Pointers on flatwater C-1 practice/moves

[yarnellboat]

I've been dabbling in C-1, but haven't progressed much. At the pool, aside form rolling, what flatwater moves could I be practicing?

All I can do is paddle forward, sink the bow, go up to a "stall" (but without really pausing), and flop over - half a loop!

Coming from open boating, with no experience in kayaking, I'm not really sure what to do for squirts, cartwheels or whatever else I could practice - when kayakers talk, I don't even know what the moves are.

I don't really know what to do with my paddle, body, etc. In theory I know to look where I want the boat to go - to lead with my head - but that hasn't helped my be able to get the ends out the water for cartwheels or anything else.

Any hints on doing some basic stuff at the pool? What's some good starter stuff to get more comfortable/agressive?

Thanks, Pat.

[wetnobby]

Pools can be limiting especially small ones but still great practice..

The clean drill is a really good trick to practice....i often leave the paddle on the side of the pool these days and just use body rotation...both ways.

http://s210.photobucket.com/albums/bb53 ... oclean.flv

on the basis that back wards anything is good....a clean back blunt into a stall or loop is cool...


http://s210.photobucket.com/albums/bb53 ... ent=12.flv

lead with your head and body....follow through with your knees!!
remember to have fun.....

[sbroam]

Not a great video, but the basic stern squirt :
http://picasaweb.google.com/scott.broam ... 7160226706

Start a spin towards your onside, sink the offside edge, look back at your paddle, and do a strong stern pry. Up goes the nose...

[pdown2]

For mere mortals and first timers....

Lean the boat on edge [neutral] on your paddle side, pull back on the paddle & raise the bow up while leaning back on the stern, then push forward on the paddle & throw the bow down into the water while leaning slightly away from the boat and over the bow. One thing to remember is the paddle is just going knee to hip NOT bow to stern in a double pump. This will "start" your cartwheel or get you up easier into a stall......and help you develop a solid roll. Once there if trying to stall plant the paddle below the surface to control side-to-side movement and try moving your body "up and down" to change the vertical alignment of the boat.

I can't help you past that, I can barely get into the bow stall without going face down too. It does help if you get a little speed under you first too. I'm pretty sure someone else will post much better instructions or correct what is probably sloppy form....but hopefully this helped a little.

[edg]

I was shown this years ago, and it still challenges the heck out of me. Slalom derived, but probably quite useful for all types of normal c-1. The pool may or may not be big enough. The object is to develop edge control and balanvce, on-side and offside, with your hips/trunk, and NO weight on the paddle. You will be paddling in circles, as follows, from easier to harder. Assuming a righty c-1:

1. (Easy) Paddling on your on-side, with your on-side edges tilted down, in circles to your right.

2. (Pretty easy) Paddling on your off-side (left- on the cross) with your offside edges down, in circles to your left.

3. (Hard) Paddling on your on side (right) with your off-side (left) edges down, in circles to your left. You can use a cross stroke every 4 strokes or so to keep your balance.

4. (Very hard) Paddling on your off-side (left- on the cross) with your on-side edges tilted down, in circles to your right. You can use a regular stroke every 4 strokes or so to keep your balance.

The goal s to develop the control to do these smoothly, with the hull eventually at a 90 + degree angle, skirt in the water, and NO weight on the paddle. It helps a lot if its warm enough to flip, which you should be doing as you explore and expand balance.

Initially, just getting the feel is a work out. You can expand to time (30 seconds of each pattern, for example) and then to figure eights where you switch edges and strokes as you change directions. Have fun ... edg

[wetnobby]

OK, sorry about that they were the only pool clips i had to hand.

Some good advice being offered but if you want to start from scratch I would suggest a good instructional video such as Ken Whitings " Playboating".
View it as an investment...I know its not C1...but it will explain the fundamentals very well and they are the same...K1 or C1.
You may have to figure out how to transfer whats being taught to C1 in places but thats all part of the fun..

You will also be able to see whats going on as its explained which will make it so much easier...

Maybe its time for a C1 playboating instructional video......

[Taniwha]

With a set of forward sweeps you can spin your boat on the spot. Sink your onside back egde a bit (continue forward sweeps), lean back and you'll be able to raise the bow and do a sort of stern squirt pirouette.
Try to raise the bow in steps. 30°, 45°, 60°, 90° while still keeping the turning momentum and balance.
Do that as often as you like and without throwing up in the pool

Try that on your offside with backward sweeps. That's where I failed...

[yarnellboat]

Thanks all, glad I asked!

I'll start with the easy descriptions and refer back to the more complicated videos.

Scott, presumably that's in your Score, so that's good - I guess I should be able to do squirts and stalls.

Never thought of looking at a K1 playboating video, but I'm sure I could borrow one somewhere.

Cheers, PY.

[sbroam]

Yep, that's the Score. It's possible to take it past vertical on a stern squirt from a stand still. You should be able to do the "double pump" trick to start cartwheels, too - I'm not so good at that, but have had some success. If you get it up on the stern, you can "smash" the bow back in. Another thing that takes a little room for me is paddle forward, lean forward, cross forward, as the bow goes down do a sort of a cross reverse sweep around the bow - it's kind of a nifty bow screw thing. I need to get that boat out...