Re: [Paddlewise] Kayak surfing question - low/high brace

--- Rich Kulawiec <rsk_at_gsp.org> wrote:
> 
> Try this on for size:
>

Hi Rich... different sizes:

-some snippage-
 
> 
> To simulate a high brace, go out to your garage and put your
> paddle on top of the roof of your car.  Get in and open the
> sunroof.  Now reach up through the sunroof and grab the paddle with
> both hands. ;-)


<!>  um... I'm not sure where this *sun roof high brace* comes from,
but as far as I know, a brace is high or low depending on which face of
the blade is facing the water - not on how high a paddle is held in
relation to one's face.  Perhaps this [sun roof technique] is where you
get the dislocated shoulder routine?  They (high and low braces) are
also frequently used in somewhat different positions (as far as fore,
aft, or directly beside the paddler's position).

I don't think it's a matter of using either/or a high or low brace in
every situation, but rather a question of what the paddler intends to
do in a given situation.  If one is broached on an ocean wave (or soup
of a recently broken wave), there are a number of choices
(sometimes)...  Whether to remain broached and simply ride the wave all
the way in sideways, or to turn back down the face of the wave, or to
go back over the back of the wave.  The answer(s) to these questions
also depend on a number of things:  size of wave, breaking direction,
type of boat, how close/far from shore, level of experience, etc.    

   
> This is one of those things that engenders debate every time it
> comes up, but one thing to note is that when you're in the low
> brace position, there's a lot of slack in your shoulders and elbows;
> when you're high-bracing, they're isn't.  Low-bracing takes longer
> to master, but it does seem to protect folks from injury (at least
> in my experience); it leaves you closer to being set up to roll
> if the brace doesn't work; and it's an easier to position to get
> to when interrupting yourself mid-stroke to brace.


<begging to differ a bit more here - engendering debate>  First -
*mastering* something is always a matter of degree.  There's always
something more to learn, as every wave (at least in the ocean) is
different, and always changing.  Secondly - I haven't experienced any
problems going from a capsize during a high brace to a rolling
position.  Certainly no more trouble than preparing for a roll from a
low brace position.  If the paddle is in my hands, I'll find a way to
roll if I can.  Nor have I found it particularly awkward going from a
*stroke* to a high brace.  Besides, not a whole lot of forward stroking
going on to be interupted while flying down the face of a wave.

> 
> (Forget the stuff I said about C-1/C-2, it'll just confuse you
> at this point.  Heck, sometimes it confuses me!...said confusion
> is usually followed by the sound "Oh sh...", then the sound "splash",
> then the sound "glug", then some random thrashing around upside-down,
> and then maybe the sound "ugh" as the hip-snap finishes a successful
> roll...or not...)

Yes - I became confused.  When you mentioned head dinks and hip snaps,
I was wondering if you were talking about bracing into a wave anymore,
or had seamlessly moved on to rolling.

See you at the chiroprator's!  ;-)

Melissa
 


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