How to Paddle a Canoe: "J" Stroke vs. Canadian Stroke
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- čas přidán 27. 06. 2024
- In this short video I highlight the subtle difference between the "J" stroke and the Canadian stroke.
The "J" is very efficient but it can be hard on your wrist and forearms on a long trip. The Canadian stroke is more relaxing. Eh!
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Any opinions expressed in this video are mine and mine alone and are not related to my employer or any other organization or individual. I have not been paid to make this video or to endorse a product. If I am ever paid for an endorsement or provided other compensation I will state it clearly in the video. Any advice or demonstration I provide is just advice. The viewer should take responsibility for their own actions, follow any manufacturers warnings and directions and act safely and responsibly when travelling in the backcountry.
Excellent. The Indian Stroke in particular is rarely covered in other videos is proves to be vital as ones moves into whitewater. Keeping the blade more consistently in the water enables more control and ability to quickly move to bracing as required by unexpected side currents or bouncing into unseen rocks or ledges.
Absolutely Todd.
@@KevinOutdoors I saw a clip of a guy paddling a heavily laden tandem, choppy open lake, gear spread out throughout the canoe, had a trolling motor, and paddling. Inexplicable what he was thinking or any kind of significant experience he mighta had. He lost it, and all his gear and canoe sunk. He was lucky to make it alive. Had he been moderately experienced with a brace, he probably woulda been able to a counter the small shift that turned him open. My mentor, 20 years my senior & I am 59, highly stressed getting ahold of a solid brace asap. I owe him tremendously. It's made all the difference in the world.
Yeah I saw that video too. No life jacket, too small a boat for that kind of water, not a strong paddler, didn't move to a lower centre of gravity when things got rough. And, way too much clutter in the boat for my liking.
When i hear that something was used by indigenous peoples, I basically assume its the best way to do it. Think front-crawl swimming though citation needed on that origin
The first time I rented a canoe and took off on a solo four day trip--I didn't know you didn't have to paddle on both sides of the canoe!
On the first day, I figured out the J-stroke. (Only learned the name three years later--after paddling the Allagash Waterway solo, starting from Telos Lake).
By the end of the second day of that first trip I'd figured out that the J-stroke works better if you enter the water as close to the edge of the canoe as possible and make the stroke as close to parallel to the canoe's centerline as possible--finishing the stroke too far from the gunwhale of the canoe to use the pry. Twisting the blade towards the end of the stroke corrects the course without 'ruddering'. This is harder on the shoulders than prying, but I was young then.
I'd figured out the Canadian stroke by the end of the trip, and did a little sneaking with the blade never leaving the water.
It was all trial and error, but when you are soloing, there are fewer distractions.
I learned to trim the canoe with my gear all the way forward, plus some rocks, on the first day, when I encountered substantial wind.
I cannot understand why people persist in using that 'ruddering' stroke for years!
Great instructional filming! Thanks for the added underwater footage. Never seen someone use that in instructing, it really helps!
Glad you enjoyed it! The underwater angle was a challenge.
Excellent instruction. I happily learned these strokes in the 1950s at Deerfoot Lodge, a Christian camp for boys in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. The Camp Director was Canadian. He insisted on good canoeing technique.
Thanks for sharing. Great memories!
I am Canadian and have been paddling my whole life yet I had no idea what I was doing was called the Canadian stroke. Next video, you can add the C stroke and pry stroke to white water travel but this was a very good video for anyone embarking on a canoe trip. The canoe is often referred to as the “ divorce boat” because of inadequate learning of basics and front and back fighting each other. Remember, the guy in back is steering the canoe and if you are not going in the right direction, don’t blame the person in front. The person in front provides power, helps to steer and scouts the path forward. I have owned three power boats but got rid of them because I would rather be in my canoe. My biggest joy is paddling point to point on rivers, large and small. In a River, remember, the water doesn’t care who you are so wear a life jacket. Enjoy!!!
Thanks for the comments Jay. I may do more of these paddling instruction videos in the future. We'll see.
Went in half on a canoe with my buddy in high school. He joined the navy and returned seven years later to have his turn with the canoe. He's had it now for 34 years. Hey Scott, I think it's my turn now!
Learned the J stroke some 45 years ago in Boy Scouts. Never heard of the "Canadian" stroke until now as I have always referred to that one as the "Indian" stroke that we learned in Indian guides some 5o years ago
I know what the Canadian stroke is without this video. You just say "aye" after every stroke. BOOM, you'se a professional.
LOL, close, it's "eh".
Great video. Awesome advice and camera angle. The underwater camera made it easy to see the difference between the Canadian and the Indian stroke. I also like how you showed the impact of the goon stroke braking the canoe. Can't wait to practice these!
Cool, thanks!
Good tips eh! Perfect for going out for a rip in the ol canoe bud👍
Thanks Wade! Nothing better than being the Captain of your own boat :)
Very well crafted. Straight to the point. Loved it. 👍👍
Thanks!
Excellent video with very clear directions. Well done, and thank you.
Thanks Mason! Glad you found it useful.
Am I EVER going to paddle a canoe?... Nooo. Was your video interesting, and worth taking my time to view?... YES, it definitely was!
Kiwis (New Zealanders) are renowned for their fierce loyalty; this is a trait shared passionately with Canadians; well done with your plug for the homeland. 😊
Fascinating. My Great-grandfather was Canadian... but I never knew that stroke was called that. My Dad taught me that one, probably when we were sneakin' around duck hunting. Nice and quiet!
I've found the best method is to stare at the canoe menacingly until it takes me where I want to go.
Mind over matter.
Wow, I am a Canadian from Quebec, in my youth I was taught the same two stokes you talk about the first was for speed correct from wind or current, the latter was all about coasting and relaxing
Exactly. Also from La Belle Province.
Nice tip. I have always used the J stroke. Hadn't heard of the Canadian stroke before. I'll try it out next time.
Thanks Adam! Give it a try!
Great vid. I just retuned from my first paddle in my new canoe and was naturally doing the Indian and Canadian stroke not even knowing it was an official stroke! Cool.
Sometimes I wonder if we need names for these things. Some people get hung up on it. Thanks for watching!
Kevin Outdoors true that! All the best and thanks for the videos, they’re all awesome.
Best video on paddling. Trust me.
Well thanks!
Great video. I appreciate the info. Thanks
Glad it was helpful!
This information is really going to help me
Good, I am glad.
Right on Candada, Tnanks for the tips!
Thanks J!
"Its just good to be Canadian"
Good line.
Thanks.
I like it! Yay Canucks !!
Thank for posting!
Nice video! Great tips thanks for sharing!
Stay blessed
Thanks so much!
Thank you very much for this video
Glad it was helpful!
As Billy Squier would say, “Stroke me, stroke me. Could be a winner boy you move mighty well.”
Thanks! I'm going to try out the Canadian and Indian strokes!
Great video!
Thanks!
Just bought myself my first Canadian Canoe can’t wait to try these out soon
Hope you enjoy it!
great .... thank you i really learned something to improve my fishing trips.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Very informative!
Thanks!
Thanks Kevin really good video with the under the water shots.
Thanks 👍
Fellow Canadian here, this is the reason I got s kayak. It Carrie's all my camping gear as well .
Well there you go.
Great explanation. Adjusting j to Canadian to Indian based on the situation is very useful. On solo trips when I am heading into the wind or in gusty conditions I shift from Canadian. With the blade in the water the whole stroke I control the canoe the whole cycle - in wind gusts you are not knocked off course. Thanks for posting.
Glad it was helpful!
Great tips, thanks for sharing Kevin! 🇨🇦 🇳🇱
My pleasure!
Heck ya it's good to be Canadian! -- your brother from your north, Alaska Jay
Thanks man!
I guess I'm a goon-stroker. I didn't know.
Live and learn.
We should only judge ourselves against our former selves. All the best. :)
Live north of Manitoulin in northern Ontario. Canoe tripping all my life.66 now. The Canadian stroke usually happens naturally as it is less tiring than the j stroke. Correction is on the recovery when you pull up and out.
Thanks for the comment!
@@KevinOutdoors your welcome
It is good to be Canadian, Kevin! Thanks for an informative video - we always use the J stroke but will be giving this a go!
Thanks
Yep! Well done KO!
Thanks, you are the master paddler, so I take that as a great compliment!
Great video, going to try the Canadian and Indian stroke on my next trip!
Have fun!
you just blew my mind.
LOL, thanks.
Very useful video. All I need now is a canoe.
Canoes are awesome!
awesome vid. will come in handy as I head to Algonquin next month
Have fun!
Would have been nice to include close-up demo of Goon Stroke, from a distance doesn't look much different than the J.
He did mention one aspect, the finish is with the thumb up, not down.
I definitely need more practice on the J. Not sure how the Canadian is less work recovering against the water, but I'm not Canadian so it is clearly lost on me. Hehe. Thanks as always.
Hi Barleytone, I would say it is just as much effort but there is less stress on the wrist - especially of the upper hand as the motion is played out over a longer period but not as aggressively as the short pry at the end of the J. In practice I switch between the two without really thinking about it.
It isn't, nobody does it when efficiency is the key, but it provides superb control, is quiet, and with a responsive boat, you can creep along an edge in total control.
I use the indian stroke all the time especially with a canadian grip because it's so nature feeling to let the paddle rotate all the way around and you can sneak up on moose and ducks
Yeah it is a nice and quite stroke!
Yes ! It is .
Yes, it is!
Yes, you can silently follow and observe wildlife, even when you don’t think of them as things to kill but simply as amazing co-inhabitants of the planet.
Rest assured no wildlife were harmed in the making of this video ;)
Why did I watch this? I have never paddled in a canoe in my life. Really well done though
Much appreciated!
back in 2018 it was not often if ever questioned calling a stroke ‘Indian’.
I am hearing this mostly called the 'C' stroke now but have also heard the hunting stroke and the stealth stroke.
Basically the same techniques as with a "Plette" in Austria. A long flat wooden boat which is paddled while standing with only one large paddle similar to gondolas in Venice.
Last time I canoed I got a huge blister on the inside of my thumb. It hurt the whole summer. Thanks for your advice.
Blisters on a canoe trip can really suck. On a long trip I try and hold the paddle in different ways and of course chance sides from time to time.
Bring some bicycle gloves to cover the insides of your hands if needed. Just in case. ;-)
I normally only need those when kayaking with a double paddle though.
Also you dont need to grab your paddle with your thumb wrapped around it all the time. When you don't need that extra grip just put your thumb next to your index finger.
Moleskin is an essential piece of equipment on any long camping trip.
@@wizardsuth what does moleskin mean in this context?
I know of moleskin as a certain kind of extremely durable textile fabric. But I guess that's not what it means here...
@@dereinzigwahreRichi moleskin is an elastic soft fabric with a strong adhesive to cover blister. Used mostly in hiking or ski boots but would work on you hands. Down under, they use a bit of sheep’s wool in their boots. I found cheap fabric gloves with a heavy weave so they drip dry help and also will help if canoeing in cold weather😁
really like the underwater camera, thanks!
Glad you like it!
@@KevinOutdoors it was good to see that as I had always been confused by the book diagram of the j-stroke, which was all the training i had had in it. I thought i'd been doing it wrong, 'turns' out i was doing it just fine!
I use both, depending on how quiet I need to be. I never pry the paddle against the gunnel as it causes a lot damage to both the paddle and my wooden canoe. I brace my forearm against either the gunnel or my thigh to pry the paddle and steer the canoe. May not work for everyone but I’ve suffered no injuries after forty years.
Thanks for sharing!
I thought if it’s good to pry in my inflatable canoe, grabner adventure. I realised overtime I would have to add protective fabric (EPDM- rubber equivalent) patch to protect rubbing. Learning to avoid prying now. It’s exciting to learn all these techniques.
just realized you can imagine trying to unswirl the whirpool for j stroke
i use a Q stroke
because when i was little my arm wasn't strong enough and my knuckles would smash into the side.
by hooking out my lower hand is palm-pushing (vs fingers-pulling)
Always with that "Canadian" thing, eh!! Good tips, thanks!
Always!
I have a tandem 15ft Esquif (great canoe). For that boat I'm with a partner and use canoe paddles. I also have a 12ft. solo Old Town canoe. It's the same length as my kayak. For that canoe I simply use a kayak paddle. Much easier!
Thanks for the comment.
There were traditionally all kinds of kayaks and canoes, just as we have many different cars and trucks. But in the modern world, most high efficiency, touring type canoes have o immersed beam to waterline to length of .14375 ish. Or in other words, moderately fat. The ratio at which a boat does not try to mount it's bow wave is closer to .125 or better. What this means is the faster you push a standard canoe, the more it is basically going uphill. But unlike speedboats we can't normally plane the canoe. I gather some strong paddlers can, for fun, it is insanely energetic.
But there is a category of canoe, the double paddle canoe, that was typically very short, slightly fat, and was propelled by a double blade paddle. It was basically an inefficient kayak, but easy to portage in the Adirondack mountains. That was the key, portaging in mountainous areas with small lakes. These are popular in the east, because even when people don't get why they exist, they are cheap (because they are small), they are light, and don't seem to require much skill, until you run into their limitations.
The problem with short fat kayaks, as most these days are, is repetitive stress injuries, as kayak paddling is a high stroke activity that depends on the boat gliding. This can be a problem particularly with large bladed paddles. But they are great boats for some activities, like fishing. I have one myself.
Never paddled solo for long distances but for tandem paddling switching sides is more efficient than any of those. Learned that plus the benefits of bent shaft paddles from a marathon racers.
For tandem paddling you are referring to the 'Hut Stroke' much faster for sure but I am not convinced it is more efficient.
@@KevinOutdoors nope. Bow person can paddle whatever they feel unless I need the extra power on one side or another due to waves or wind or whatever. They set the pace, I paddle the opposite side and switch from time to time to keep it straight. We paddle 8 hours a day or more like that. Hard to do the control strokes with a bent shaft anyway. In that style the power is mostly from your back.
I presumed you were referring to the 'hut stroke' it is very common by paddlers in the U.S. Boundary Waters and has been adopted by Quetico Park Wardens as it is fast and you can catch up to other boats if necessary. The 'hut stroke' uses frequent switching of sides. Bow and stern paddlers match their strokes usually three in a row "1, 2, 3" then they say "hut" and switch sides. It is efficient in that it requires little steering and it is fast but it is challenging to keep up all day long. The style usually involves a narrow canoe, tractor seats and bent shafts.@@neilgendzwill3260
@@KevinOutdoors as I said we don’t switch that much and we don’t say hut. If the bow person gets tired or bored on one side they switch and I follow. Guilty on the gear. We like Clipper Trippers in our crew, we have tractor seats and use bent shaft paddles. Mostly paddling on the Churchill River in northern Saskatchewan.
Can you use these on kayak? Every time I switch side, water always drip down everywhere, even with those guards on. Wonder if I can just paddle one side?
Love to hear more about the Canadian Stroke? Looks like the thumb isn't down at the end. Thanks
The thumb doesn't stay all the way down on the Canadian stroke. After you push back the paddle comes forward in the water and you lift up on it rather than prying out as with the J. The correction of the boat is made while the paddle comes forward in the water. I hope that makes sense?
bill mason would be proud, sir.
What a great compliment, thanks!
Canadian Stroke = Eh Stroke or "Perfect Stroke, eh?"
J Stroke is get for ruddering/steering, especially if someone uses a Power Stroke in front.
Excellent camera angles here Kevin!
Thanks Adam! Eh? 🙂🍁
I never knew about the names of the strokes, but the J stroke is what I always used when I kayaked.
There you go.
Well, a kayak uses a double blade, so you shouldn't have to use a j stroke? It's more intended for canoes.
When my wife and I first learned the J stroke we called it the F stroke. After awhile it was the J stroke again.
LOL
Thanks for the video. Been a couple years but I have a better understanding of the “J”. I wondering if my Bending Branch Viper help fix that loss in the first stroke?
I went through a bent shaft phase, the J stroke is a little less natural with a bent shaft but it still works.
Dope vid
Thanks, much appreciated!
Great vid. I use kayak paddles for 100% efficiency.
Good stuff!
Good video, liked inwater footage, but have to look up more videos to see the details of controlling/holding/moving paddle in hands.
Yeah, I did this while on a backcountry trip, it was a sur of the moment idea. I was happy about the underwater footage and not so happy about the above water shots, but that's CZcams and my learning curve.
What about the pitch stroke?
😊nice
Thanks 😊
Hey Kevin you forgot the most popular stroke THE 2 STROKE 👍😄
I grew up with the Canadian Stroke being referred to as the "Indian Stroke". It's a great stroke to use.
Knew a man who used a stroke kinda shaped like an 8 at the back of a flat bottom boat. Choked up on the paddle and never lifted it out out the water. It was quite and as fast as a battery powered little motor. He called it skulking I think. Never did see him in a canoe though.
I have definitely used the Indian stroke moose hunting but I would prefer to simply call it the stalking stroke
Agreed, it needs a name upgrade to be more with the times.
It is good to be Canadian. Cheers eh!
Absolutely 🍁
I take it you don't lean the paddle shaft on the gunnel for the Canadian and Indian strokes?
Just paddle on both sides to give your muscles a break and to stay straight
Switching sides takes time and reduces the frequency of your strokes. it matters on a long trip, but not so much for a short recreational paddle. I normally switch sides every half hour or hour.
Nobody mentions that we can make a J stoke that looks like a goon stroke. To turn the wrist in or out only determines which side of the paddle we use, on one side the paddle tends to dive in the water and on the other it tends to get out, in both cases we can aplly pressure in or out to make the j stroke.
The 'J' stroke is actually defined by most experts by the position of the thumb. If you watch the old Bill Mason videos that's how he defines it and so does Ray Goodwin. See his video on the subject. czcams.com/video/qmExaexsCAQ/video.html
I like the long and fast stroke 😅
For sure.
I've re-watched the first couple minutes several times now. I have no idea what you're showing as the difference between the "Goon" stroke and the J stroke. They look identical to me in the video.
The difference is that the correction is made with the power face of the paddle rather than the opposite side.
I’ve heard of a two stroke and a four stroke, but I’ve never heard of these strokes!
Ha, yep. I could go much faster with either a two or four stroke! :)
Lol
It what you do when you’re out of go juice for your 2 or 4 stroke
Less turbulence with the Canadian stroke in the underwater video
Turbulence is an indication you are moving. Ever see a motor boat without turbulence?
I never knew this was called the Canadian stroke
I guess we laid claim to it for some reason. Like geese and bacon? ;)
I would never recommend pushing the paddle off the gunwale (at 48 seconds in video) , that will wear down the finish on the paddle, and eventually your paddle will break, trust, me I've broken more than 5 paddle where the previous paddler was "pushing off the gunwale". A pure J stroke does not push off the gunwale.
A lot of people think that. Simply put, you were taught wrong. Take a look at Bill Mason's early films on the subject. He is probably the most expert paddler ever and he pushed off the gunwale all the time. Get a good hardwood paddle, I have two that are 20 years old and and I am about to retire them only because they are fraying on the edges. Many, many experienced paddlers will also whip their paddle shaft with cordage to prevent wear on the finish.
I've got a Shakespear electric stroke!
Indian is all I learned and it’s relaxing long distance method . Besides they invented canoes and paddles .
It is quite relaxing.
No, they didn't, the canoe predates north american colonization by Siberian-adjacent peoples by many thousands of years.
Aight so... I was taught something you didn't cover... idk what to call it... but I'll try to explain it... maybe gunnel running..? Idk... but basically the paddle handle doesn't leave the gunnel... so starting from neutral position/midpoint... basically paddle 'normally' like for a j or Canadian stroke but at the end when blading the paddle blade stays submerged in beside the gunnel... and is brought forward in a more vertical position... on the stroke there is an S motion first towards the hull then out around your hip and back in then back up the gunnel with the paddle bladed... the end result is a bit of a figure 8 type stroke without having to lift the paddle out of the water and the ability to steer at nearly any point mid backstroke... or perhaps a better description would be looking like a wave function along an axis... idk the efficiency ratio or whatever but it's how I was taught in my youth... at the mid point/neutral position you can also do it in mini figure 8s to move in any direction with precision... move the canoe sideways and such... just need to adjust the angle of the blading...
or add motor
lot of people get this mixed up and it PISSES ME THE HELL OFF. makes me so ANGRY i can't even keep gooning.
There's something spiritual about the Indian stroke I sometimes do it for an hour. Gives me a feeling that the canoe, I and the water are one.
It is super relaxing.
Easiest stroke by far is my 50 pound thrust electric trolling motor 👍
Yep.
If you stack all your beer on one side of the boat then the boat will tilt to that side and you will go in circles.. I was canoeing for three days before I realized I had never left the dock.. Dang it.. when I realized I'm at the Docks where I could buy more beer!! 😎
I am not an individual who enjoys boats that require muscle to move them. Having said that, I was informed by my boss who was taught by a native Indian that it is better to sit in the front of the canoe and paddle than the back. Is there any validity to that?
Yes, I am actually sitting in this boat backward. The bow seat is closer to the centre than the stern seat and the boat balances better in this direction when there is only one paddler. But, not all boats are symmetrical and have the same shape going in either direction.
Also, the front paddler in a two person canoe is the motor and the rear does the steering. So a lot more muscle work for the front and more brain/decision work for the rear.
I would avoid "cherry picking" with the right arm. If you push forward you can get a longer and more powerful stroke.
Nice info. I just row. Lol
LOL, rowing works!
What province are you from?
I live in Ontario.
I like a Four stroke lol
Yep, I hear ya.