Reverse Sweep

SEA KAYAKING TIPS

Canoeing:

Reverse Sweep

Laurie Gullion

A stern paddler can use a reverse sweep very smoothly in an offside U-turn to move the stern away from the paddle. To read about an offside U-turn, click on the link below.

The stroke happens in a 90-degree quadrant behind your body, with an angle formed by your hip and the cneterline of the canoe. The path of the sweep creates an arc within this quadrant; it is particularly effective near the rounded end of the stern, where resistance against the water is lessened.

Follow thises steps to peform the reverse sweep stroke:

1) Rotate your torso around, trying to get your shoulders parallel with the centerline, to get the paddle into position next to the canoe

2) Keep your grip hand low so the shaft is more horizontal to the water surface, which locates the blade closer to the stern end.

3) The backface of the blade is ready to push against the water. Your grip thumb points towards the sky.

4) Bend your arms slightly at the catch position, and begin pushing the canoe away from the blade with a torso swivel (I�ve always felt stronger with slightly bent arms when I�m pushing away from my body because locking my arms in a bent position and holding them close to my body seems to drive the stroke).

5) Let your shaft arm straighten to finish the stroke. It keeps the paddle farther away from the pivot point.

6) Stop the stroke when the blade is opposite your hip. Recover the blade to the catch position with the powerface facing the sky on the recovery.

If you want more stability from the reverse sweep, you can flatten the blade against the water surface as you sweep it. Turn the knuckles of your hand down towards the water, which presses the blade�s backsurface against the water. It moves you into a low brace position, where the paddle functions like an outrigger for balance. Remember to elevate the blade�s leading edge as you sweep so the paddles keeps rising to the water surface.

-- Excerpted from: Canoeing: A Woman's Guide