Original direction of movement
Sideslip direction of movement
Drawing sideslip pulls the canoe toward the paddle side
Note the angle at which the paddle blade is situated : the blade ’ s leading ( forward ) edge points toward the intended direction of the Sideslip !
Remember to keep the paddle shaft as nearly vertical as possible and the blade angle reasonably small , not more than 15˚ . If the angle is too great , it will begin to act as a brake and disrupt the canoe ’ s momentum .
The first few times most people try this , the canoe is likely to turn , one way or the other . The key is paddle placement , as described above . If the canoe turns toward the paddle side , it ’ s too far forward and needs to be placed further back . If the canoe turns away from the paddle side , it ’ s too far back and needs to be placed further forward . A combination of location and blade angle comes into play for this , and it will vary slightly from paddler to paddler and boat to boat . Only experimentation will teach anyone the right combination of location and angle for the paddler and the canoe .
Imagine an arrow pointing straight out of the paddle blade face . It should be pointing somewhere between the canoeist ’ s tailbone and belly button . Torso rotation is crucial for this activity , to avoid shoulder injuries ! Note how much the paddler is turned in the illustration above ! If the torso isn ’ t this flexible , the offside knee should be moved toward the keel line , maybe even to the on side , to affect this torso position . However , this may cause the canoe to be heeled to the onside , which is not desirable ; it causes the low side of the hull to create a snowplough effect , in essence trying to push the water in front of it :
Sideslip is moving this direction
Stern view : heeling toward a Sideslip : Some water goes under the canoe , while some water piles up into the side of the hull
By heeling the opposite way , to the offside , the hull creates more of a ‘ planing ’ effect :
Sideslip is moving this direction
Waterline
Waterline
Stern view : heeling away from a Sideslip : Much more water goes under the canoe , while less water piles up into the side of the hull
These two illustrations are views from behind the canoe , as it ’ s moving away from the viewer . In the first illustration , the canoe is sideslipping to the right while heeled to the right , and the steeper attitude of the canoe ’ s hull creates the ‘ snowplough ’ effect , pushing water in front of the hull . In the second illustration , the canoe is also sideslipping to the right , but the shallower angle of the hull creates more of a ‘ planing ’ effect , moving the canoe over the water more efficiently .
A prying sideslip causes the canoe to move away from the paddle side . The differences between a Drawing and a Prying Sideslip are the paddle position and angle and the direction of the heel . The paddle is placed just a bit forward of the paddler ’ s hip , closer to the paddler ’ s knee , and the leading edge is angled in , again not more than 15 degrees :
Sideslip direction of movement
Once again , note the angle at which the paddle blade is situated : the blade ’ s leading ( forward ) edge points toward the intended direction of the Sideslip !
Remember that ‘ arrow ’ pointing straight out of the paddle blade face ? It must still point between the paddler ’ s tailbone and belly button . And it still takes some experimentation to find the correct placement position to make it work without turning – practice , practice , practice .
Of course , these same Sideslips can be applied as cross manoeuvres , reverse manoeuvres , and cross reverse manoeuvres , but get the onside forward Sideslips working before you even think of the other applications . Remember that Sideslips only work if the canoe moves ; if you ’ re on a river , the canoe must move faster than the water . This skill is best learned on flat water , first !
Tandem sideslips take a bit of coordination between the tandem paddlers but are easier , though that ’ s another article !
Original direction of movement
Prying Sideslip pushes the canoe away the paddle side
ThePADDLER 111