No Straight Lines
Posted by: TommyC1
on Oct-03-12 6:59 AM (EST)
-- Last Updated: Oct-03-12 6:59 AM EST --
It's an absolute waste of such a fine hull to attempt to paddle it straight.
That hull cries out for arcs and circles. It will paddle more efficiently if you don't fight that.
The shortest distance between two points is a series of alternating arcs.
The Bill Mason video is great for learning basic stokes but predates hulls like the Guide/Freedom Solo. Kent Fords "Solo Playboating" and "Drill Time" as well as Tom Foster's instructional video are geared towards whitewater paddling but those techniques will make the Guide shine.
Attending some Freestyle classes as Mr. Ornstein suggests above would really get you going. Practical Freestyle is simply adapting those techniques to quiet water paddling.