The forward stroke is deceptively simple, at least at the beginning. Most people, given a paddle, can make a kayak move forward.

But after that initial success, there’s a lot to learn to make the forward stroke efficient. And efficiency is the key to being able to paddle with speed over distance.

The key, of course, is employing our larger muscle groups. This, in turn, requires us to generate power starting at our feet, use full torso rotation, extend our arms and fully immerse each paddle blades before we drive our boat past it. It also requires us to eliminate inefficiencies, such as lifting water and rocking the boat as we paddle. Not so simple after all!

What does this look like when done well?

We recently discovered a video of competitive kayak sprinters on the website Sportsscene Paddle Sports. We appreciate the clear verbal and visual descriptions. Some of it is specific to sprint kayaks and wing paddles, but most of it applies to sea kayaks. too.