paddling technique

Since I live on Lake Union in Seattle, I spent a couple hours each morning on Christmas break out on the lake on my Tarpon 120.  The weather was beautiful but cold.  Even though it was below freezing I got out at daylight and had the entire lake to myself.  No power boats or paddlers.  Just put on all my winter steelheading gear and I’m set.

OK I’m definitely a newbie at this, I know that SOT’s are wet rides but I’m wondering if my paddling technique is making it worse.  I have never been out with anyone else so I obviously don’t know anything about anything.  I got the yak and I just got in and left.  When I’m out, my legs and lap gets soaked from the paddle.  Pretty much every stroke spills some onto my lap.  Is this normal?  Since it drains through the scuppers and I am wearing my waders it doesn’t really hurt anything but am I going to need them for any cool weather outing?

If anyone is in Seattle and ever wants to go out, I have a place to drop in and go right from the house.

Thanks,
Bill

Push your drip rings out further. Also pay attention to your stroke angle. The whole blade usually shouldn't be in the water, and the shaft should certainly not be. 

Yup, Your "donuts" look too far up the shaft from your blade. I have my donuts about 1" to 1.5" from my blade. I attempt to never let the donuts dip in the water. I like to see the very top edge of the blade (where it blends into the shaft) just above the surface. On glassy water, if I concentrate on my stroke, I can paddle without hardly getting a drop on me. Paddling into 1' + wind chop is another story.

I started with my drip rings well off the blades and have since moved them out as far as I can toward the blades.  I stay drier, but still get wet.  When you're 6 inches off the water, you're gonna get wet. 

Are you located along the east shore somewhere between NOAA, Pete's and the old Azteca restaurant?  There's only a few houseboats on the west side of the lake.  I work at the south end of the lake.  Always thought Lake Union might have some bass fishing.  To me the most interesting location is around the old oil dock just between NOAA and the yacht marina.  Count me in for the spring.

Push your drip rings out further. Also pay attention to your stroke angle. The whole blade usually shouldn't be in the water, and the shaft should certainly not be. 

Dude the whole blade SHOULD be in the water. You paid for the whole blade, might as well use it.

Drip rings do nothing. Usually I take them off new paddles and throw them int he trash, because they are 100% pointless.

There are things you can do to not splash as much on your self, which you will figure out the more you do it.

Honestly though, it is a water sport, and you will/do get wet. I usually drip right on top of my head with a high angle stroke if I'm cranking it.

The harder I push it, the more I drip on my self.

I'm thinking you are probably overcompensating with the paddle, therefore getting a splashier ride. It would be worth while to take a quick lesson to get proper technique going before you develop bad habits.

There are allot of good instructors in your area, or buy a book etc. it's just quicker and easier with a real person offering feedback.

If you push those drip rings further out then they will be dragging in the water, making you work harder and scooping up water to dump on top of you.

Push your drip rings out further. Also pay attention to your stroke angle. The whole blade usually shouldn't be in the water, and the shaft should certainly not be. 

Dude the whole blade SHOULD be in the water. You paid for the whole blade, might as well use it.

I suppose my brief mention wasn't as clear as it should be. I'll have to come up with some sort of image to illustrate what I was trying to say.

When I first started kayaking, I thought the 'drip' rings (I didn't know they had a name at that point) were there to keep me from bashing my knuckles against the hull so much.

I still get drops on my head when I'm paddling hard, but they generally keep water off me when I'm trolling or cruising.

I normally shake it a couple times in order to not get drip marks on my trousers.

 I find that if I slide the drip rings a few inches away from the end of the blade, it keeps me ALLOT drier. They work pretty well when they don't go into the water. I actually had to giggle when I discovered that one day. (I use the whole blade too)

I normally shake it a couple times in order to not get drip marks on my trousers.

AJ, if you shake it more than twice your playing with it.

I normally shake it a couple times in order to not get drip marks on my trousers.

If you'd just put the rings on, you wouldn't have to shake it.

-Allen

bollillos? Allen?