Do you back ferry?

[Einar]

Use it all the time on small rivers or creeks to slide out and poke my nose around a corner or position for a slot/drop, especially if lead canoe.
In a 11' hard chined canoe I find it a strong move but find it harder to control in a shorter or easy chined boat.

[malone]

I like to peel in and out of eddies backwards in the supa Fly. I like to think that if I am ever being blown down stream after being rejected from a micro eddy, I will be more suited to catch the next eddy backwards and retain my balance. hopefully not rolling and being pushed off of a drop backwards or out of the boat. This is most usefull when creeking...of say...Treemont in the Smokies
Have you ever scouted a run and thought that you could cacth the eddies on the fly, only to be proven otherwise? This is not a comfortable feeling...on a first decent....I did on the Uncombagre in Co. I felt like such an idiot, and looked like one too. by myself...
I also like to play in potentially "bad spots", on most play runs so that if I ever end up in a nasty hole....iron ring.. ..I can surf or ender my way out....just saying

[FullGnarlzOC]

"Edit... I do feel it's a good skill for people that paddle trippers and longer tandem boats (boats that don't turn quickly) to be taught... but with whitewater boats it's just not as necessary."


Craig - One could argue that there are tons of other things that aren't "necessary" as well in WW OC1. Things like deflecting waves, cross sweeps, Cross draws(side slipping to off-side without a prys), OUTSIDE EDGE Eddy turns, or even Surfing for that matter...

But bottom line is - where WW paddling is heading (steeps/higher grade stuff), the more skills/strokes you have that you can use instinctually, the better off one is in the water. It gives someone more room during the 'back up plan' phase to re-evaluate the situation, and make something happen. Therefore, making safer paddlers out of us all

I don't think it is needed in prelude or c1. And if you use one in prelude or c1, you had better have a pretty bombproof backferry and roll. lol.

[icyone]

Back ferry is just one application of a paddle skill everyone should have but few want to practice: paddling in reverse.

Back ferries, eddy turns & peel-outs in reverse, anything you can think of in reverse: you aren't an expert until you can do them all comfortably. Boat length -- sure, it's more common on the river to use it in a "tripper", but it really is basic paddle skills (the paddle AND the water). (And BTW, don't forget practicing both "simple" back strokes and "truck & trailer".)

And as many have pointed out, when you can do it well, it turns out to be more useful than you would have imagined.

[ian123]

Paddling forward is more powerful than paddling backwards which should more than make up for the 1 second it takes to pivot a Sfly, Taureau.. etc... That's not to say that folks shouldn't bother learning to back ferry... it's just probably more useful in longer(+10ft) designs.... imo

[oopsiflipped]

paddling forward is more powereful than paddling back, which is a reason that lots of folks think that back paddling isn't important, maybe. ever try backpaddling across a long pool in a short c1? it'l make you work on some technique, that's for sure.

from what i know of folks on here, it seems generally, that those who think back paddling is useful and effective spend more time paddling with kayakers.

[Walsh]

I paddle backwards quite a bit, including entire flatwater sections between rapids. It's helped - I'm not above admitting that I occasionally run a drop backwards inadvertently. Ultimately, the more things you can do in the boat, the better.

As far as efficiency is concerned, however - I have never seen a slalom boater back surf or back ferry. They spin and use power strokes. If I NEED to get somewhere, I'll be facing upstream and paddling on my onside.

[xmas0c1c1k1]

I rarely do a long extended back ferry it is pretty impossible in converted c1's. Sometimes I will use it to slow down but usually find another way to slow down if I'm catching up to the person in front of me. The only time I really use it is if I come off a drop or something to where my angle is straight downstream but I want to get into the eddy beside me. Then I might back ferry a foot or two to get into that eddy, but its usually not very pretty.
I agree that it is a good move to practice and can be useful but in short converted boats its rarely practical, but I know lots of people are paddling other types of boats so that is just my experience.
Another question why do cboaters always seem to catch up to kayakers aren't we supposed to be slower? And I'm not just talking about big oc1's catching up I run up on kayakers all the time in a conversion

[Shep]

I don't remember myself using a back ferry in a rapid, but I certainly use it at the top of a rapid. First off, it is unbeaten for boat scouting. Second, I always find myself congregating with other people between rapids to chat, but when we get to a rapid, I like to take my space. I'll back ferry so that other people can get far enough ahead of me to be out of my way. I also tend to demonstrate it to students when we are covering ferries during an intro class.

I do believe back ferrying in a rapid would be a worthwhile skill to develop, but I probably wouldn't imagine using it in my Taureau, but would in my Ovation...

Thanks,
Shep

[Rand C1]

I'll sometimes back ferry to boat scout a drop.
Rand

[horizongfx]

[Bill M]

I do it sometimes but IT NEVER LOOKS LIKE THAT!!!
Bill

[RodeoClown]

Are we talking about using a few backstrokes to scrub off some speed, or a back ferry with significant lateral movement? I can understand using the latter to line up a drop, but once in a rapid, I'd much rather use a draw to sideslip and keep my forward speed. Unless maybe things go south and I can actually back ferry above a hole I'm about to drop into. So I guess I'd say for me it's really a recovery technique.

[cadster]

Paddling forward is more powerful than paddling backwards which should more than make up for the 1 second it takes to pivot a Sfly, Taureau.. etc...

paddling forward is more powereful than paddling back, which is a reason that lots of folks think that back paddling isn't important, maybe.

from what i know of folks on here, it seems generally, that those who think back paddling is useful and effective spend more time paddling with kayakers.

I'm guessing you've never spent time in a row boat. You can apply a lot more force with a back stroke than forward.
Yes, it's harder to maintain speed with a single paddle going backward just because steering is more awkward, but a single back stroke is much more powerful.

Another question why do cboaters always seem to catch up to kayakers aren't we supposed to be slower?

The thing I find most irritating boating with kayakers is that some frequently slow down by back paddling to find a line. I have to concentrate on not spinning when they do and my visibility being better I usually already know where I want to go.

[ian123]

I'm guessing you've never spent time in a row boat. You can apply a lot more force with a back stroke than forward.
Yes, it's harder to maintain speed with a single paddle going backward just because steering is more awkward, but a single back stroke is much more powerful.

Unless your boat has oar locks, you re talking about apples and oranges...