The draw stroke is an effective method of pulling your kayak to the side without turning.
Once you’ve learned how to paddle forward and in reverse, you may want to learn the draw stroke. This stroke is also called “pulling” the kayak, and will help you to move from side to side in the kayak. This stroke is also somewhat more difficult than the regular forward and reverse strokes, so you may need to take some extra time to learn it.
This stroke is primarily useful for avoiding obstacles, though it is also useful for people who do whitewater kayaking so that they can make sure their kayak is properly lined up with the rapids.
First, you will need to turn your body a little bit toward the place you are planning on moving the kayak towards. Then, you should raise the arm that is farther away from that side of the kayak.
You should reach as far away from your kayak as you can and put the paddle blade into the water. Then, pull the paddle closer to your kayak (you should be aiming somewhere between your hips and thighs.
You should keep in mind that when you are doing the draw stroke, you want to keep the kayak paddle as vertical as possible. That way, you will not be losing any power in the draw stroke.
Make sure that you also pull your paddle out of the water before you hit the kayak, as otherwise you may do some damage either to the kayak or to the paddle you are using. If you are noticing that the draw stroke is not working properly for you, then you should adjust your technique as needed until the kayak is pulling entirely in the direction that you want it to.
