Bracing
From KayakWiki
A Paddle in the Water is a Brace
Whitewater paddlers will often say that if your paddle is in the water, you are braced. That is true in the sense that you are always ready to apply force to the paddle shaft to correct for small perturbations in the kayaks position. In general, regardless of what type of kayaking you practice, if you are doing nothing else, keep your paddle in the water, not in the air. That will increase your stability slightly and keep you prepared for a brace.
Bracing is one of the most important paddling techniques. Because kayaks are relatively narrow they can be unstable, and tend to roll. A brace gives additional stability and so even in flatwater, bracing is a necessary skill.
Active bracing involves using your paddle to push against the water. There are two major bracing skills: high brace and low brace. Both skills involve pressing the paddle blade against the water. Either skill might involve leaning your body or edging the kayak.
A strong brace will let a skilled paddler venture out in very rough water. Good bracing skills are required for whitewater above Class II and for kayak surfing.
Passive braces are also useful. They can be used to steady the kayak in a rolling sea. For example, see Coaming brace for a useful sea kayaking technique that is used by Greenlanders.
