To paddle a kayak, sit up straight with your feet on the foot rests, hold the paddle loosely with your hands a little wider than your shoulders, and turn your torso to drive each stroke instead of pulling with your arms. Wear a life jacket every time.
WaterSportHQ editors have not paddled for this page. The steps below come from the sources named next to them. Anything without a source is marked “Editors’ rule of thumb”.
Sit and grip the paddle
Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine’s paddling skill guide says to start “by sitting up straight in the kayak, with your nose over your belly button,” with knees slightly bent and feet against the foot rests, and to hold the paddle “with a soft grip at shoulder width, elbows at a right angle” (Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine).
The Adventure Junkies’ technique guide agrees on a loose grip (“slightly opened fingers and a relaxed grip”) but puts the hands “a bit more than your shoulder width” apart, with elbows at about 90 degrees (The Adventure Junkies). The two sources differ slightly on hand spacing. Start at shoulder width and adjust.
Editors’ rule of thumb: check which way the blades face before you start, since the sources above do not cover blade orientation. If your paddle is adjustable, the kayak paddle guide covers length and blade shape.
Forward stroke
The Adventure Junkies call the forward stroke “the most important of them all.” Texas Parks & Wildlife’s guide says to “twist your torso for your strokes to preserve your stamina,” and to experiment with where the blade enters, “as too close results in lost power and too far out causes the kayak to turn.”
Editors’ rule of thumb: think of the stroke in three parts, plant the blade near your feet, unwind your torso to pull the blade back past your hip, then lift it out and swing the other blade forward. Keep your arms in a loose box in front of your chest so your body, not your arms, does the work.
Stop and reverse
Texas Parks & Wildlife’s guide gives two moves. To stop, “plant your paddle blade into the water in an upright position right at or just behind your hip.” To go backward, “use the back side of the paddle blade” and keep it “close and perpendicular to the kayak.”
Turn with a sweep stroke
The same guide says “the most common stroke to turn a kayak is the sweep,” and advises: “Avoid leaning into your stroke, but rather turn your head and torso.” Editors’ rule of thumb: sweep wide, from near your feet out to the stern, on the side opposite the direction you want to turn.
Move sideways with a draw stroke
Kayarchy’s draw stroke guide (Kayarchy) says to turn your upper body toward the side you want to move, reach out and “plant the blade in the water about 2 feet from the side of the kayak,” pull it toward the boat, and “lift the active blade out of the water before it meets the side of your kayak.” Repeat to keep moving sideways.
Kayarchy also warns that “a beginner is likely to feel unstable when trying draw strokes for the first time,” and that if the blade hits the hull “you will do an instant capsize towards the paddle.” Try it in calm, shallow water first.
Getting in from shore
NRS describes a rocky-shore entry: with the kayak parallel to shore, “place the paddle behind the cockpit with one paddle blade resting on the rocks,” then “slide your butt into the seat.” It adds that “you can get out of the boat the same way” (NRS, getting in and out of a kayak). Editors’ rule of thumb: keep your weight low and centered while you sit down.
Safety: life jacket and cold water
The National Park Service says “cold water shock is a major factor in boating fatalities when water temperatures are less than 70 degrees,” and that it “often occurs in water temperatures above 50 degrees.” It also advises clothing “that still insulates when wet such as fleece, polypropylene, or other synthetic materials” and says “never boat alone” (NPS, Upper Delaware cold water life jacket notice). That notice is about one river and one season, but the cold-water points apply anywhere.
If your kayak feels wrong
Poor fit makes every stroke harder. See how to choose a kayak and what size kayak you need.