Jonathan Hanson Jonathan Hanson Jonathan Hanson is a paddler and writer whose lifelong appreciation of nature shows up frequently in his work. Meet Jonathan Previous Answers

To paddle in a straight line you should adopt an upright but relaxed posture, and plant your blade in the water close to the side, or gunwale, of the canoe an easy reach in front of you. The shaft of the paddle should be nearly straight up and down, not angled with the blade away from the boat and the grip inside (in fact in some narrow canoes it's possible to slightly angle the blade under the hull during the stroke). Don't try to make the stroke too long: as the paddle angles up behind you it does more lifting of water than propulsion. Lift the blade cleanly just as it passes you, striving for as little splash as possible.

Remember to use your whole upper body during the stroke. You'll gain power and reduce fatigue. Get your shoulders and upper back into it as well as your arms, and rotate your torso. If you're paddling into a headwind, you can feather the paddle to reduce windage: As the blade comes out of the water rotate the thumb of your control hand (the one on the grip) down and forward to turn the blade parallel to the water, with the power face up, so it cuts through the wind instead of pushing it.

To turn your forward stroke into a J-stroke (which helps maintain a straight course if you are paddling solo), turn your control thumb the same way, but shortly before the end of the stroke, so the blade turns away from the boat in a "J" in the final few inches of the stroke. This last push counteracts the opposite push of the rest of the stroke, keeping the bow on course. To picture it, imagine you're in the stern stroking on the right side of the canoe. Your push with the paddle, even if executed close to the boat, still makes the bow want to yaw to the left just a bit. The J-stroke push out from the stern moves the stern left and the bow right an inch or so, regaining the proper course. The J-stroke is viewed as magic by novice paddlers, but it is actually very simple to master.

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