Forward Stroke

A few helpful hints will make your forward stroke more efficient and less tiring over a long day on the river. Grasp the top of the paddle overhand style and, with your other hand, grip the shaft of the paddle as far down as comfortable. Keep your lower arm straight throughout the stroke to minimize bending and straining your elbow. To increase power, pull with your lower arm and also push with your top arm. This will bring the muscles of your shoulders and stomach into the stroke, giving you more power and less fatigue. As you pull the paddle from the water for the return stroke, twist it slightly to get the blade parallel to the water while you move it forward, cutting down on wind resistance. Your pace is set by the paddler in front of you. Not keeping in sync will result in banging blades with the person ahead of you, causing a loss in power for the raft (not to mention angry looks).


 
 
Paddling

 
 
 
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