The High
Brace
The high brace is
the same motion as a draw that is employed while
you are in the process of capsizing. As you are
going over, extend your paddle out to place the
face of the paddle flat on the water surface.
Actually smacking the surface of the water will
help arrest your capsize motion. Attempt to pull
the blade down through the water. Keep your
elbow bent at about 90 degrees. Do not reach out
too far from the side of the kayak. Doing so
will increase the risk of a shoulder separation,
particularly in surf. Your arm and elbow should
be in line with the paddle. As you pull down on
the paddle, toss your head toward the paddle and
rotate your hips to rotate the kayak hull back
to its stable position. Use the rest of the
paddle stroke to return your body to the center
line of the kayak. Leaning your body back over
the rear deck of the kayak will help this
recovery.
A variation of
the high brace is the sweeping high brace. A
combination of a sweep and a high brace, the
paddle skims along the surface of the water at
the same time as it is pulled down to counteract
the capsize. The blade is angled slightly upward
so it will not dive down as you pull down on the
paddle shaft. The sweeping high brace may be
performed either as a forward sweep or a back
sweep. These braces are most conveniently used
when you are starting or finishing some other
stroke and the need for a brace arises.
The Sculling High
Brace
The sculling high
brace is a combination of the sculling draw and
a high brace. The motions are the same as the
sculling draw, except with the paddle nearly
parallel to the water surface. With a well
developed sculling motion, you should be able to
hang from this brace for a long time.
The Low
Brace
The low brace
uses the back side of the paddle pushed down
into the water to prevent a capsize. Your
forearm should remain in line with the paddle's
resistance. Again, head motion and opposite
rotation of the hips to return the kayak hull to
a stable position aids in a successful brace.
The sweeping low brace is a low brace starting
from the stern or bow and moving toward the
other end of the kayak. The stern sweeping low
brace is the most natural and quickest to deploy
when the paddle blade on the side toward which
you are capsizing is behind you. When the blade
is in front of you, most find that the quickest
natural brace is the high brace. A stern
sweeping brace can be transitioned to a sweeping
high brace, and vice versa, if bracing is still
required at the end of a sweeping brace.
>> More Kayaking
tips
•
Types of kayak: Sit-on-top
kayak, Inflatable
kayak, Folding
kayak, Solo
Versus Tandem kayak
•
Kayaking in Vietnam
• How
to get in and out of your kayak
•
How to make your kayak go
•
How to make your kayak stop
•
How to make your kayak turn
•
How to keep your kayak from capsizing
•
What to do after a capsize - wet exiting
•
Basic paddle and arm signals for sea kayakers |
