which side do you paddle on?

[coloradopaddler]

I am right handed and paddle on the left. the guy that taught me to paddle advocated it. he said that you should have your finesse hand on the t grip. i've paddled that way forever. i definately have a weak side, but i'm working on it. i'm not looking for guidance, your opinion isn't going to change it anyway, but was just curious if that is common or not. it worked out well on a recent river trip where a tandem crew were both right side paddlers. one was a lefty even. when i got in the tandem i was already on my strong side.

[TheKrikkitWars]

I just picked up a blade and rolled a c1 one day, I roll on my left, so my paddle goes on the right, no more thought went into it.

Now it's so ingrained that I can't paddle the wrong way round, though I manage to paddle barge-boats using cross-deck strokes just fine.

[jscottl67]

Right handed - paddle left side. The same rotational direction as golf, baseball,etc. Just felt right from the start.

[jrsh92]

Right handed, paddle on the right side... I definitely see how the "finesse" hand on the T grip could be better. But, my right hand on the paddle shaft helps reach across the bow for cross strokes and gives me a LOT more power in my brace/roll. If I could learn how to roll while paddling on the left side, I might do it a lot more. As it is I try to switch back and forth but revert back to the right side when I'm in tough water, I just can't rely on my left side brace or left to right cross strokes.

[philcanoe]

right handed - paddle on left (mostly) when not downriver racing

In the beginning started on right side, but rather quickly wanted to learn how to on both sides; however after developing strength on the left, just liked it better and never went back.

[ezwater]

Started out paddling on the right side, but messed my left shoulder up in a way that made it necessary to paddle on the left. I can paddle on the right for tandem purposes, and if an injury required me to paddle on the right side to get off a river, I could do it, but it would be difficult.

[chuckneese]

paddle on the left mostly but sometimes on the right

[coloradopaddler]

i was just wondering, with the cross bow stroke thread. it seems there are plenty of both. i think i may try to devote some time to learning a roll with my paddle on the right side this summer. i'm sure that would ease my weak side issues. it really hasn't come up until i had been paddling the remix for awhile, way different than my open boats! i need to develop my off side more to reach that boat's potential.

[french erick]

right handed, paddle on my left. felt best when I taught myself canoeing. Now not long into it it seems that I will have to change it due to injury on right shoulder (non canoeing related) I hope I'll quickly get a good feel for it.

[Bob P]

Mostly the upstream side, it seems...

[tennOC]

Right-handed but paddle on the left. I started in the bow of a tandem and the stern paddler was on the right. He said" paddle on the left and don't let me catch you switching". When I started soloing I just stayed with it. When I met my wife it was perfect because she paddles right so we make the perfect tandem team.

[BigMike]

Its a right brain/left brain thing. I'm right handed, paddle on the right, work in a creative job.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/right- ... 1114603615

[Bill M]

Right handed, paddle on left. When I roll it is on the Right, have to switch hands. Weak left shoulder isn't happy when paddling left hand high.
Bill

[Mike Gardner]

right handed paddle left. Lost 1/2 of middle, ring, and pinky fingers in work accident decades ago and when I discovered open boating a few years ago, found I couldn't hold on to an off-side eddy turn and learned to paddle lefty. Paddle right if needed in tandem.

[Paddle Power]

right handed, paddle left