LOW ANGLE & HIGH 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. Our 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.

Our 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 our PADDLE 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.

BENEFITS OF A LIGHT GRIP        

At Werner Paddles we promote the philosophy of using a light grip while paddling. We believe a light grip minimizes fatigue of the hands, arms, and joints, and over time will reduce the potential of developing carpal tunnel or tendonitis. We strongly believe the ability to use a light grip lies in combining a well designed paddle with the right paddle choice to fit your individual needs. Visit our PADDLE FIT GUIDE.

There are several factors that may cause a paddler to over-grip the shaft. To name just a few, over-gripping may be a subconscious effort to control a blade that flutters or torques in your hand. It may also be caused by the effort needed to hold a shaft that is too large and/or simply that the paddle is not a good fit.

Werner Paddles' advanced blades and shafts incorporate carefully designed features that create a smooth and stable stroke so a paddler can lightly grip the shaft while pulling the blade easily through the water. To get a good fitting paddle Werner offers several blade and shaft choices at no additional charge.

We encourage you to understand the importance of choosing the right paddle.

For more information on choosing a good fitting paddle please refer to our PADDLE FIT GUIDE.

For more information on how our design features work to provide a smooth and stable stroke please refer to our Design page.

KAYAK FORWARD STROKE        

The forward stroke is our most important stroke as we tend to use it most often. In simple terms, we want to get the blade into the water as close to the bow as possible, use larger core muscles to move the blade and exit the paddle from the water no later than our hip.

The first step of the forward stroke, or the Catch, starts by rotating your upper body. Imagine pointing your shoulder to the grab handle on your bow. While remaining rotated, using the upper hand on your paddle, stab the entire blade into the water. Low angle paddlers should focus on the upper hand being about shoulder height and high angle paddlers upper hand should be about eye to forehead height. With the blade placed in the water with a stabbing motion, initiated by the upper hand, we keep the lower arm very straight. The rotated body and straight arm assures the greatest amount of reach. Be sure to concentrate on our loose grip philosophy, which will keep the wrist in a straight and relaxed position. For those looking for an even more comfortable Catch position, consider combining a loose grip with our neutral bent shaft.

Now your body is rotated and the entire blade is submersed, or loaded. When we move the blade through the water we want to focus on using larger core muscles to rotate the body and move the blade along side the hull of the kayak. Do not initiate the movement of the blade by bending the elbow which uses smaller muscle groups.

As the shoulders rotate, driven by the core muscle groups of the abs, chest and back, the blade moves through the water creating a smooth stable forward stroke. As the blade reaches the hip it should be exited from the water. Any stroke that travels beyond the hip will affect directional control of the boat, hurting the boats ability to go smoothly in a straight line. A blade that goes beyond the hip will also lift excess water, using more energy and draining a substantial amount of water off the blade, down the shaft and into your lap.

KAYAK SWEEP STROKE        

The Sweep Stroke is designed to turn the boat. It follows the key elements of the Forward Stroke, in that we will position our body by rotating the shoulder to face the bow of the boat, place the entire blade in the water with a stabbing motion and move the blade with our larger core muscle groups. However, as we will now be focused on turning the kayak in a tight circle, we will not exit the blade at the hip, but continue the stroke in a large arc from the bow through to the stern.

Start the forward sweep by rotating your upper body; imagine pointing your shoulder to the grab handle on your bow. While remaining rotated, use the upper hand on your paddle stab the entire blade into the water while keeping your lower arm straight. The rotated body and straight arm assures the greatest amount of reach. Be sure to concentrate on our loose grip philosophy, which will keep the wrist in a relaxed, straight position. For those looking for an even more comfortable Catch position, consider combining a loose grip with our neutral bent shaft.

Where the Forward stroke wants to move close to the hull to assure better tracking, we now want to initiate our turn by arching the blade through the water as far from the boat as possible. Note how the dihedral stabilizes the blade for a smooth stroke. We want to concentrate on keeping our elbow straight and following the blade with our shoulders starting at the bow and exiting the paddle when fully rotated at the stern.

Many times we will just need a quick directional adjustment, so the forward sweep alone will be enough to make that correction. Sometimes, however a complete change of direction is needed. By adding the reverse sweep we can bring the boat around with fewer strokes, using less energy. After completing the forward sweep and exiting the blade at the stern, turn the shoulders to face the opposite direction. Note how the shoulders should end and begin each stroke parallel to the hull of the kayak. Now place the blade in the water as far to the stern as possible, again using a straight elbow. Follow the same technique of using core muscles to move the blade through the water, while following the blade with the shoulders and head, just in reverse.

Stand Up Paddling is taking the world by storm. Whether you approach it from a surfing background, a paddling background or are simply intrigued by the freedom and fitness the sport provides, we want to help get you out on the water with theses paddling tips.

The Forward Stroke        

Find the balance point on your board and stand with your feet in a parallel stance. Plant the paddle as far forward as possible keeping a loose grip with you lower hand and a straight elbow on the lower arm. Your top hand should be near your temple when you plant your paddle. Lead with the top shoulder and pull from the stomach muscles while simultaneously driving downward with the top hand. Be sure to place the blade completely below the surface before applying power to the paddle. If you are splashing with blade, focus on submerging the blade before applying power. Keep the top hand out board and over the top of the lower hand to ensure a vertical orientation of the shaft through the stroke; this will keep the board moving as straight as possible. The paddle shaft should be sliding along the edge of the board throughout the stroke this way your blade will be as close as possible to the center line of the board and reduce the amount of turning effect during the stroke. Maintain a loose grip to reduce forearm pump and the dihedral will keep the paddle flutter free allowing for a smooth and stable stroke.

The Turning Stroke        

To turn the board you will drive the blade in a “C” motion, out and away from the board. Plant the paddle near the tip of the board and make a big sweeping arc away from the nose of the board toward the back of the board. Keep the shaft of the paddle at a more horizontal angle for the most effective turning strokes. This stroke can also be integrated into a forward stroke. Ideally you want to be able to turn in either direction equally as well. Try stepping back towards the tail of board to help the board pivot by sinking the tail about 3 inches under water. Keeping the forward speed of the board will add stability to the turn maneuver so using forward oriented turning strokes is better than using rudder strokes or back sweeps to turn the board which essentially slow the board to much and make it more difficult to stay standing throughout the turn.

A bow draw is an also excellent stroke to master for keeping control of your SUP board. To do this stroke, place the paddle blade1-2 feet out to the side of the tip of your board. Now pull it straight sideways towards the edge of the board before feathering the blade 90 degrees and going into a normal forward stroke. If you are doing it right you will be able to paddle on the right maintaining your forward speed while also turning the board to the right. This is a very effective stroke if you plan on doing any surfing.

For more paddling tips, please visit the Werner's Blog and videos at