Forward sweep

The forward sweep is a type of kayaking Stroke. This is the most commonly used form of the sweep stroke, used to turn the kayak.

[edit] How to do a forward sweep

Wind up your torso and hips to push your shoulder forward on the side where you will do the sweep. Plant the blade all the way into the water, but keep your paddle as horizontal as possible.

Once the paddle is planted, unwind with your hips and torso (see Torso rotation). Your arms should just position the paddle. Feel the turn in your abdominal muscles and your hips. Once you twist as far as you can, finish the stroke with your arms to pull the paddle to the side of the boat at the stern (this is the motion of a rudder stroke -- which is sometimes called a stern draw).

Note that you want the paddle as flat as possible and the stroke to reach out away from the boat. The inboard hand should be near the centerline of the kayak in front of your navel. To increase the turning moment, you might want to use an extended paddle position. Finally, to help the boat turn, lean the boat to bring the keel of the boat out of the way so it can't resist the boat's turning motion.

• Whitewater paddlers tend to lean into the turn (as a bicycle would lean).
• Sea kayakers will lean:
  • to the outside of the turn (to the side where the paddle blade is submerged) for greatest efficiency (especially if the boat is moving forward during the stroke, as an outside lean can carve the boat through the turn).
  • to the inside fo the turn if waves make an outside lean risky.

For sea kayaks, an inside lean is a tad less efficient than an outside lean. You have the advantage of lifting the keel out of the water but you lose the advantage of carving.