I’ve written about this before, but in case you missed it, I used to huli all the time. I mean A LOT. My first Molokai OC-1 solo I hulied 30 seconds into the race. My first Hawaii State race I hulied SEVEN times. I hulied paddling upwind, downwind, side wind, no wind, even random hulis while sitting and waiting for people. Huli Queen.
From huli queen to fastest huli recovery ever
Because of all these hulis, I got really good at getting back on my canoe. I can get my canoe flipped back over and be sitting in the seat in ten seconds or less in pretty much any conditions. I don’t even get my hair wet.
Eventually, I started practicing my brace stroke deliberately. It’s part of my warm up and warm down during every single session, even today. My brace stroke is rock solid now, and I can handle my ama nicely under nearly all conditions. But most importantly, when I’m in the ocean, I don’t lean left anymore.
Brace stroke = sitting centered and solid surfing
With a solid brace stroke I had more confidence in myself when paddling on the right. I started sitting more centered in the canoe. This made a gigantic difference for so many aspects of my paddling, not least of all alleviating hip and back pain, but especially in boosting my confidence in surfing my canoe.
It’s my mission to help mentor you in the right direction so you can have a shorter learning curve than I did. I’ve been coaching paddling for over a decade and I know that it’s a normal part of the learning process to not know how to brace, to lean left, and to huli a lot.
In the detailed article below I’m going to explain how you can develop your brace stroke.
You can also watch the video here: https://youtu.be/N5tIcgO5duY
Brace Yourself – How To Fly Your Ama
When you first start paddling an OC-1, it’s normal to feel unstable. To counter this feeling, most people lean left, especially when they are paddling on the right (non-ama) side. Many people don’t realize they are also leaning left when they are paddling on the left side. This isn’t great for your technique, for your stability, for your body or for how the canoe runs on the water.
A solid brace stroke is the single most important OC-1 skill to master.
With a strong brace stroke you can stop yourself from huli-ing. You will feel more confident in rough water. You’ll be able to sit more centered and stop leaning left, which is great for your body. You’ll also realize that paddling on the right side is the safe side. That’s right, the right side is the safe side.
Through the process of learning to use a brace stroke you will also be able to fly your ama. This is a fun byproduct of an essential skill. But remember, you aren’t learning to brace so you can fly your ama, you are learning to brace so you can stop a huli and develop better balance in your canoe, so that you are more centered and more confident.
Over many years of coaching OC-1, I’ve developed a five-step process that I teach in my camps and clinics that will work for you too.
Step 1) Paddle placement
While sitting stationary on your canoe, not paddling, practice placing your paddle on the water to your right with the backside facing up, with the blade extended as far away from your body as you can. Your left hand (holding the T-grip) should be resting in the middle or outside of your right thigh. Keep the paddle perpendicular to the canoe, not in front or behind your torso. You want to practice this placement over and over so it feels natural.
Step 2) Hip movement
Still stationary, and with your paddle on the right side, extended out and touching the water, but not paddling, move your hips side to side, rocking your canoe back and forth under your body. Your ama should come off the water repeatedly and come back down, making a slapping sound. Loosen up and wiggle your hips. The goal is to get comfortable with moving your hips independently from your upper body, and with the ama bouncing on the water.
Step 3) Skim your paddle
Take a few strokes to get your canoe going, then stop paddling. While your canoe is gliding, practice Step 1, placing your paddle on the water to your right. Let your blade lightly skim the water without slowing you down. Make sure your paddle is far enough away to create leverage. Read Step 1 again to check that you have the right position. The goal is to get comfortable with the canoe gliding while your paddle is away from your body and skimming the surface.
Step 4) Drag and stop
Repeat Step 3, but this time apply pressure to the paddle with your right hand. One way to do this is by turning your wrist to rotate the paddle slightly, effectively putting the brakes on to stop the canoe. This gives you a sense of how much pressure you need to apply (a lot) and what applying pressure does to the canoe speed. Do not underestimate the importance of this step – when you really need your brace stroke you need to lean on your paddle hard.
Step 5) Skim and lean
Repeat Step 3, but this time shift your hips to the right to lift the ama while you put a little pressure on your paddle as you skim the surface. Subtle movements should do it, and if not, try more dramatic movements.
A few tips
You likely will not learn to brace without huli-ing.
Set yourself up for success by adopting the mindset that you are going out to specifically practice your brace stroke and practice recovering from a huli. It’s also helpful to do this in flat water and close to shore.
You have to commit to leaning to the right.
You probably have developed the habit of throwing your body weight left at the slightest pop or hint of instability, otherwise known as hugging the ama. Don’t worry, you aren’t the only one. And, you will have to retrain your brain not to do this. You need to train yourself to instinctively react by leaning right and using your brace stroke. I can’t stress enough – you will have to lean out to the right and put a lot of pressure on your paddle for your brace stroke to be effective in stopping a huli.
Give up the excuses.
I know you can find plenty of excuses not to practice. I’ve heard a lot of them. I challenge you to be determined to practice making your brace stroke dependable and instinctive.
Experience and practice will give you confidence.
A good brace stroke is the number one essential skill you need to master to get more growth, success and joy out of paddling your OC-1. Learn to fly your ama so you can stop yourself from huli-ing and soon you’ll be saying “The right side is the safe side!”
I’ve taught this skill to a lot of people, with a range of experience and ability. You can teach yourself by following the steps listed above and watching this video https://youtu.be/N5tIcgO5duY
You’ve got this.