Miami Surfski paddling – Shapes of Things before my Eyes.

It takes a Penguin shaped loop to

circumnavigate Miami’s

Virginia Key, Key Biscayne

and Stiltsville.

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Miami Surfski paddling – Shapes of Things before my Eyes!

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To cover this 22 mile tour of Biscayne Bay it’s good to have a fast sea kayak or surfski.

I took out my Stellar SES aka the “Grey Ghost” to eat up those miles.

Today’s lightweight high-end boats present a new level of ergonomics and possibilities for personal freedom of movement. Distances of 20 to 30 miles in a day trip are totally doable with dialed-in equipment and proper paddling technique. The equipment means having the right fitting boat, not too tippy but not too big either (wide / volume). In that boat, finding the right position for the foot plate will allow for the best leg drive configuration. Then finding the wing paddle shape, size and length optimally fit for your setup would be the last step. However a Greenland stick, particularly one of the thin-edged carbon fiber ones, can also work very well. The “stick” and the “wing” can be thought of as complimentary, as they both work on the same principle. This is called “lift”, but unlike an aero foil, in this case the lift is generated horizontally to provide propulsion.

One can think of wing paddles and Greenland type paddles as a kind of propeller. With each particular wing paddle design, there is a set pitch, cant, twist and other parameters. The optimal motion is then wholly repetitive and should be as consistent as conditions allow. On flat water, where no other factors are at play, this motion can be achieved, practiced and maintained by elite paddlers. When you see these paddlers during the Olympics they often do look very machine like in motion! Surfski paddling on choppy or ocean waters calls for variations in the stroke as well as weight transfer to maintain balance and posture. With the Greenland stick however, there are many more variations available with each stroke. It’s completely possible to vary many of the parameters in mid-stroke such as the “pitch”, the depth (surface area) and angle as you paddle. Additionally, you can also throw in the sliding stroke – where you can generate some serious lift. This can be comparable to a wing paddle stroke in power, but still different. So the Greenland stick is actually an extremely versatile tool for paddling! (This is not even mentioning all the possibilities for “Greenland Kayaking” and rolling – a whole another ball game altogether.)

But why the waddle, you ask?

Similar to the way a Penguin waddles along on land, having your hips loose and able to move fore and aft in your seat is key. This is because your hips aren’t just for balance, they allow you to “drive” and direct your boat forward. This hip action is sometimes called “butt walking”. To get the full benefit, a kayak or surfski with a solid foot plate is needed. Then you can utilize foot and leg drive to push off this plate. Your knees will be close together as you move your hips and wind up your core to get the most out of each stroke. The ability of your hips to waddle in the seat allows the rest of your body to achieve more rotation and thus put more power into each stroke. Speed is built up incrementally and when you perfectly synch your leg drive with your stroke you will notice it!

So yes,

“it is OK to waddle inside your kayak”

if you want to go fast.

The right paddling technique relies on the dialed-in equipment mentioned above, but variations of even very basic gear can still provide some benefits. For instance you can certainly paddle most any kayak with a Greenland stick or wing paddle. Actually this can be a great way to learn the feel of the new paddle(s) with your current kayak. However, eventually one finds the right gear that works well together with their physiology and physical constraints. It’s at this phase that attention to proper technique can really come into play and provide real benefits. It does take continuous practice and is somewhat similar the martial arts in that it is a never ending process of improvement. This is especially important with skinny boats like the SES which need to be paddled at least once a week just to maintain a certain performance level.  Then there comes the zen moment when everything falls together just right, and puts you into the zone. This is the moment all active paddlers strive for!

Shapes of things to come!

But I didn’t just set out to paddle a Penguin shaped loop, I also timed my trip to partially coincide with another one put on by the South Florida Paddlers group. The organizers of which scheduled a casual paddling trip to Stiltsville for novices or those who have never seen this famous Miami landmark (watermark). As this group started at the kayak launch inside Bills Baggs State Park, I was able to estimate a rendezvous time at the Stitlsville Village. Therefore I planned my launch next to the Miami Seaquarium to paddle the roughly six miles down there and meet up with the group. My timing was good, averaging about 6 mph and after maybe another 15 minutes of waiting, I saw the group of 30+ SUP and kayak paddlers appear on the horizon.  The group provides a way for paddlers to experience the freedom and joy of being out on Biscayne Bay in a safe group setting. It takes several volunteers to manage a group of this size and they are well equipped to do it. Kudos to the group organizers for what a great job they do to bring out people fairly new to paddling, especially those to open water cruising. What an exciting introduction to a community of paddlers!

After touring Stiltsville and hanging out with the group for a while, I departed to finish the remainder of my own 22 mile trip. My wing paddle of choice on this trip was the Orka Super Flex blade which is a super smooth paddle that is really just a joy to paddle with. It’s a mid sized blade of 730 cm square and a variant of the “Gamma” shape. It is well built, if slightly heavier than more well known brands. It works well for sprinting or all day cruising without overtaxing me. In addition, I had my new carbon Greenland stick paddle to test out as well! This blade was a bit of an experiment in the purchase, but with free returns I figured I couldn’t loose. As it turns out it was a good gamble and I finished the last several of the 22 miles with it. Paddling a surfski with a Greenland stick is not often seen, but it can work – especially to learn the stability characteristics as I initially did six years ago with my SES. This new carbon stick has very thin edges which really make a difference and make for a nicer catch. This is now my favorite paddling combination with CANDY-O, my Stellar SILV sea kayak.

Look for more in depth exploration of wings, sticks and beautiful boats in the near future!

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! Bless UP

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With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂