Ventura Outrigger Canoe Club Introduction to Outrigger Canoe Paddling

Introduction to Outrigger Canoe Paddling

The Ventura Outrigger Canoe Club is not a racing club. We paddle for fun, camaraderie and the workout. While we are not training for races, recreational paddling still requires some rudimentary knowledge of the sport, preparation and physical effort. Here is a basic introduction to outrigger canoeing and some introductory instruction for beginning paddlers.

Preparation All paddlers must have completed and are subject to the terms and conditions of the VOCC Liability Waiver and VOCC Membership Application, including single event guest paddlers. Guest paddlers (novice and visiting canoe club members) can download waivers and forms in PDF (VOCC-AdultWaiver), fill them out in advance and bring them to the beach. All new and renewing paddlers must also have completed a membership (VOCC- Membership) form. Documents must be scanned and copied, please use black or blue ink. All paddlers must be properly outfitted and can affirm competence in the water. Experience in open water swimming, surfing, kayaking or other related ocean sport are reasonable qualifications for guest paddlers, however, we are happy to provide some instruction and testing to interested novice paddlers who are willing to get wet.

We advise you to wear synthetic materials that don’t soak up water and dry quickly. Hats with straps, sunglasses with tether, sun block, bottled water and water shoes are recommended. Thermal water vests and light neoprene shorts or leggings may be appropriate during winter months. Don’t bring anything in the canoe that you wouldn’t want to donate to the ocean. Remember, you may have to swim with what you are wearing. Your eligibility to participate at any given time will be based on the Beachmaster/Steersperson’s estimation of your physical ability, mental preparedness and clothing.

Modern outrigger canoe sports are a direct descendant of ancient Polynesian traditions. While materials, designs and techniques have evolved, it remains a unique human powered paddling sport that differs in many ways from other paddling sports. Unlike kayak paddling, a single blade paddle is used, alternating from side to side. Unlike some other types of canoeing, the paddle is held perpendicular to the gunnel rather than reaching out to the side. If there are multiple paddlers, they stoke in unison on alternate sides of the canoe. In addition, when a single canoe is rigged with an outrigger (ama) special precautions must be taken to keep the canoe in balance so that it does not flip (huli). See the VOCC Safety Plan (VOCC Safety Plan) for details on huli recovery. The following applies primarily to the six-man single-hull outrigger canoe (OC-6).

Anatomy of a six-man canoe 1) Hull: the main shell with six seats 2) Ama: the outrigger float 3) Iakos: the two outrigger arms 4) Weis or Pepeiaos: bulkheads to which the iakos are lashed 5) Wave guard: a small faring on the front of the canoe. Never grab or pull! It will come off.

See attached diagrams at the back for more detail.

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Ventura Outrigger Canoe Club Introduction to Outrigger Canoe Paddling

Seats in a six-man canoe 1) The stroker sits in seat one and sets the pace (strokes per minute). The stroker always starts on the left (port) side. A normal stroke rate is about 55 stokes per minute. 2) The steersman sits in seat six and is the captain of the boat. The steersman sets the course and commands the paddlers to start, stop, back-paddle or execute turns. The steersman assigns the remaining seats and roles. 3) Seats two and four are responsible for keeping the ama down in rough water and when the boat is stationary. This is done by leaning out on the outrigger (iako) with the left arm. 4) All paddlers behind the stroker will paddle on the opposite side from the next closest paddler in front of them. 5) Each paddler will be assigned a recovery role by the steersman in the event of a huli.

Choosing a paddle Modern paddles come in many shapes, lengths, blade-sizes, styles and materials. Some have bent shafts and some straight. The blade on most paddles today has a slight forward bend at its shoulder. Which of these styles you may prefer comes with experience.

There are basically two types of paddles: standard blade and steering blade. The steering blade typically has a longer, flatter and larger blade than a standard blade. While the steering blade can be used to paddle, its primary purpose is to steer the boat.

Club paddles are often marked with their length in inches from tip to handle. Club steering blades are marked with the letter ‘S’ in front of the length at the top of the shaft near the hand grip. One common method of choosing a paddle for the first time is for the paddler to take a standard paddle, sit on a bench, put the tip of the paddle on the bench with the handle straight up, and reach up with one hand to place their palm over the handle. They should be able to do this comfortably without stretching. If they have to stretch to get their hand over the handle they need to choose a shorter paddle. If their elbow is bent and limp, they need a longer one.

Remember what size works best for you. Treat the paddles with respect. Do not push the blade down in the sand. Try your best not to bang the blade into the gunnel when crossing over. Wooden paddles can be chipped or cracked. Do not use a paddle that appears to be damaged.

Approaching, entering and exiting the canoe On the beach or in the water, a single outrigger canoe must always be entered and exited from the left (port) side. This applies to getting into the boat at launch, climbing into the boat after a huli recovery or exiting the boat at the end of the paddle. Entering or exiting from the right (starboard) side can flip the boat, even in shallow water, which could cause injuries. If the canoe is rigged as a double-hull, enter and exit from the outside gunnel. Never stand inside the outriggers (iakos) when the boat is being moved.

The simplest way to enter the boat at launch is to sit on the left gunnel next to your assigned seat and swing your legs over into the boat. To exit, wait until the boat has completely stopped and reverse the process. During a huli recovery you should never be on the opposite side of the ama. It comes over with a mighty crash.

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Ventura Outrigger Canoe Club Introduction to Outrigger Canoe Paddling

Different techniques may be used to re-enter the boat after a huli.:

1) Grab the gunnel or gunnel and iako with two hands. Pump your body up and down a couple of times deep into the water, then on the last rise, kick hard with both feet. As you come up, pull your upper body up until your waist is at the gunnel. Then swing one leg over the gunnel and roll into the boat. 2) Grab one of the iakos and swing a leg up over the gunnel. Then pull up on the iako and use your leg to push you up until your upper body is on top of the iako. Then slide back into the boat. 3) Climb onto the ama and slide up one of the iakos until you can grab the gunnel. Then pull yourself into the boat. 4) Use a huli-ladder. This is a small rope ladder with a foot stirrup attached to one of the iakos. Grab the iako and get one foot into the stirrup. The push the stirrup down under the boat while pulling up on the gunnel until your waist is over the gunnel. Then swing one leg over the gunnel and roll into the boat. 5) If you do not feel confident being in the water without flotation you need to alert the Steers person and ask for a paddling vest. Likewise, if you do not feel confident in re-entering the boat from the water alert the Steers person that you will need assistance.

Managing your weight Because a single rigged outrigger canoe has an outrigger only on the left side it is extremely important to manage your weight while in the canoe. Never stand up in the canoe. Never lean to the right! Not even while paddling. One person leaning right can flip the canoe!

While paddling you may find the boat rolling left to right as it crosses over chop and swell lines. If you do not counter this motion, your body may slide from side to side in the seat. If you slide against the right (starboard) gunnel, your body weight may contribute to a huli rides high over a swell. Your paddle-side foot should always forward of your seat and should be firmly planted on the bottom of the boat. Your weight should be slightly offset to your left hip. As the boat rolls, let it roll under you with your weight on your left hip, keep your spine perpendicular to the horizon and push against the bottom of the boat with your feet, not against the side with your hip.

Paddling commands and timing Some basic commands that may be given by the steersman while paddling:

1) Paddles cross the gunnels – put the shaft of the paddle across the gunnels in your starting direction and wait for the next command 2) Paddles up – get your paddle up and ready for the first stroke or stop paddling for a break 3) Huki – start paddling 4) Paddle easy – slow down, or cool-down 5) Hold water – sink your paddle in and stop paddling, stop the boat 6) Back paddle – reverse paddle, or sudden stop

The caller: Paddle changes from one side to the other are called out by a designated caller to keep everyone in sync. The caller usually sits in seats 2, 3 or 4 so that everyone can hear. The caller calls ‘hut’ for each change. The

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Ventura Outrigger Canoe Club Introduction to Outrigger Canoe Paddling hut is called at the beginning of a stroke. All paddlers finish that stroke and take one more stoke (sometimes called the ‘ho’) before changing sides.

When starting out and warming up, the hut may be called every 10 strokes. Then it is upped to 12-15 after a few sets and may finally settle at around 18. It may be shortened to 10 or 15 when the pace is increased. The caller may also call changes to stroke count such as ‘up one’ which is tells the stroker to speed up or ‘down one’ and may also call for all paddlers to power up as in ‘80% next change for 2 sets.’

Timing: It is extremely important that all paddlers stroke in unison. This keeps the boat light in the water and maintains maximum momentum. Every paddler should precisely mimic the stroker when initiating and exiting their stroke. If they cannot see the stroker they should follow the next closest paddler on their side of the boat unless that paddler is clearly out of sync. The force of every stroke out of sync is wasted.

Paddling principles Here are some basic principles that will increase your efficiency and endurance:

1) Holding the paddle: The paddle should be held with the bottom hand about one palm width above the shoulder of the blade. If you have selected the right paddle length your hands should be at a comfortable distance apart when the paddle is held out horizontally – shoulder width. When paddling, it is not necessary to clutch the paddle tightly (unless it is really windy). Your fingers should be loose enough so that you can push or pull without getting blisters. 2) Paddle orientation: Traditional paddles had straight blades. Modern paddles are typically bent at the shoulder at 12-15 degrees. The bent end of the blade should be facing forward. While stroking, the shaft of the paddle should always be held as close to vertical as possible, parallel to the gunnel and pulled straight back. This is where the paddle gets its maximum power. You should never be reaching out at an angle away from the boat. This is inefficient and will lead to rapid fatigue. Lateral motion creates drag and slows the boat. If you find your upper hand moving inside the gunnel toward the opposite side of the boat you are not paddling efficiently. 3) The pushing force: The force that moves the boat is generated not from the arms bending and pulling against the paddle but from the upper body twisting and pushing the boat forward. Your back should be straight. You twist your paddle-side shoulder forward to reach out with your lower arm fully extended, then twist back to pull straight back against your paddle with your upper body. At the same time you push against your paddle-side foot, which should be extended in front of your seat. Your opposite foot should be tucked under your seat. All of the force of your stroke should be transferred through your upper core, down through your lead foot and into the bottom of the boat. You are literally pushing the boat forward with each stroke. 4) Feathering: When paddling into high wind, you can reduce resistance on your stroke recovery by twisting or feather the paddle slightly to spill of wind resistance.

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Ventura Outrigger Canoe Club Introduction to Outrigger Canoe Paddling

Anatomy of the stroke While there are many schools of thought on what is the most efficient technique for outrigger paddling, here are some common suggestions:

1) Reach: The stroke begins with a reach like pushing forward on a bow and pulling back on the bow string to shoot an arrow. You twist your paddle-side shoulder forward so that you can reach as far forward as possible. Keep your lower arm straight. Hold the top paddle hand back, close to your forehead. This will set your upper body like a spring, ready to snap back. 2) Catch: When you are at your maximum reach you set your paddle by rapidly by pushing it straight down with your upper hand. Once it is in the water up to the shoulder of the blade, you are ready to pull. This will happen very quickly and will become integrated into the pull as you become more proficient. 3) Pull: Once your paddle is set, you release your upper body like a spring, twisting your shoulders, pulling strongly back on the shaft. The blade should remain vertical and perpendicular to the water for as long as possible as your complete the twist. Your upper hand will continue to push down through the pull in an arc. You do not need to push forward with your upper hand. Just let it be the fulcrum from which your paddle extends. Maximum power is achieved in the first half of the arc when the blade is perpendicular in the water. Once the blade reaches your hip and your elbow starts bending the paddle is starting to swing past perpendicular and losing its power. 4) Exit: When your paddle begins losing power it is time to get out. If you continue your stroke past your hip it will actually create drag and slow the boat by pulling it down instead of forward. The most efficient exit is to push straight up with the lower hand until your blade is clear of the surface. Keep the shaft vertical. You are then ready for the recovery. 5) Recover: Once your paddle is clear of the water snap your shoulders back into the reach position. Your upper hand will again be pulled back to your forehead and your lower hand will shoot the blade straight forward ready for the next catch.

It is extremely important to keep your paddle as vertical and parallel to the gunnel as possible. This will result in a faster recovery and a more efficient, less fatiguing stroke. Your upper hand should travel a vertical elliptical path throughout your stroke but should never be moving laterally toward the opposite side of the boat.

Once you put all the pieces together you will find yourself in a smooth cyclical rocking motion as you paddle with no wasted effort. Initially this may all seem difficult to master, but the more you paddle the more efficient your stroke will become. There are tons of videos on paddling technique to be found on YouTube, some better than others, but they may help you visualize and tie things together.

Happy paddling!

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