Werner Blog

Werner Paddle's athlete, Ben Lawry, introduces his new instructional DVD servies

The Essentials of Sea Kayaking With Ben Lawry will be a must have edition to your paddling instructional libray, check out a short video segment here.      A real introduction to the sport of kayaking, learn how to get the most out of your kayak, paddle and equipment. Ben Lawry is an internationally recognized coach and competitor and will walk you through many strokes, proper equipment selection and even how to best transport your kayak. Ben will demonstrate how to improve the quality of your strokes for more efficient paddling and more fun on the water. The video will also walk you through how to get started on a trip what to look out for, what to pack and how to paddle efficiently. Using S.E.E.N – Safe, Efficient, Effective and Necessary, giving you the tolls to develop your own kayaking style. Topics of discussion will be Clothing Design Equipment (safety) Strokes Rescues Transport Information gathering Float plans Correct paddle grip Injury prevention The experience Ben brings to the Werner Paddles team is a huge asset to our company and how we can help support local paddling communities around the world, The project, in partnership with Show Me How Videos,  is just another great example of that.  He has been paddling for over 30 years and teaching for 25. He has taught and lead trips on four different continents and is a trainer with the ACA and a BCU coach. Once you have Ben's coaching at home look to work with him in person to solidify these skills.  You can email info.y07@wernerpaddles.com to see where Ben will be representing Werner Paddles in 2010 and check out his web site for his full teaching schedule.  On behalf of the entire team at Werner Paddles, great job Ben and congratulations.

Tampa Bay Sea Kayakers Hosts A Paddle Prescription Party

Join the Tampa Bay Sea Kayakers for a presentation on “How to Choose a Paddle” with Werner Paddle’s very own Mette Mosquera.  The presentation is Monday Feb. 8th at Bill Jackson’s at 7pm.  Not only will you learn about paddles, but you can also get your very own “prescription for the perfect fitting paddle”.

The purpose of the Tampa Bay Sea Kayakers is to encourage and support recreational kayaking within the Tampa Bay area. We do this by teaching safe kayaking, establishing "kayak buddy" networks for our members to meet other kayakers, leading trips, holding education sessions, charting places to kayak and encouraging members to be environmentally friendly.

So join Mette and learn what paddle best fits your body, boat and style of paddling.

Advance Praise for "Sea Kayak With Gordon Brown" DVD

Werner Paddles is proud to be a sponsor of this fine new DVD. Gordon combines cutting edge instruction with a beautiful journey along the Isle of Skye.  But don't just take our word for it, there is a great deal of praise for Gordon Brown's newest DVD. 

"Gordon shows strokes in calm conditions followed by 'oh my god' conditions, displaying the same technique in both" - Justine Curgenven / This Is The Sea

"I sat in front of my TV, in a play boat, and learned more about boat handling skills than I have done over the last 5000 miles" - Patrick Winterton / Extreme Kayaker

"Open your mind to a whole new level of sea kayaking" - seakayakphoto.com

"A new standard for sports technique videos" - Ocean Paddler Magazine

"Absolutely fantastic...a lot less like a textbook and more like a documentary" - paddlinginstructor.com

"Dynamic coaching in inspiring scenery" - Justine Curgenven / This Is The sea

 

Check out the trailer on WernerTV.  Begining December 01, 2009 you will be able to pick up your very own copy direct from the Gordon Brown site, or from your local performance paddlesports store. Check back here for more info about Gordon's bookand DVD. 

Touring Technique: As conditions get bigger get below the deck.

This past weekend at the 25th annual Grand Marais Sea Kayak Symposium, mother nature was serving up some humble pie out on Lake Superior.  With stong on shore winds swells of 4-5 foot turned into great surf as it slammed into the small town beaches of Grand Marais, Michgan.

If there is one thing I love about paddling it is playing in the surf, but not because of the "rush."  Although it is of course fun, for me it is the challenge of controlling a kayak in these conditions and testing my skills that gets me excited to paddle out again and again as things get rolling.  Core skills like torso rotation and edge control become even more important as waves wash over your bow and stern and essentially try and lock your kayak in place.  It is here that we start today's short lesson, because if we do not "get below the deck" with our paddling, we will never tranisition all the work our upper body is doing into the water efficiently. 

Have you ever paddled past a dock, a pier or a water front walk way and some maniac yells down at you from above, "HEY!  WHERE ARE YOUR LEGS IN THAT THING!!"  Well...have you given that much thought lately?  By pushing against our footrests with our feet, when going forward, and with our butt into our seat and back band, when going backwards, we essentially lock our lower body into place.  This gives us higher confidence, through more stability, but also allows us to generate more torque as we rotate our upper torso and move the paddle through the water. 

Practice this first on placid water. 

1-Sit up straight in your kayak and while keeping you shoulders square, reach your right arm and index finger out as far as you can, imagine you are trying to grab your bow toggle handle.  With your finger extended, touch the deck of your boat and note how far you reached.

2-Now, same excersise except, with your arm and finger stretched out, rotate your right shoulder forward, turining your torso, eyes forward!  Now lower the finger to the deck, look how much longer your reach just got!

3-Last step.  Arm extended, right shoulder rotated, reach hard without leaning your head forward!  Remember sit up straight.  NOW, move your right butt forward in your seat slightly, check how far you can reach.

Each step should gain you a longer reach with your finger, or "Catch" with your paddle.  However that last step, moving the butt should have significantly increased the pressure on your right foot rest.  IMAGINE how much more torque you will now create as you drive off that footrest with your feet as you rotate your torso and move the paddle through the water, across the morning glass or up and over that wave.

Try this same excersize only in reverse to feel the power of driving your butt into the seat and back band.  Now pratcice your basic strokes, like sweeps and forward and reverse strokes with your new thinking of, "Getting below the deck," with your paddling.  Practice on flatwater and as you move into more advanced conditions this will start to just become second nature for you and allow you to move your boat with a higher level of ease.  This is just a short intro to more efficient paddling, be sure to check out our Events Page for up and coming symposiums to work with some of our amazing instructors on the water or check out Go Paddling to find a Werner Paddles shop or Outfitter offering classes in your area.  Too busy to get out?  Sorry to hear that.  Check out our short Forward Stroke and sweep stroke videos on Werner TV for an introduction to this line of thinking.  Ready to graduate? Check out Team Paddler Ben Lawry's DVD on the Forward Stroke. We always suggest getting proper training and instruction before any level of paddling and especially as you increase the the difficulty of water you explore.  Because even at expert levels you are always one mistake away from this!

Words by Werner Paddles kayak instructor Danny Mongno and photos by Down Wind Sport's, Bill Thompson.  Be sure to keep an eye on Bill and the gang at Down Wind as they prepare to take the Symposium at Grand Marais to new heights in July of 2010.

Werner Paddles Supports Down Wind Sport's 2009 Ladies of the Lake

Get ready ladies, because Down Wind Sports is at it again with the 6th annual Ladies of the Lake Sea Kayak Symposium, August 13th-16th in Houghton, MI.  The only all women's instructional kayak symposium in the country, the energy at this event is amazing and worth the trip from the anywhere in the US. 

Joing an amazing cast of all women instructors is this year's guest presentor and instuctor, Suzanne Hutchinson.  She will be in good company, as Down Wind and Werner have been proud to have brought in other great names in the past as well, including Shawna Franklin of Body Boat Blade, Melinda Rice of Carpediem Kayaking, Cheri Perry, Jen Kleck of Aqua Adventures and most recentley Marsha Henson of Sea Kayak Georgia.  Check out Suzanne's bio and more info on how to sign up for the event at the Ladies of the Lake web site.  Certainly we can't just have a symposium without a theme?  So far Pajama Party and last years Prom NIght have been pretty exciting, so we figured the only way to top that is bring the world's biggest party town to Houghton with Vegas Night.

Werner Team Paddler Ben Lawry: Perfecting Your Forward Stroke

At Werner Paddles we focus on the two key elements; using less energy on the water and paddling more efficiently. Start with a lighter swing weight, custom fit paddle and then master your technique.  For a guide to your perfect fitting paddle be sure to check out our interactive Fit Guide on wernerpaddles.com and for a great time on the water including world class instruction on kayaking technique, meet Ben Lawry.  

Ben is a well rounded paddler and  is happy teaching from a white water eddy, calm water back river, or with ocean waves washing along a rocky shoreline.  Ben is also an entertaining and engaging instructor. For a look at his powerful approach to teaching, take a moment to read the article on Active.com discussing one of his trade mark classes, the forward stroke.  If you like what you see you should take some time to learn more about Ben and check out all the classes he is offering.  After all, who wants to waste time and energy?  Remember the keys to more efficient paddling, get the perfect fitting Werner Paddle and get yourself some Ben Lawry.

Sea Kayak with Gordon Brown – the DVD Series

Top UK sea kayak coach Gordon Brown is filming a series of instructional DVDs, the first of which will be released later this year.

Following the phenomenal success of his book, Sea Kayak - a Manual for Intermediate and Advance Sea Kayakers published by Pesda Press, Gordon spent two years developing the format for DVD. Shot entirely on the Isle of Skye, the first production concentrates on paddle technique and will combine the narrative of a multi-day expedition along the coast of this spectacular island with his unique and effective style of coaching.

The instructional sequences show progression from calm water to rough, with Gordon explaining the refinements needed to cope with the changing conditions.  Cameras on the front, rear, above and even inside the kayak capture every nuance, while shore and boat based cameras allow detailed slow-motion analysis of technique.  Rescues, towing and more will come in subsequent productions.
Gordon says: “It is challenging to translate one-on-one coaching into a style which works on DVD.  But this means I can share two of my passions - sea kayaking and the beauty of the Isle of Skye.”

The DVD is being shot and edited by Simon Willis who runs Sunart Media.  Simon is a former BBC video journalist and known to sea kayakers around the world through his podcast website SeaKayakRoutes.com.

Gordon and his wife Morag owns and run Skyak Adventures, on the Isle of Skye, Scotland.  He is an internationally renowned sea kayak coach, teaching and paddling across the globe. 

For more information on the series contact Simon Willis at Sunart Media. Best of luck to you Gordon, we know we will have our names on the waiting list.

Ryan's Tips For Protecting Your Paddle Investment

Ryan Hanegan has been selling paddles and helping Werner customers for over 20 years.  He will be popping on to the blog, time and again, to offer some tips. Here is what Ryan has to say about marking your paddle and making it more visible....

One of the best ways to protect your paddle investment is to not lose it; or if you do lose it, to have it returned to you.  How is your paddle going to get returned to you after you take that beat down? You have a good chance by writing your personal info on the back face of the paddle blade along the rib.  This area is well protected from abrasion.  I know it is tough to take a pen to such a beautiful blade.  If your printing is like mine have someone with a steady hand do it for you. The best tool for the job are Sharpies or other permanent markers. For carbon blades, Sharpie makes a cool metallic silver color. 

If you are lucky enough to have a matching set of his and her touring paddles, you will want to mark the right and left blades to keep the paddle halves matched together. It’s best to not mix and match halves as they are perfectly fitted at the Werner factory.

To add visibility to your paddle you might consider reflective tape. This is especially helpful with a dark carbon paddle. Many paddling shops have reflective tape in bulk or check out Streetglo they have some great options.

Remember if you happen to find a paddle out there, it is your duty to try to get it returned to it's rightful owner.  If you don't, there are well known karmatic implications.

High Angle vs. Low Angle

In sea kayak touring there are two common, yet very different, paddling styles, Low Angle and High Angle. These styles correlate to the angle of the shaft in relation to the surface of the water.

Low Angle is the most common paddling style. It is a more relaxed touring style and relaxed cadence. Werner Padlles Low Angle designs have longer and narrower blades designed to pull through each stroke with the right amount of surface area for good power while maintaining a smooth forward stroke.

High Angle paddling is typically a more aggressive style of paddling with a faster cadence and a larger variety of strokes being used on each paddle outing.

Werner Paddles high angle designs have short wide blades for a powerful catch and stroke with a slight dihedral for smooth linking strokes. High Angle designs work best when used with shorter paddle lengths of 205cm - 215cm. The combination of shorter paddle length and a shorter wide blade allows the right amount of balanced blade area to enter the water sooner, supporting a faster cadence, without having to over extend the upper arm.

Check out Werner Paddles Fit Guide to ensure a great fit for your specific style and needs Werner offers several blade sizes in both Low and High Angle designs.