WHITEWATER INSTRUCTIONAL SERIES

Mastering the Whitewater Kayak S Turn

Hey everyone, Simon here from AQ Outdoors, and welcome to our Whitewater Kayak Skills online video series. In this comprehensive lesson, we'll be breaking down the S turn. We will cover two essential techniques: the midstream S turn and the eddy-to-eddy S turn. Let's dive in and explore these dynamic maneuvers that will enhance your paddling skills and confidence on the river.

Prerequisites for the S Turn

Before tackling the S turn, you need to be very comfortable with performing carving eddy turns using sweep strokes for direction control and have good edge control when crossing eddy lines. To ensure you have the greatest possibility of success at performing this skill, it’s crucial to find the right location.

Part one:
Midstream S Turn

Finding the Right Location

To perform a midstream S turn, you'll need a midstream boulder that creates an eddy with defined eddy lines on both sides. You'll also need ample room to set up above and room to exit with speed below. If the site allows you to attain back upstream, that's perfect as it allows you to repeat the skill multiple times to really start getting a solid feel for it.

Performing the Midstream S Turn

Now that we've found a great location, let’s get started. Here’s an example of the midstream S turn in action.

Key Points to Note:

• Angle and Speed: Set your angle and generate cross current speed towards the top of the eddy you are using.
• Crossing the Eddy Line: As you drive across the eddy line, use inside sweep strokes, hanging stern draws, or inside power strokes to continue building cross current speed.
• Boat Positioning: The boat should never be pointing upstream at the feature creating the eddy. As you near the exit of the eddy, ensure your boat has a good exit eddy turn angle as you cross the eddy line and enter the main flow.
• Maintaining Speed: Continue to generate carving speed across the current and when in position with proactive strokes, allow the boat to turn downstream.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

• Insufficient Cross Current Speed: Not generating enough cross current speed to cross the eddy line can cause the boat to spin on the eddy line, losing all cross current speed.
• Improper Boat Angle: If the boat angle is not upstream enough when leaving the eddy, the kayak can spin downstream, killing all cross current momentum.

part two:
Eddy-to-Eddy S Turn

Finding the Right Location

To perform an S turn from one eddy to another, you need a location with two eddies, one slightly upstream of the other, and an obstruction-free path between the two. Ideally, the eddies will have sharp defined eddy lines, and the distance between the two won’t be too great. If the site allows you to attain back upstream, that's perfect, as it allows you to repeat the skill multiple times to develop a solid feel for it.

Performing the Eddy-to-Eddy S Turn

Now that we've found a great location, let’s get started. Here’s an example of the eddy-to-eddy S turn in action.

Key Points to Note:

• Aggressive Upstream Angle: Leave at the top of the eddy with an aggressive upstream angle.
• Control the Angle: Drive the boat across current, controlling the angle of the boat to ensure it is moving in an arc and not turning quickly downstream.
• Crossing the Eddy Line: Use inside sweep strokes, hanging stern draws, or inside power strokes to continue building cross current speed.
• Entering the Eddy: As you near the eddy you are entering, allow the angle of the boat to move slightly downstream in preparation to cross the eddy line. Continue to generate carving momentum all the way into the eddy.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

• Inadequate Upstream Angle: When leaving the eddy at the start of the move, if the boat isn’t angled aggressively enough upstream, it simply turns downstream and no cross current speed is attained.
• Incorrect Angle When Entering Eddy: If the boat angle is too far upstream when entering the eddy, it can cause the paddler to spin out on the eddy line and likely not complete the move successfully. Conversely, if the boat angle of entry is too far downstream, the paddler is simply rejected by the eddy line due to insufficient penetrating cross current speed.

The Importance of the S Turn

The S turn is used to efficiently maneuver around the river, using river features to help generate cross current momentum. Whether performing midstream or eddy-to-eddy S turns, this technique helps slow the paddler down, providing more time to make moves and get where you need to go.

Benefits of the S Turn

S turns are a crucial part of running more complex whitewater. They help us become better at using river features to position ourselves rather than trying to muscle our way around the river. For intermediate and advanced paddlers, this dynamic skill set, once dialed in, will allow you to move around the river with confidence and efficiency. Ultimately, it will make rapids feel easier and more fun, helping you take your paddling to the next level.

Thanks so much for checking out our S turn lesson. Visit the "learn" section of our website for other great learniing resources. Happy paddling!