Choose And Buy The Right Old Town Kayak.

Kayak Racing Tips - Take The Lead

Kayak racing has become an increasingly more popular sport. If you are interested in venturing in the sport of kayak racing use the tips to pull ahead.

Kayak Racing Tips Practice makes perfect. Practice the course before the race. Marker buoys are often set weeks in advance. Use your practice sessions to figure out the lines that you will be taking during the race.

Try to get a run in a day or two before the race, this will give you an indication of what the current will be like on race day.

When racing avoid the shallows. When you’re moving with the current, deep water is your friend. When the water level is less than 2.5 feet deep, there’s increased hull resistance and your boat will slow down considerably. Shallower water can be useful if you’re paddling against a current. When going against the current, find transitional areas where the bottom isn’t too shallow to slow your hull down.

Check the weather to determine the prevailing winds. Afternoon gusty winds are always a possibility, and can make going against the current even more challenging. When paddling against wind, minimize the amount of time your paddle blades are in the air, slightly hunch forward to make your body as small as possible, and draft directly behind boats as much as possible.

Set up your turns around the buoys so you’re always paddling, this will help you from losing momentum. If there is no traffic on the race course, take a sharp line around the buoy. Try to make the buoy turns as close as possibly without hitting the buoy. If there is a lot of race traffic, stay to the outside to avoid colliding with other kayaks and paddles. Collisions can be time consuming and colliding paddles can cause an interruption to rhythm, both of which can cost a kayaker the race.

Wake riding and wash hanging both refer to drafting off another boat. Studies have shown that drafting 1 to 2 meters directly behind a boat can produce energy savings of up to 30 to 32%. Kayaks positioned 1 to 2 meters off the sides of a leading boat can achieve 16 to 18% energy savings. Try to draft whenever you have the opportunity, leapfrogging from one boat to another. This can be a key strategy to kayak racing.

Practice drafting before the race, it’s both an art and a science. When drafting, don’t get sucked into staying behind a considerably slower boat. If a boat is traveling at a slower speed than you are comfortable with pass it. If competitor is drafting your kayak, dump him or her out of your wake by maneuvering your boat suddenly, the kayak drafting you will end up in undisturbed water or in the shallows. While this might seem mean, since there are no rules against drafting it’s a valid race tactic that serious competitors might consider during tight races. This technique takes practice and you have to know what you’re doing, so practice with friends.

Many recreational paddlers in the race do not have good boat handling skills so if you end up in traffic, prepare to paddle defensively.

At the finish of the kayak race your legs are going to feel rubbery when you get out of your boat. If you are competing in a multi-sport race and required to sprint after the kayaking leg, you will need to practice the transition. Practice running immediately after a paddling workout. Also practice paddling with the shoes that you will be wearing for the run. Try circuit workouts to help get your legs used to the transition of paddling to running, this will also help improve boat entry and exit skills.

Before the race set a goal and have a plan but be willing to adapt if necessary. During the race, stick to your plan, but be adaptable should the need arise. Most of all enjoy the sport of kayaking and have fun!

By: Rob Daniels

Kayaking - A Sport With Lots Of History

There are special racing kayaks, designed for speed. Sea kayaks are long, stable boats with steering mechanisms that can keep a straight path through the water. They are larger and more dependable than other kayaks.

The Different Types of Kayaks Available in the Market Today

Flat racing kayaks are designed with the paddlers legs in mind. Kayaks that are inflatable are basically kayaks that fill with air.

Getting to know Your arcing Kayak 

The genuine deal, the real racing kayaks, are so streamlined, it literally looks like a fat person won’t be able to squeeze into it. They look like really large needles.

Technorati Tags: inflatable racing, Jackson racing, k1 racing, race kayaks, racing kayaks, racing paddles

Basic Kayaking Strokes

In our beginner’s guide to kayaking, we discusses the various types of kayaking and the basic equipment you need to get starting, including a kayak designed for the waters you plan to kayak on, an approved lifejacket, like the Coleman Ebro Paddle Vest, and a quality double bladed paddle for kayaking. Now, we are going to discuss a few basic paddling strokes. Once you have an understanding of these simple strokes, you will be ready to enjoy your very first kayaking adventure.

First, you will want to learn a forward stroke. This is the paddling stroke used most often during kayaking and is used to propel the kayak in a straight, forward motion. Begin this stroke while sitting correctly in your kayak. Lean forward just a little, holding the paddle firmly with both hands. Keep your left elbow bent with that hand level with your chin as you extend your right arm completely, placing the right paddle blade into the water. The blade should enter the water slightly in front of your body, near the position of your feet.

Remember to use your entire body as you paddle, rotating your upper body with the movement of the paddle blades. Use this movement to push the right blade through the water, moving it back toward you, parallel to the boat. Stop the blade once it reaches your hip and quickly pull it out of the water. At the same time, you will need to reposition the paddle so the left blade is ready to enter the water. Now, you will want to bend your right arm while fully extending your left arm and repeat the same process.

Once you are comfortable with the forward stroke used in kayaking, it is time to learn the reverse stroke. This is the stroke used to move your kayak backwards and is very similar to the forward stroke, only reversed. Remember, again, to use your whole body as you execute each step of this stroke.

Begin the reverse stroke on your right side, placing the right paddle blade in the water at your hip. Keeping your left arm straight and your left hand near the center of the deck, bend your right arm and push the paddle forward. Move the blade in the direction you are moving, extending your right arm as you bend the left, and ending the stroke when the blade reaches your feet. You will then take the right blade out of the water as you reposition your paddle, continuing the same process on the left side.

Now that you can move your kayak forward and backward, you should learn to turn the boat. There are a few different paddling strokes that can be used to steer your kayak, but most kayakers find that the bow sweep helps keep the boat stable as it turns. To make a left turn using the bow sweep, you will want to straighten your right arm while turning your body slightly to the left, keeping your left arm bent. Begin to move your body to the right as you propel the blade through the water in an arc away from the boat. At the same time, straighten your left arm and bend the right, stopping the stroke near your hip. This paddling stroke will turn your kayak quickly, without loosing speed, and will usually keep the kayak stable.

By: Nicole Munoz -

Basic Kayaking Strokes

First, you will want to learn a forward stroke. This is the paddling stroke used most often during kayaking and is used to propel the kayak in a straight, forward motion. Begin this stroke while sitting correctly in your kayak.

Basic Kayaking Strokes

Once you have an understanding of these simple strokes, you will be ready to enjoy your very first kayaking adventure. First, you will want to learn a forward stroke.

Basic Kayak Technique

Whether it is carrying a kayak or simply getting into it, every person who has endeavored to paddle a kayak has found that some tasks are simply easier said than done.

Technorati Tags: basic kayaking strokes, how to paddle a kayak, kayak paddle, kayaking basics, kayaking lessons, paddling