I learned to moon the current when crossing an eddyline. Good enough. But I get confused about which side to brace on. If you don't moon enough the current wants to flip you to the upstream side. You are tempted to brace hard upstream to prevent going over that way. But you are supposed to brace on the downstream side. It takes too long to think this through when I need to. Any suggestions. Jerry *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
On Tue, 12 Jan 1999, Gerald Foodman wrote: > I learned to moon the current when crossing an eddyline. Good enough. But > I get confused about which side to brace on. If you don't moon enough the > current wants to flip you to the upstream side. You are tempted to brace > hard upstream to prevent going over that way. But you are supposed to brace > on the downstream side. It takes too long to think this through when I need > to. > > Any suggestions. > > Jerry Jerry, you should always try to brace on the downstream side. The brace will be much more effective than usual, because the current will flow underneath the paddle and provide extra lift just as you cross the eddyline. You may find that you can get away with a lean and a hard brace that would otherwise flip you in flat water. As far as thinking about it goes, I would suggest turning your thinking into a reflex through practice! Find a nice eddyline somewhere, and practice entering and exiting all day long. You will gain many other subtle skills by doing this. This is about all that I have my students do on the first day of my crossover whitewater class for sea kayakers (http://www.halcyon.com/kayak/river.html), and at the Kayak Academy, we don't waste time doing anything that isn't the most helpful. Crossing eddylines practices so many fundamental kayak skills -- I think it is the best way improve your overall ability in the shortest amount of time. Oh yes, as well as bracing, do not forget to edge your boat by lifting with legs/hips. By the end of the day, you should be able to cross strong eddylines without even putting the paddle in the water. Cheers, Kevin > > *************************************************************************** > PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List > Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net > Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net > Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ > *************************************************************************** > *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
Imagine you are a little kid pretending that you are a plane, buzzing about your backyard. Which way do you bank your wings? Inside of the turn. Same goes for bracing with ww turns into and out of eddies. Richard Culpeper www.geocities.com/~culpeper ---------- > From: Gerald Foodman <klagjf_at_worldnet.att.net> > To: paddlewise <paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net> > Subject: [Paddlewise] Crossing Eddyline Question > Date: Wednesday, January 13, 1999 12:19 AM > > I learned to moon the current when crossing an eddyline. Good enough. But > I get confused about which side to brace on. If you don't moon enough the > current wants to flip you to the upstream side. You are tempted to brace > hard upstream to prevent going over that way. But you are supposed to brace > on the downstream side. It takes too long to think this through when I need > to. > > Any suggestions. > > Jerry > > *************************************************************************** > PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List > Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net > Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net > Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ > *************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
Gerald Foodman wrote: > > I learned to moon the current when crossing an eddyline. Good enough. But > I get confused about which side to brace on. If you don't moon enough the > current wants to flip you to the upstream side. You are tempted to brace > hard upstream to prevent going over that way. But you are supposed to brace > on the downstream side. It takes too long to think this through when I need > to. > I think your problem is in not recognizing where upstream and downstream are. In the eddy, downstream is toward whatever obstruction is forming the eddy, ie, just the opposite from the main current. If you are in the eddy, you should be mooning the _eddy_ current, which means the boat is edged downstream in the _eddy_ current. If it feels like you are bracing upstream, you may be bracing too soon, which is a typical mistake. Wait until you can plant your paddle on the far side of the eddyline before you put any pressure on it. Wait until your feet or knees cross the eddyline to start edging the boat. Turning too soon while still in the main current means that you will at best miss the eddy, and at worst flip upstream. As Kevin says in another post, this needs to be instinctual, so find a benign eddyline asnd practice, practice, practice. Steve -- Test Scoring & Reporting Services Sometimes, you never can University of Georgia always tell what you Athens, GA 30602-5593 least expect the most. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
In a message dated 1/13/99 0:34:53 AM EST, klagjf_at_worldnet.att.net writes: << I learned to moon the current when crossing an eddyline. Good enough. But I get confused about which side to brace on. If you don't moon enough the current wants to flip you to the upstream side. You are tempted to brace hard upstream to prevent going over that way. But you are supposed to brace on the downstream side. It takes too long to think this through when I need to. >> You can get away with a quick snap brace on the up stream side. It should make a loud noise as the blade hits the water surface. This has to be instinctive and done even before you can think of it. If you bury your blade face on the up stream side your in trouble. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
In a message dated 99-01-13 00:34:53 EST, you write: << It takes too long to think this through when I need to. Any suggestions. >> Practice, practice. It has to become second nature. Take a weekend river course and just work a lot on crossing eddy lines, both entering and exiting the current. Paddle rivers now and then. It does wonders for paddle technique that have great crossover benifits for sea kayaking. Also, leaning upstream is immediant reinforcement. Wham! See ya, Ken Mannshardt SF Bay *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
><< I learned to moon the current when crossing an eddyline. Good enough. But > I get confused about which side to brace on. If you don't moon enough the > current wants to flip you to the upstream side. You are tempted to brace > hard upstream to prevent going over that way. But you are supposed to brace > on the downstream side. Thanks to everyone for helpful answers to my question (repeated above). Tomckayak addressed what I am really interested in knowing. (see below) >You can get away with a quick snap brace on the up stream side. It should make >a loud noise as the blade hits the water surface. This has to be instinctive >and done even before you can think of it. If you bury your blade face on the >up stream side your in trouble. Do people agree that this quick upstream brace can be effective? Or is it too late if you are forced to do it? I have tried a quick down wave brace while surfing, which I think is analogous, and quickly flipped. Jerry *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
On Sat, 16 Jan 1999, Gerald Foodman wrote: > Thanks to everyone for helpful answers to my question (repeated above). > Tomckayak addressed what I am really interested in knowing. (see below) > > >You can get away with a quick snap brace on the up stream side. It should > make > >a loud noise as the blade hits the water surface. This has to be > instinctive > >and done even before you can think of it. If you bury your blade face on > the > >up stream side your in trouble. > > Do people agree that this quick upstream brace can be effective? Or is it > too late if you are forced to do it? I have tried a quick down wave brace > while surfing, which I think is analogous, and quickly flipped. Jerry, I think a few words of caution are in order. I consider a quick snap upstream brace is a very bad habit to develop. Such a technique performed with a high brace and bad bracing technique is likely to result in shoulder dislocation. A low brace is more safe, but it is harder to turn it into a reflex fast enough to be of any use. A shoulder dislocation is such a painful and debilitating injury, that I consider it not worth the risk of practicing what I consider a poor technique compared to the alternatives. It is much better to spend a little effort to make crossing eddylines properly a reflex. It is not that hard to do if you are serious -- half a day could be sufficient. I have never seen proper high bracing technique published in any kayaking literature. Done properly, the high brace is 90-95% safe from a shoulder dislocation. The low brace is 100% safe. "Kayak" by William Nealy has a good discussion on the dangers of the high vs. low brace. The only times I have used an upstream snap brace were in desperation to prevent being broached on a rock in a river. Cheers, Kevin > > Jerry > > *************************************************************************** > PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List > Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net > Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net > Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ > *************************************************************************** > *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
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