Hi, ive recently managed to get my boat on its stern in flat water, can't seem to get the bow down to do the double pump convetionally. Also my double pump is more of a quadruple pump as it takes several pumps to get up on its stern when its on end i come to bring it down to cartwheel and it just hits the water and thats about it.... any tips that might help me to double pump and eventually cathwheel?
thanks
paddy

definitely, i had the exact same problem. What helped me is doing a bunch of double pumps like what your doing, and then after i had practiced those, i paddled forward quickly to gain momentum and then tried getting on my bow using the conventional double pump. You probably wont get it for a while, but one day it'll click.

I'm actually learning too, people make it look so easy, but learning the proper technique definitely doesn't seem easy!

My friend has just learn to get his stern under easily. He started doing a heap of pumps before he got the stern down, now he does it straight away all the time with ease. Don't worry about it, the more practice you have, the easier it'll be.

As for getting the bow down, some things that are helping me (get closer) are to throw your weight forward a bit on the backstroke. It's more about body movement then muscling yourself around with paddle strokes. Although that's easier said than done, I'm still trying to break habits which inhibit me from successfully getting the bow down. My problem is I'm trying too hard to push on my backstroke. This forces me to be leaning back slightly, meaning there's more air in front of my body that I have to push under the water. Basically, it's not going to happen. I really need to have my weight more forward instead. Maybe this will help you if you have the same problem as me. As I said, I'm also learning, and it's much easier said than done!

If you paddle with anyone that can already do it, or even if you pass some on a river or in a play spot, ask them to critique you a little bit. They may be able to pick up what you are doing wrong, then go away and practice beating those bad habits.

This may not be relevant, but check where your seat is in the boat. If it is right at the back, then it is going to much easier to get the stern under and more difficult to get the bow down. If you can, try moving the seat forwards a bit, should make things that little bit easier.
Good luck!
Dolly

oooppps forgot to mention this before i paddle a rad 175 , i have the seat the full way forward,and i have some camping mat on the seat aswell.
am i tosmall for the boat at 9 stone and 5\"3 or is it just technique

thanks for the replies
paddy

Hi Paddy
you are the right size for the boat so it is posible to do.
This move is all about balance and rotational power which comes from your abs. to train these muscles find a spot which has a bar or lip and water deep enough to get vertical, the bar on a swimming pool wall is great for this. then practice holding the bar, edge the boat and slice the ends into the water. do this several times to train your muscle memory.

the other aspect worth practicing is your ability to hold and extreme edge with no brace for support.

another drill is to practce cartwheels without paddle stokes, this will again train muscles and improves rotation. start by slicing the bow under the water then keep rotating and change to the stern, as you build momentun increase the amount of edge, with practice you will get the boat to about 45 degress and more.

try to keep your body pretty neutral throughout the move, there is no need for any forward or backward lean. leaning will reduce the ability of your abs to provide power to the rotation.

keep practicing, you will get it
mike

I spent a lot of time yesterday playing in a weak hole. It was pretty flushy, you had to kind of be on your game to stay in there. Most holes I play in hold you fine because there is a bigger pillow. Anyway, practising getting the bow down then the stern in a weaker hole like this where you can think about what you're doing is good. When I went back and tried getting bow and stern down it was so much easier! It's easier to get your ends down in a smaller hole, but you still have to be the driving force behind the move (as opposed to getting worked in a really big hole where it can pretty much flip you around no matter how you lean etc.). Because you have done it in the hole, when you go back to flat water, you know what you should be feeling when you go to do a successful stall.

So yeah, try doing some cartwheels in a weak hole, this helped me a lot when going back to flat water.

I had the same problem aswell, just do exactly what robmeister said...just get used to edging your boat on the move and COMMIT! Try it moving forward at a good pace. Always helps.
So basicly if you're double pumping on your right:-
Get some forward speed up, agressive edge to the right, BIIIIIIG sweep from the front to back, once the paddle blade is at the back of the boat, turn your body and look to the shaft of your paddle and really slam your right paddle blade down into the water, remember to use your feet (Push down into the water)... Don't take your paddles out of the water untill your verticle!

It's exactly the same but using your left...when doing it on the left.

It takes alot of practise but it's well worth it.

Hope that made abit of sense...

Goood schtuff.
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