How to Canoe | 3 Key Strokes All Paddlers Should Know

In this video, we're discussing how to canoe and the three key strokes all paddlers should know, including the J-stroke, the draw stroke and stern draws and pries.

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[Bish_inu]

I am literally searching this while stuck in middle of a lake

[theh-ts]

This is a very good tutorial. I've been through numerous vids to get the J stroke in my head and this one is the one that clicked, with the various camera angles and explanations about what is actually happening with the water and the paddle, giving it the time both to explain and demonstrate thoughtfully rather than just fit into speedy video. Much appreciated.

[matak]

Good camera angles on the J stroke; helped me to clearly see the direction of wrist rotation. Umm, what about the Canadian stroke, the Indian stroke and the all-important Goon stroke?

[ADHDPatrick]

Going to experience my first time on friday, thank you for this video, I think I will survive!

[davidhamilton]

I like the j stroke in concept, but don't like the feel of it versus gumbying my paddle side to side. Nice demonstration of that pull stroke, slicing through water to repeat. I saw it before but it wasn't as clear as this video. Still learning, thanks for the video.

[petertuckergoettler]

Love Canoeing, merci. Confident Canoeing.

[ericg]

Canoeing is like riding a bike. Once you got it, you have it for life. Go for it!

[zephyr]

the j stroke and the stern pry look very similar, is the j stroke a forward paddle combined with a stern pry?

[BisonBill]

The stern loves the stern draw! The bow not so much lol

[tyroncover]

I think you should talk about the forward stroke first and then the sweep stroke. I like that the J-Stroke gets a mention, however I would explain this 3rd.

[denzilbritt]

We learned these strokes in the BSA in the late 1960s.

[mr.person]

I’m just here to watch people canoe. I know how to canoe competently but it is hard to find footage of people actually canoeing. Although, a few strokes that are essential for beginners that should have been mentioned are, reverse/regular c stroke, inside draw, and feathering.

[siplip]

Thanks I really needed this last time which was Mt first time sterring the boat my friend and I almost died

[PatrickWaters-ow]

Um the j grip was actually not displayed correctly and I found this out when i fell out of my boat in alligator infested water and I lost my middle toe. This video was trash.

[michaelmilne]

This nonsense, there are so many things wrong - the three strokes are J, sweep and draw. They have their hands all wrong, sit improperly and use the pry wrong. The scull and cut should be learned before the pry, the pry is an emergency stroke only because it loses too much momentum for effect.

[BigCraig]

I'm going out for my first canoe attempt, and this didn't really help me. Because the paddle is in the water, I couldn't really see what the paddler was doing with the blade direction. It would have been much more helpful if this motion was shown out of the water so I could see what was going on. As it is, my anxiety is through the roof.

[pramodmicelli]

This video would've been 10x more helpful if they made an animation of each paddle instead of explaining them using words.

[PeteZelchenko]

It's not a very useful training video, sorry. You have ample budget and editing opportunities to label and point to the objects you refer to in the audio. Particularly beginners are going to just be schematizing concepts like "gunwale" and "shaft hand" and yet you don't offer any indication. All of these are very simple strokes, diagrammable with some easy top-view graphical supers that your crew could have put together in five minutes. Sorry you came so short on this one.

[WillyEast]

Confusing instructions for a beginner.

[charlesoliver]

Kinesiologically the strokes were inadequately explained and inaccurate in demonstration. Hand on the funnel, yet the hand was below the funnel. Commenting on only the aft half of the stern strokes is half-dozen. The feather, reach, twirl, catch, top hand push, glide to stern, handle of blade relative to central axis of canoe, 45 degree blade position for guide strokes (applied both vectors of pushes water aft and to either side to apply steering in every stroke instead of having to perform a full steering effort), all these components are omitted. More efficient paddling prevents fatigue and loss of efficient steering, both are a huge factor in safety. Dropping the hand below the funnel and immersing the blade above its throat are hazardous especially when the water conditions aren't flat and calm. No mention of BALANCE of the canoe and of the paddlers posture makes for a canoe that isn't stable from side to side. This not only makes for more work propelling and especially steering, it sets up the likelihood of sudden capsize. Balance is the first consideration in all activities with a canoe. Sit on the front edge of the thwart, knees locked straight, heels down toes up. Now raise both arms overhead, tilt your head back (aligns inner ear vestibular system and increases proprioception) let them rock the boat side to side. This synchronizes the vestibular system and the spinal position awareness (proprioception, ability to sense stability, movement, and external forces). 30 seconds times 6 sets. This overt awareness is specifically done in an upright normal spinal alignment, not slouching, not with head down! Get them back on land, on their feet. Now repeat the exercise with both arms forward and horizontal while looking forward of the canoe or at the horizon. 30 seconds times 6 sets. After these reflexive techniques they won't allow ti canoe to tip.