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QUESTION What are the merits of the J-stroke versus switching sides every few strokes? Have any studies been done to evaluate the two methods? Larry and Lorna Schmidt, Bass Lake, Ont.
ANSWER Boat designer John Winters, who has studied the efficiency of different paddles and spent decades designing canoes, says the J-stroke beats switching sides when you're using a regular paddle. The J-stroke allows you to steer the canoe from one side by pulling the paddle back to the hip, then turning the blade out, like the bottom of the letter J, to end the stroke. When done well it can look quite graceful. But Winters has serious issues with the J-stroke. Biomechanically, it's just plain awkward. "That pulling back and prying away is really an unnatural motion." Kevin Callan, author of 10 paddling guidebooks, including A Paddler's Guide to Ontario Cottage Country, concurs. "Switching sides is a waste of time and energy," he says, but he also thinks the J is hard on your body. "If you did what the books tell you to do, your wrist would be killing you by the end of the day." Instead, Callan employs a modified J, using the gunwale to support the paddle shaft at the end of the stroke, while Winters prefers the slip, or Canadian, stroke - steering by angling the paddle as you draw the blade straight back. Yet another method, the silent stroke, is favoured by canoe instructor Becky Mason: silently knifing and turning the blade forward after each J-stroke so that it never emerges from the water. It's a little more Zen, and an excellent choice for getting closer to wildlife.
But if speed is your thing, never mind the scenery, buy a bent-shaft paddle along with a specialized canoe designed for tandem racing. Then employ the sit-and-switch, or hut stroke, in which you and your partner switch sides every few strokes, yelling out "hut!" to coordinate your efforts. "It is the most asinine thing I have ever seen in my life," grumbles Callan. Different strokes? Kate Barker
* Published in the April/May 2006 issue of Cottage Life |