Paddling on your weak side

[insolence]

What sort of paddling?

in classic touring im a righty, but have both sides strong - and in my sit and switch boat it doesn't matter anyway


in whitewater i'm a lefty - being nearly unable to paddle on the right (when C1, in C2 it's ok), but for me it's more worth the time to improve my skills on the strong side. I'd better like to become a pro on one side rather then having one side good (wich is not perfect and so not good enough in the end) and one ok

[icyone]

Agreed that most of the "kings" of slalom are/were not switchies -- I believe that switching pretty much went out with upturned ends. The advent of "max" boats with flat bows made cross-strokes much more accessable and the advantages of mastering cross-strokes outweighed mastering switching. Altho many maintain a rudimentary acquaintance with the "other side".

However Andy Bridge -- no mean whitewater guy -- once told me that after years of wildwater right or left meant no difference: he was equally at home either way. But the skills involved in downriver maneuvers are different from slalom moves.

I eventually learned to paddle bow on my "other" side in C-2 if I had to, but the biggest factor -- especially until I learned to brace on that side (!) --was that we had a near-100% roll from day one because I switched instead of using a bow roll. (And of course we got to roll a lot...)

But I didn't find that it carried over into C-1 -- I still switch back to my "strong" side at the first hint of difficulty.

BTW, I once watched Jon Lugbill race K-1 just for the heck of it . He beat everyone except Mike McCormick -- but when he came to a tight move, he just did it all left handed. So much for "switchie" skills.

YMMV

[edgar]

I just started OC1 a few months ago, I have been watching star wars and decided to try the "dark side"

I have really be shocked at how I have developed a "strong side".

My left has always been stronger even in my kayak, but after a few months, I can barely even paddle on the right in my canoe. I think the other poster was right, it is like writing with the other hand. Yikes!

So far, I never paddle on the right. Right now I need all the work I can get on my strong side since I am just starting. But, one thing I am working on is my opposite side roll.

I found that when I get caught in a big hole/hydralic facing river left I need to be on the other side to brace (breathe) and get away/roll up. Unless someone can inform me on a cross bow brace, which I havent really done with much success yet.

If you could paddle either side it would be nice when you scout a rapid and know that your critical strokes would be on a certain side I think. For example, on the Green river here I sure am glad I am a lefty, not sure I would want to take the stroke through the notch on Gorilla or Sunshine right with a cross bow stroke.

edgar

[sbroam]

There may still be time for you! Start paddling on that other side! If I could do it all over again, I would work at being ambidextrous from the beginning!