C-Forum

it seems to me that if it's a difficult enough move that you don't want to do it offside, then you would't want to do it on your weak side either.

or you could just grab the gunnels and hope for the best

thanks guys lots of good points. Pretty sure I'm gonna start running stuff left and right, work both cross strokes.....Maybe laps on features and switch sides each time.

Tommy, I just had another class 5 boater tell me he wants to cross over and join us on the Raymondskill(pa).... yet another!!!!

After years of wondering if an OC1 had ever done the RKill it looks like we'll have half a dozen Newer OC1 paddlers running it at a throw next Fall. dam Tom you saw it coming.

Anyone else a righty paddling lefty or versa visa?

Righty who paddles lefty here. My theory, at least for me, is that I grew up as a kid doing a lot of shovel work that required blade control (mason tender). My control hand was always on top of the handle and my non control hand was bearing the weight on the bottom. When I began canoeing and learning the J, it was just the easiest way for me to have control. It's what I was used to.

Send your son out to shovel snow but don't tell him why. Look to see which hand goes on the bottom of the shovel.

If. you. build. it. they. will. come.

In 3 years, there will be an army of OC1ers. Our time has come.

Onceth we are ready....the assault on middle earth shall begin. The world of men shall prevail.


For frodo!

whoa...you built Oc1 creeking......dude you don't even know how to switch sides yet

oh wait tom I'll flip every other shot in the video so it looks like you're switching.

PAC wrote:Anyone else a righty paddling lefty or versa visa?

Please define how a righty paddles - I am right handed and paddle with my left hand on the T-grip and my right hand on the shaft.

if the blade is on the right side you are a righty

I'm a righty and I have left hand on tgrip, right hand on shaft.

In America, onside chooses you.


How strong is the connection between the hand that you write with, and the side that you paddle on? I am right-handed, and I pick up anything (shovel, broom, paddle, axe, claymoor, etc.) with my left hand at the furthest end. In college IM hockey, however, I was told that in some circles, it's considered preferable to reverse that - i.e. a right-handed hockey player will play with his blade on the left side (a 'left-handed' stick) in order to put his right hand in the 'control' position and left hand in the 'power' position.

Since most control is achieved from the T-grip, how many of you paddle with your dominant hand on the grip (i.e. right-handed people who paddle with the blade on the left side)?

EDIT: Looks like a couple of you broached this issue already in this thread. I'm curious about it too. Seems like it might be a good way to be taught, but the damage is done for me.

I think it might be vise versa.... I played hockey for 18 years, left handed. The right hand(top of stick) is the finesse hand and controls the stickhandling. Whereas the power arm is the left.

This translates to a left handed canoer. Right hand on the t-grip (finesse hand for underwater recoverys, and quickly changing the angle of the paddle). Left hand is your power hand. As this is where all the 'PULL' comes from(back as well).

One could argue that, as the top hand is the "pull hand" in hockey, vs the bottom where you push. In canoeing, the bottom hand pulls... so I could see using ur top hand in hockey, for the bottom in canoeing.

Either way, the sport of hockey translates very well to the sport of canoeing.

Yeah I'm a righty in the general world. Although I am fairly ambidextrous. I paddle with my left hand on the T-grip and my right hand on the shaft.

I will switch sides for playboating, not creeking though... creeking, I'm always on my "good" side.

I also work at the local ski mountain as a lift operations technician... and I shovel a lot! I always shovel with my left hand at the top and my right hand on the shaft.

I occasionally throw a pretty sick shovel cross-bow in just for fun.

I'm lefty doing most things. canoeing, i use my left hand as a control hand on the T grip. I'm just Ok on the other side when giving myself a break on a long day or paddling tandem. If it is a tough move to make on my strong side I just figure it out, "cause I'm not gonna make a tough move using my "weak" side

Not really totally sure what my on side is
I did a lot of 15 to 20 mile runs years ago in a discovery 17
On the Delaware with my son in the bow
Lots of flat spots so to speed up things a little I discovered
That I could do 5 power strokes on one side without any correction
Then switch to the other side. Did this practically every weekend
In a different section for several years. When I went solo I just used whatever
Side I was on at the time to execute cross strokes. Howevet I Only can roll at present
On my right side so I started backing off paddling on my left in drops or runs
Where I might have to execute a roll. I have been known to switch hands under water
But that is very risky because when you let go of the paddle under water
The currant can move the paddle around and make it difficult to get both hands on it again
In the right spots for a roll I still thing switching is a powerful tool for dynamic peel outs
On your"offside". Besides Nolan another great paddler who can and does
paddle from both sides is Harold