How to Paddle a Kayak: A Beginner’s Guide for Your Next Adventure

So, you're going paddling? Whether you're heading out to raft rugged whitewater on India's Tons River or cruise Patagonian lakes on a flatwater kayak... It pays to know how to handle a paddle.

Sure, if you're embarking on one of our world-class guided adventures, your guide will provide instruction and supervision throughout the experience. You can also see the "Activity Level" for each expedition so you know what you're getting into. But even guided adventures are much more enjoyable if you go in with some prior knowledge.

So, if it's your first time canoeing, rafting, or kayaking, "how to paddle" should be the first thing on your mind. First let's cover the anatomy of paddles. Then we'll talk about the basics of paddling technique.

The Anatomy of Kayak Paddles

A kayak paddle has two main parts: the shaft and the blades (one on each end). Let's discuss the shaft first.

Paddle Shaft

The kayak paddle shaft is made up of the ferrule and the grips.

Most modern kayak paddles can be broken into two separate pieces at a central joint. This is the ferrule, or the midpoint, of the kayak paddle. If your kayak paddle is length-adjustable, you'll make these adjustments at the ferrule. If you're using a feathered paddle, the ferrules will have a push-button to allow the blades to be set at an angle to each other.

On each side of the ferrule is a grip. Most paddles have a grip covered in rubber. These are sometimes ergonomically designed to promote proper paddling technique.

At the edge of each grip, many kayak paddles have adjustable rubber drip rings. These prevent water from flowing down the throat of the blade and onto the grip when the paddle is lifted out of the water.

Paddle Shaft Materials

Most kayak paddle shafts are either made from aluminum, carbon, or fiberglass. Aluminum is the least expensive option, and aluminum paddles are generally pretty durable, but they're also subject to rapid changes in temperature (i.e. they get very cold or very hot easily). Fiberglass and carbon fiber shafts are lighter, stronger, and often very durable as well, but much more expensive.

Kayak paddle shafts also come in different figurations, usually either straight or bent. Straight shafts are the most common. Ergonomically bent shafts, curved so that your hand and arms sit at a more natural angle while paddling, are more expensive. However, they can make paddling easier, particularly for paddlers with hand or wrist issues.

Ultimately, the bent vs. straight choice is down to personal preference.

Paddle Blades

All paddle blades have a power face and a back face. The power face is the concave side of the paddle blade, the spoon-like face that is curved upward and catches the water when you make your paddle strokes. The back face is that used in the reverse stroke, or the convex side. The back face will also have a central raised ridge or "spine."

Not all kayak paddle blades are the same, but most kayak paddles have asymmetrical blades. So when paddling, the longer edge of the blade should be on top, the shorter edge on the bottom. These asymmetrical blades help because when kayaking your blade will dip into the water at a shallower angle than canoe or raft ones, and the asymmetrical shape lets your blade get more pull out of the water, and transition from side to side faster, preventing you from spinning.

Paddle Blade Materials

The main materials used to make kayak blades are plastic (polypropylene), fiberglass, and carbon fiber. In general, these are listed from cheapest to priciest. A plastic kayak paddle blade is cheap and rugged, a great choice for beginner kayakers

The biggest benefit you get from a more expensive fiberglass or carbon blade (i.e. high end paddles) is weight. A paddle blade is essentially a weight on the end of your paddle. So the lighter your blade, the easier it is to move it through the water with your paddle strokes. These also have stiffer blades, giving you a more efficient stroke, with less flex, and letting your paddle track straight in the water.

How to Hold a Kayak Paddle

An appropriate kayak grip provides paddling efficiency, control, and comfort on the water. It's the first step in learning to paddle correctly.

To hold a kayak paddle, first check your paddle and ensure the blades are matched, not feathered (at an angle). Feathered paddles can be helpful in some situations, especially for advanced kayakers. However, it's much easier to learn with matched blades than feathered blades. If your paddle blades are feathered, you should be able to press the button in the ferrule to rotate the shaft halves until they're parallel.

As noted above, most blades are asymmetrical. If they are, make sure the shorter edge of the blade is facing down.

Now, you'll need to find the center of the kayak paddle. An easy way to start is to rest the shaft’s center on your head, so the ends are balanced on either side. Now slide your hands along the shaft so your elbows are at a right angle, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width.

Once you bring the paddle down in front of you, you've formed what's called the "paddler’s box" with your upper body. Keeping this box as you dig into your paddle strokes will help you maintain good technique.

To grip, hold the top edge of the paddle shaft with your palms facing downward. Make an “O” around the shaft with your pointer finger and thumb, then wrap your other fingers around the shaft. Avoid clenching your hands too tightly. Keeping a loose hand will prevent muscle fatigue and discomfort. You should have a loose, relaxed grip, allowing for easy maneuverability.

Kayaking Stroke Technique Tips

Proper form and kayak paddling techniques are crucial for beginner paddlers. We'll go into basic strokes below (see "Types of Strokes"), but in general, as you paddle a kayak, maintain a fluid and rhythmic motion, alternately dipping each blade into the water. Focus on engaging your core muscles and rotating your torso to generate power, rather than relying solely on your arms.

Keep your back straight and engage your lats as you dig into each stroke. Dip each paddle blade completely into the water, but maintain as shallow a depth as possible (but still fully submerge the paddle blade). This will let paddle efficiently, getting maximum pull from each stroke. Pull back to your hips, not to your chest, and then repeat the motion with the opposite side.

When you paddle, keep the blade in a near-hortizontal orientation and at a consistent level of immersion, and think about maintaining that "paddler’s box" that we talked about earlier throughout the stroke.

As you paddle, think of your top hand as the "control" hand. It will determine the direction and angle of your strokes. The bottom hand is the hand that will add more power.

The Anatomy of Canoe and Raft Paddles

Canoe and raft paddles are different from kayak ones in a couple of ways, but the biggest is that they only have one blade, not two. A kayak paddle is a much longer paddle (and long shaft), with blades on either end. Another difference is that canoe and rafting paddles have symmetrical blades instead of asymmetrical blades.

So instead of having one side longer than the other, ending in a rounded tip, canoe and raft blades widen in a symmetrical pattern, beginning where the shaft and blade meet (the "throat") and expanding on both sides (the "shoulder") until the blade's maximum width. The tip is usually slightly rounded, but more of a "square" shape than a kayak blade.

The biggest difference, however, comes on the other end, at the grip. The end of a canoe or raft paddle is capped with a T-style grip. This is primary “handle” of a canoe paddle, supported by a second hand on the shaft.

How to Hold a Raft or Canoe Paddle

Gripping a canoe and raft paddle is very similar, but in a raft, you'll need to be more aware of your grip. Whitewater conditions can be very hectic, and you need to always keep a firm hold on the T-grip, because it can hit and injure someone if you let go. The other difference is in a canoe you'll be alternating sides with each stroke. In a raft, you'll be paddling only on one side, the opposite direction you want the canoe to go.

Wrap one hand around the T-grip, locking in your thumb on the far side. Place your other hand along the paddle shaft.

Many novice canoe paddlers fumble by keeping their upper hand either too high or too low. You should always keep your knuckles level with your shoulder for maximum pulling power.

How far down the shaft you want your other hand depends on the conditions, paddle length, your own height, and many other factors. The further down your hand is, the easier it is to take a deep, strong stroke. If your hand is too far down, however, it will cause you to have to lean too far forward to paddle, which will tire you out overtime and reduce efficiency. Like a kayak, hold the paddle with a loose, but firm grip.

Canoe and Rafting Stroke Technique Tips

Again, when you paddle a canoe or raft, your arms shouldn't be doing all the work. Pull with your full body, engaging the large muscle groups of your core and shoulders.

Start with the T-grip hand at your shoulder, loaded up with your elbow bent. From here, push the blade forward with your offhand, keeping your grip (right) arm in position. As you push, rotate your torso and drive forward, dipping the blade into the water and pulling it back.

Types of Strokes

Kayak Strokes

Forward Stroke

The forward stroke is the fundamental stroke you'll use to paddle a kayak. It comes in three phases, catch, power, and release.

First, the catch phase. Catch the water by rotating your torso and dipping your blade fully into the water on one side of the kayak, up near your feet. Now, rotate your torso, powering the blade backward as it moves behind you. Focus not just on pulling, but equally on pushing against the shaft with your top hand. When your bottom hand is past your hip, release the stroke by slicing the blade up out of the water.

Back Stroke (Reverse Stroke)

The reverse stroke or back stroke is what you used to either a) brake or b) move the kayak backward. It's basically the opposite of the forward stroke. The steps here are drop, power, and release.

First, wind your torso back and drop your blade fully into the water at your hip. Next, power the paddle forward, rotating your torso so the blade moves forward. Once your blade is near your feet, release it by slicing the blade up out of the water.

Sweep Stroke

If you forward stroke on the same side over and over your boat will begin to turn, instead of moving straight forward. When you really want to turn fast, instead of doing a normal forward stroke, use the sweep stroke. The sweep stroke has three phases, catch, turn, and release.

First, extend your arms forward and put your blade into the water to enact the catch phase like normal. Instead of pulling directly back, turn or "sweep" the blade in a wide outward arc towards the back of the kayak. Finally, release the blade from the water like normal.

Draw Stroke

Instead of turning, draw strokes move your kayak sideways in a straight line. These aren't the most commonly used kayak strokes, but they're very helpful if you want to pull up to a dock or another kayak. To perform a draw stroke, rotate your paddle blade so it’s horizontal to your kayak (not perpendicular). Then reach out and dip the paddle into the water sideways about 2-3 feet away. Use your lower hand to pull the blade slightly toward you, and stop just before the blade reaches the side of your kayak.

NOTE: If you draw in too deeply and are having trouble pulling the blade out of the water, turn the blade perpendicular again to slice it out like normal.

Canoe Strokes

Forward Stroke

The forward stroke in a canoe is very similar to a kayak. The biggest difference is that instead of wanting your paddle nearly horizontal when fully immersed, when the blade hits the water it should be close to vertical. Your top hand, on the control grip, should be at eye level, above your bottom hand. Again, as you paddle you should move your torso correctly to get power from your core, not just your arms.

NOTE: The reverse strokes in a canoe are very similar to the reverse strokes in a kayak, with the same differences (vertical, not horizontal).

Draw Stroke

A draw stroke in a canoe is the same as a draw stroke in a kayak. You'll use it when you want the canoe to move sideways. (However, it's only useful as a front or solo paddler. If you're paddling in the rear, use the stern pry, below). The general process is the same.

Stern Pry Stroke

A stern pry is sort of like a draw stroke, in that it also brings the boat toward the paddle side, but it's performed by pushing away from the canoe, not pulling. It's best used by the rear paddler.

To stern pry, as you end your forward stroke, rotate your torso toward the water. Your shaft hand should be at waist level, slightly behind you, with the blade close to the side of the boat. Your upper hand level just above the side of the canoe. Push the blade outward by pulling in with your upper hand and pushing out with your lower hand.

J Stroke

A J stroke is another turning stroke, combined with a forward stroke by the rear paddler to adjust course and help the canoe track straighter. If you're paddling on the left, for example, a J stroke will ensure that your bow doesn't start to point too far to the right.

At the end of your forward stroke, as your arms come backward, rotate your top hand slightly forward and over the T-grip, so your thumb is pointed down. Then, rotate your bottom wrist and push outward to form a "J" away from the canoe.

Conclusion

Even if you're heading on a guided trip, going in with a bit of paddling knowledge and proper technique will greatly improve your experience. Now out there and practice your paddling!