1999
Tandem Canoeing the Tandem Eddy Turn
Reprinted with permission from the Web Site of the Rocky Mountain Canoe Club
by Bob and Jill Stoecker
Again, we are focusing on technique that is unique to tandem canoeing. Whitewater tandem receives little very attention in the literature. So, after learning many things on our own, and watching the best open boaters in the country compete at the Open Canoe Nationals, we have assimilated some nuances of technique that we would like to pass along.
The stern's timing on approaching the eddy. Building on current instructional standards, the stern paddler should not only initiate the turn just before the eddyline, but should delay the lean momentarily until the boat is cutting through the eddyline. There are two reasons for this: First, the stern needs to deliver maximum power quickly when initiating the turn by way of a pry or sweep. Maximum power is compromised if the boat is leaned at this same instant (as is sometimes recommended). The sweep, in particular, is difficult for the stern paddler to do while simultaneously leaning the boat to his offside. Secondly, delaying the lean will let you get bow and stern leans in sync, which facilitates a snappy turn.
Bow strokes on approaching the eddy. Last minute adjustments are often needed to get the boat exactly where you want it. The bow paddler should anticipate making a draw or pry adjustment (or a sweep or slice in lieu of a pry) to avoid hitting the rock or coming in too low. A shallow pry often works well (reducing the chances of catching a rock), and can be done with several quick pumps of the blade if necessary.
Bow strokes while turning into the eddy. There are a lot of options here, but we would like to hit only two, and they are concerned with turns to the bow paddler's offside. Initiate a cross-bow draw with an onside bow sweep. The sweep pushes the bow to the offside, increasing the effectiveness of the cross-bow draw. And for a really exciting offside bow turn, try a sweep-pry combination (no crossing over). The sweep provides power and a moderate turning component; the pry is deep in this case and is quickly jammed into the gunwale, a "jam pry." The jam pry quickly turns the boat and shoves it up next to the rock. A word of caution, stern paddler: When that jam pry hits, it rolls the boat to the bow's onside, so be ready on your lean and ready to high brace.
Bow strokes once in the eddy. The bow paddler can importantly assist pulling the boat up into the eddy by rapidly delivering several forward (or cross-forward) strokes after the turning stroke (draw, Duffek, or whatever). This forward power in the bow also counteracts the tendency of the boat to continue through its arc and peel out prematurely. The stern paddler will appreciate this, particularly near the completion of a stern offside turn, where stern power continues to turn the boat and to drive it back out into the current. On a stern onside turn, the stern paddler can help the bow paddler move the boat ahead by reaching way forward (in the bow paddler's offside quadrant) and delivering a long forward stroke.
Boat lean. This recommendation comes from Foster and Kelly's book Catch Every Eddy. The bow paddler controls the amount of lean for a bow onside turn. The stern paddler controls the amount of lean for a stern onside turn. The authors do not say why, but we find this helps to coordinate boat lean and to smooth out the turn. Both paddlers should hold their lean until the turn is completed to prevent getting flipped. A final point, leaning the boat to the bow paddler's onside tends to be difficult for both paddlers. The bow paddler must lean out and across the eddyline at the exact moment. The stern paddler must lean to his offside at the same instant the bow paddler leans, using a lower body J-lean (body over the centerline with the paddle poised over the stern's onside gunwale), a difficult balancing act.
The stern cross-over. Although a stern cross-over stroke finds its greatest application in slalom racing, there are two recreational situations when it is useful:
(1) Some tandem boats (e.g., the Dimension) turn much better when leaned dramatically. During a stern offside eddy turn, a stern cross-over (followed by a draw) will get that gunwale down, which is difficult to do using only body lean, as described in the previous paragraph.
(2) When continued power is needed during a turn to the stern's offside (in an eddy or elsewhere), the stern paddler will kill speed if a pry is used to halt the turning boat. A stern cross-over (followed by several cross-forward strokes) will supply forward power and at the same time counteract the boat's desire to keep on turning. The stern paddler should deliver several cross-forward strokes, staying in sync with the bow paddler to avoid clashing paddles, and drive the boat forward on its new course. We would only recommend that this maneuver not be over worked; don't use it unless you really need it (and can actually do it) because it's chancy and error prone. Also, you should know that some instructors recommend that the bow paddler get the canoe going on its new course using strong forward strokes, and that the stern paddler stay back there on his own side and use pries to stop the turning boat. But for us, this is not as effective as a stern cross-over.
