Forward paddling
The paddle is a tool which allows us to grip the water and in the case of forwards paddling drive the kayak past the point of grip.
"Catch" putting the paddle in or on the water.
"Pull" the movement of pulling the kayak past the paddle.
"Exit" removing the paddle from the water.
"Recover" setting your body and paddle for the next stroke.
The movement of forward paddling should be closer to front crawl than doggy paddle.
Try and keep your spine vertical and rotate around it rather than leaning backwards and forwards.
To provide forward movement the paddle should land flat on the water at the start of the stroke. If the paddle lands on edge it will become more of a turning stroke.
Trunk rotation is the key to efficient forward paddling. Or to be more precise un-rotation. Try to rotate or wind up your upper body to reach forwards with the paddles out of the water, as your body is relatively weak in this range of movement, then un-wind to pull the paddle through the water using a more powerful muscle group.
Avoid air paddling. This is the waste-full act of winding up your body and then unwinding before putting the paddle in the water. This is often caused by pushing forwards to soon.
Imagine your arm is a piece of string connecting your shoulder to your hand while in the pull phase of the stroke. This will avoid using the smaller arm muscle and concentrate effort in the trunk muscles.
Keep your top hand by your shoulder and pull the kayak past the paddle for an efficient high gear cruising stroke.
Push forwards more with your top hand when you need a lower gear such as when accelerating or pushing in to a head wind. Don’t push until you have caught see air paddling 5. above.
Use your feet to transfer the energy created by you trunk muscles in to the kayak.
Most power should be generated in the first foot or so of the stroke.
As the kayak moves past the paddle the angle of the paddle changes until it is lifting water. At this point it is giving very little assistance to moving the kayak forwards and using lots of energy. Slice the paddle out of the water before this happens or allow the movement of the boat to pull it out of the water (this is less efficient) don’t waste energy pulling on it.
Before the next catch check your body is wound up and that the paddle will catch the water as far forwards as possible. Feel your trunk muscles ready to pull the boat past the paddle.