Canoe Strokes: The Stern Pry

By Nick Pritchard

The stern pry is one of the most powerful strokes that the stern paddler has. The stern pry is particularly useful in moving water where you need to move the boat NOW. It can also be useful for navigating around docks or shore. The stern pry has a lot of power that will move the boat quickly so it is rarely used when paddling flat water. 

When novices learn the stern pry they often do not stop the stroke soon enough and they turn it into a brake. This is the most common mistake with the stern pry. It should not become a brake, so as you learn to do the stern pry be on the look out for that. 

To do the stern pry start out by placing the paddle so that the paddle shaft is parallel to the the gunwale and knife the blade into the water (catch). Next you will bring the grip towards your navel, prying the blade out (power) making sure not to turn the stroke into a brake. To finish the stroke you will knife the blade out of the water (recovery) and either repeat or perform your next stroke. 

As with all strokes it is best to do the stern pry slowly at first as you learn the proper technique. When doing the stern pry you should also be cautious about pry directly against the gunwale. It is a best practice to try and avoid this as it puts unnecessary wear on the canoe, particularly when paddling wooden or composite canoes. The stern pry also requires a strong paddle. I have broken several inexpensive when I tried to do a stern pry with them. 

As always feel free to ask us if you have any questions!

Canoe Strokes: The Forward Stroke

By Nick Pritchard

With there being more strokes than most of us want to keep track of, the most basic is the forward stroke. As simple as the forward stroke may seem there is technique to doing the stroke properly.

The forward stroke is the most common stroke that you will use while paddling. If it were not for the forward stroke no other strokes would matter! While on your trip you will likely be doing thousands of forward strokes so it is important to do it properly. By using the technique outlined below you will use significantly less energy than doing it improperly. Doing the forward stroke as outlined below is also easier on your joints and will leave you with more energy at the end of the day.

There are three steps to the forward stroke; catch, power, and recovery (CPR). As with any other stroke you want to have a vertical paddle shaft (your hands stacked) and you want to use your torso for power rather than your arms. So, the first step of the stroke involves placing the paddle in front of you at a comfortable distance (catch), there is no need to overextend yourself. Once you have the paddle placed in the water with a vertical paddle shaft you will start to rotate your torso (power), bringing the paddle back to your hips. Once the paddle is at your hips you will stop rotating, bring the paddle out of the water (recovery) and feather it forward for your next stroke.

When you are first learning how to do the forward stroke try and do each motion very deliberately. This will help you get the muscle memory down and then you can start to work on having better "flow". As with anything, this will take some practice but soon it will be second nature!

As always feel free to ask us any questions you may have. We are always happy to talk paddling!

Grip Style

By Nick Pritchard

When deciding on what paddle to buy another important thing to consider is the grip style of that paddle. In general there are two types of grip style; t-grip, and pear grip. Each grip has pros and cons and the type of grip that is used relates the what that particular paddle is designed for. 

A t-grip paddle will allow the paddler more control of the paddle since they can wrap their hand around the grip. This type of grip is commonly found on whitewater paddles for this reason. It also helps the paddler retain control of the paddle when making corrective strokes. A pear style grip is typically found on wooden paddles and is used in recreational or flat water paddles. This grip fits into your hand better and is more comfortable for long distance paddling. With a pear grip paddle you cannot wrap your hand around the grip so it is more difficult to hold onto the paddle if you are in swift water. 

If you have any questions please feel free to contact us!