Re: [Paddlewise] Leg Power (was an apology to Jim et. al. - )

-----Original Message-----
From: Erik Sprenne <sprenne_at_netnitco.net>

>I'm not that familiar with sprint boating, so perhaps the outfitting
>in those boats allows the paddler to move fore and aft while
>paddling, but I'd think that having your butt sliding fore and aft
>would reduce the efficiency of the stroke.  Being snug in your
>boat ('wearing' your boat) allows for the most efficient energy
>transfer, as no energy is lost in the fore and aft movement of a
>fair amount of weight (your body).

The Olympic seat is more like just a butt platform attached to the bottom of
the kayak. There is no side or back that would interfere with the butt
rotating on it so you get not only torso rotation but even your butt rotates
as you pivot it with your legs. It is more powerful for a sprint than the (I
thought generally excellent) description of paddling you provided below.
>
>Some things to consider in the forward stroke:
>1.  Be sure to plant the blade completely in the water.  To
>efficiently transfer your stroke energy into forward motion,
>you want to minimize the slippage of the paddle through the
>water when applying force.  There will always be a little
>slippage, but it is minimized with the blade being completely
>immersed.
>2.  To more efficiently transfer the energy to the boat, it's best
>to 'push' with the foot on the side of the stroke.  The foot push
>helps translate the backward pull of the stroke into forward motion
>of the boat.  While the pull of the stroke and the push of the foot
>appear to be opposite forces, they are acting in tandem to propel
>the boat forward.  If the paddler fits snugly in the boat, maximum
>energy is transferred from the stroke into forward motion (at least
>for whitewater boats and sea kayaks).
>3.  If the foot opposite the stroke side is used to push forward, a
>twisting motion is imparted to the boat, because the increased
>separation of the 'opposite' forces introduces a stronger lever arm
>action, which causes the boat to turn.  This turning moment/force is
>not as noticeable in a sea kayak as it is in a whitewater boat.

It seems to me that by having your foot pressure on the opposite side of the
boat this might be reducing the turning moment caused by the paddle stroke.
This reduction in turning moment appears to be the justification for doing
the opposite foot push I have heard.
Matt Broze
http://www.marinerkayaks.com


>4.  Daniel, Richard, and Matt are correct in stating that pushing
>forward with the onside (same side as stroke) foot makes it easier
>to employ torso rotation in the stroke.  If paddling on the right side,
>pushing with the right foot 'immobilizes' the right side of the body,
>and lets the left side of the body (including a slight movement of the
>left hip) rotate forward in the torso rotation.  If torso rotation is used
>(pushing forward - or 'punching out' - with the left arm while pulling
>with the right arm), more muscles are used in the forward stroke.
> reduces the load on any single muscle or small group of muscles,
>thereby enabling one to paddle longer and stronger before
>becoming fatigued.
>Most beginners paddle with only their arms and tire quickly.
>Involving the whole upper body spreads the work load over
>more muscles.  Adding the legs into the equation further spreads
>the load to _most_  of the large muscles in the body, and allows
>for much more comfortable all-day paddling.  (I also don't paddle
>a boat with a rudder, and the one time I tried it, it felt funny to me
>becuase of the lack of firm foot support.)
>
>This is what I teach as an ACA Whitewater Kayak Instructor Trainer.
>I, too, have run across ACA instructors that teach pushing with the
>foot  opposite the stroke side.  The ACA Canoeing and Kayaking
>Instruction Manual doesn't even address the use of the feet in the
>forward stroke, so this is one of the gray areas in the ACA curriculum.
>Remember that ACA Instructors (and Trainers!) don't always have
>ALL the answers, and don't always do everything the best way.
>The certification program is designed to help ensure that _minimum_
>standards are met, but there is still lots of room for variation - and
>innovation - from one instructor to another.  Racers and instructors
>can discuss the fine points of paddling for hours on end, because
>their goals are to become faster paddlers and better teachers.
>Each paddler has to determine what works best for her/him and the
>type of paddling that (s)he prefers.  If this sometimes goes contrary
>to "established" beliefs, so be it.
>
>Play Hard,
>Erik Sprenne
>
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