Your feet are the key to proper paddling posture and dynamic movement!

This one is all about the feet and their impact

on paddling dynamics.

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Many paddlers don’t seem to think much about their feet unless they happen to step wrong on something. The focus always seems to be more on their arms, their hips and their paddles. But the foot is an important and integral part of kayaking and all paddling in general. Along with the hips and thighs, the feet position a paddler in or on top of their craft and provide an anchor point for optimum paddling motion.

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All toes on board at Whiskey Creek in Dania Beach, Florida.
Kayaking Whiskey Creek & John U Lloyd State Park.

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To start with, foot protection may not always be necessary, but it can’t hurt. Paddling footwear comes in many forms and styles, like shoes. It’s a very subjective and personal choice, though form should follow function! Typically lightweight water shoes are great for working out and day paddles, helping to protect the feet from hazards when launching. When on a camping trip, high top booties make an excellent choice. A second set of (always dry) water shoes for in-camp use only makes outback life ever more pleasant!

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I spy camel toe booties on the Alligator Light Reef platform!
Kayaking to Alligator Light Reef in the upper Keys.

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Aside from foot protection, an even more important reason to pay attention to the feet is to ensure proper setup for posture in or on top of the boat. In most cases, this means properly adjusting foot pegs or foot plates in kayaks and surfskis. Dialing in the right setting is paramount to get the most out of a surfski or workout (K1 style) kayak. This will enable proper leg drive, or as much as a particular boat and one’s anatomy will allow.

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 Sea Kayaks and other sit inside kayaks usually have adjustable foot bars or foot pegs. Most sit on top style kayaks have several fixed molded in foot braces. In either case you want to adjust your foot position so that your feet are pushing your butt back into the seat. This will help to keep your lower back straight and in a slightly forward leaning position.

I often see new paddlers sit in their boat and immediately lean back as if at home in a recliner. You never want to be leaning back into the backrest unless you’re taking a break! Otherwise you’ll be in the wrong position for actual paddling and harmfully compressing your spine! You may need to readjust or re-position your seat straps to accomplish this.

The lean forward position is not only good for paddling, it’s also really good for your lower back!

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Stellar kayaks provides a very solid adjustable 3 point attachment system for the footplate on their surfskis.
The unused area in front is ideal for a hydration bladder or in this case, to hold my crocs!
The launching of the Grey Ghost (Stellar SES Multisport surfski)

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For barefoot surfski paddling, a lil foam padding makes a big difference.
The fine art of surfski padding for optimal paddling!

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K1 trainer kayak with tiller steering and a toe plate. This boat allows decent leg drive!
Easter 4/20 exploratory coastal fitness paddling a K1 trainer on Florida Bay.

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The Revo R2 surfski foot plate position is marked with the alphabet!
This boat allows my anatomy to achieve better leg drive than my Stellar SES.

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My old school Findeisen Shearwater surfski with twin footwells and center hump.
This style does not really allow proper leg drive, only a squirm of sorts to pivot my hips, which still somewhat helps.
Attitude IS Everything, Kayaking IS Anger management!

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This SOT kayak with typical un-ergonomic molded in foot pegs on a barefoot Sunday Pilgrimage.
Kayaking to Dry Rocks Reef – a Pilgrimage to find the “Christ of the Abyss” off Key Largo!

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Recreational SOT kayaks like the RTM Disco model pictured can be customized with a solid foot plate for the feet to push off of. In other kayaks, a small heel plate can provide similar functionality when combined with solid foot pegs.

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This custom solid footplate greatly increases ergonomics on the SOT kayak and allows for a more efficient surfski-like paddling posture. 🙂
Custom SOT kayak solid foot plate for the RTM Disco!

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The small heel plate installed this sea kayak allows me to paddle it surfski style, utilizing more leg drive!
Putting up a shelf – creating underdeck storage space inside the kayak cockpit!

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Custom modifications and additions aside, some of the newest generations of performance kayaks already come with a solid footplate featuring a surfski style solid footplate with gas pedal type steering for the rudder! This is a huge improvement in paddling ergonomics, although many paddlers really do not take full advantage of it. Often paddlers still lock their thighs under the coaming braces for general paddling. In my opinion this is unnecessary and extremely unergonomic! The main reason to have your legs splayed out like that is for bracing, as in high bracing and / or when rolling. The rest of the time, the knees should be close together for comfort and to allow leg drive. Paddling a surfski in ocean conditions proves that high bracing can be continually and effectively accomplished with a combination of paddle strokes, weight transfer and hip movement. Thus a sit inside kayak with traditional coaming thigh braces is not necessarily a requirement for ocean play in typical South Florida conditions.

Not only is this more ergonomic and comfortable, it allows proper leg drive which makes paddling more fun and dynamic!

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Sea kayaks with rudders that use separate sliding foot pegs are poor candidates for utilizing leg drive, since they slide!
Putting up a shelf – creating underdeck storage space inside the kayak cockpit!

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The feet will let you know when there is a problem or a mismatch with foot pegs or foot pads. In a sit on top you’ll always be looking at your feet. In a traditional kayak, you might not see them but you’ll be feeling and using them – or should be.

Whether fixed, adjustable or sliding, a properly customized fit ensures maximum control and comfort while on the water!

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Great video on proper foot positioning from Nigel Foster via Paddling.net

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It’s always good practice at any level to periodically take a step back and look at the big paddling picture. Are you leaning back too far, or leaning forward too much? Are your knees too straight or too high in the boat? Are your arms too tired, or your shoulders, elbows? Are you able to rotate your hips in the seat to help drive your boat forward? There are many variables to continually (re) examine and integrate into perfecting your paddling technique.

Being mindful of your feet as the foundation for your paddling posture will yield many benefits over time!

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You may also like to see the feet in action! 😮

The following are links to paddling adventure stories of interest.

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Footwear for kayaking to an Everglades tree island hammock.
Grass Paddling in the East Everglades Expansion Area.

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Camo bugsuit with sandals could result in camo-toe! 😉
Full moon paddling on the historic Miami River.

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Boredom counting toes and bugs while camping in Hell!
Camping Hell in the Ten Thousand Islands.

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The feet will thank you for your attention.

Choose your footwear wisely!

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Black Everglades muck on the feet in the Ten Thousand Islands.

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Pulling the feet out in Big Cypress.
Hiking among the Big Cypress.

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Ooops, looks like we got cheated. Somebody slipped in a hand! 😉
Kayaking the River of Grass – a Shark River Slough Expedition!

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Therapeutic mud treatment of Florida Bay? Not!
The hold up at First National Bank in Florida Bay.

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Gingerly tip toeing over First National Bank in Florida Bay.

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My feet seeking Higher ground in the Lower Keys!
Higher ground in the Lower Keys and Faith in Numbers!

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Fins on the feet snorkeling at Little Rabbit Key in Florida Bay.
Kayaking and snorkeling at Little Rabbit Key in Florida Bay.

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Odd pairing – washed up footwear trash on Biscayne Bay.
All that trash – the ugly side of kayaking in Miami!

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Sand spurs love the feet. But .. ouch!!
The best little Piano Bar in Miami!

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Keep your eyes on the horizon, and your feet in the kayak!

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Paddling in Miami with feet on the pegs and a walking stick.
Paddling to a Red Bull Flugtag downtown Miami kayak and boating party!

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Snow boots keeping toes warm paddling in a Winter Wonderland of ice and sun.
Paddling in a Winter Wonderland of ice and sun on the Rio Grande in New Mexico.

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Get up, stand Up – on my feet paddling a kayak SuP style through a mangrove canopy.
She’s a whole lotta Kayak!

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Kayak? Kayak shoes or kayak skis? Walking on water and later a most painful split! 😮

Trips, sea stories and Pics!

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Bottoms up. Keeping her happy feet in the clouds.
That’s all I gotta say about that! 😉

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Keep your head above the water

and let your feet lead the way!

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Enjoy!

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! Bless UP

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© 2017 – 2021 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com . All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

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The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

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With that said..
Blessings friends!