Holding your paddle
A correct grip transfers your effort to the water and limits fatigue. Three points are enough.
- Hand spacing. Raise the paddle above your head and bend your elbows to 90°. The gap between your hands is the right spacing.
- Blade orientation. The hollow face, called the power face, points towards you. If the blades are asymmetric, the longer part goes at the top.
- A relaxed hand. Make an “O” with your thumb and index finger; the other fingers simply rest on the shaft. Keep your wrists straight to protect them from tendonitis.
Sitting in the kayak
Control starts before the first stroke. Aim for three points of contact:
- your back upright;
- your knees pressed against the sides of the cockpit;
- your feet on the footrests.
This triangle lets you steer the kayak with your hips and stops your legs going numb.
Paddling without tiring
Three ideas simplify the stroke.
- The frame. Picture a box formed by your arms and the paddle. It should not change shape during the stroke.
- Rotation. Power starts at your belly button. Rotate your torso to reach the water far ahead of you, rather than pulling with your arms alone.
- The leg push. Brace your feet, then push with the foot on the side of the working blade to pass on the energy.
Keeping your balance
Balance in a kayak is dynamic, not static. Stay relaxed and learn to react with the paddle rather than stiffening up.
The low brace
This is the first safety reflex. When the kayak tips, lean towards the side you are falling to and use your paddle:
- Slap the surface of the water with the back of the blade, elbows high and the shaft low against your chest.
- At the same time, give a firm hip flick on the opposite side to right the boat.
- Never let go of the paddle: it is your constant balancing aid.
If you end up in the water
Keep your life jacket fastened. In a fast current, do not leave your kayak. On the Semois, the river is often less than a metre deep: stand up, bring the boat back to the bank, empty it and carry on. The briefing given before departure explains what to do.
Kayak or canoe?
The kayak is more manoeuvrable. The two-seater canoe is wider and more stable, which often reassures families. On our routes, the put-in points are the same. To help you choose, see the family kayaking guide.
Going further
The Eskimo roll means turning your boat upside down and bringing it back up with a movement of the hips. The Inuit were already doing it; the history of the kayak tells you more. This technique cannot be improvised, and you will not learn it from a guide: you work on it with an instructor.
Before you leave, check the river’s difficulty grade and the paddling conditions. A calm route like the Semois is ideal for practising.