles turn white, you’re gripping it too tightly and cutting off your circulation. You save energy and avoid fatigue with the “push-pull” strategy, so you’ll be able to paddle at a high speed for longer periods of time.
When you keep your core tight, you avoid fatigue and protect your shoulders from tiring out.
Paddle on the right side of your kayak to turn left. Paddle on the left side of your kayak to turn right. If you need to completely rotate your kayak, it’s likely you’ll have to use the “opposite side paddling” strategy multiple times.
Lead with your head as you rotate your body and your kayak in the wave hole. It will help you sweep your paddle with ease. It’s important to flatten your kayak just before you paddle forward—timing this properly will let you pass through the wave hole and toward the direction you want to go in.
If you encounter a hydraulic or “hole” in the whitewater, perform a “back deck roll”—“edge” into it on one side of your kayak, then return your kayak to a flat, upright position again. [10] X Research source
Avoid leaning your body to the side if you need to keep your kayak upright. It may tip over and capsize. Leaning backward or forward prevents your kayaking from capsizing by keeping it “flat. ”
If you need to speed up, try not to pull the paddle really far back—the traction, or resistance, can slow you down.
As you paddle to reach your destination, try not to lean back. You’ll disengage your core and have more difficulty staying stable in your kayak. To avoid getting dizzy, focus on one spot and use short strokes when you paddle backwards.
The “stopping stroke” is similar to the reverse stroke but uses shorter, choppier motions.
In some cases, you may need to paddle harder in order to adjust to heavy winds.
Invest in an automatic bilge pump as an extra safety precaution. This device allows you to automatically suction water while you continue to paddle.
For a kayak that’s attached with a skirt, lean forward and pull its grab loop. Extend your arms and lean forward. Then, put your knees together and push yourself out of the kayak. If you can’t find the grab loop, bend your knees so the kayak’s skirt pops off or grab the side of the skirt and yank it off the cockpit.
