Mirage OASIS Owner's Manual download pdf (Page 11)

Paddling

You can choose to paddle,

pedal or combine the two.

These guidelines will help you

to get started.

To start, sit in your kayak.

Your backside should be all

the way back in the seat and

your knees comfortably bent.

To find the proper footwell,

straighten your legs all the

way out and then bring them

back one footwell. If your legs

are too outstretched, you may experience strain on your

lower back. If your knees are bent too much, you may end

up knocking your kneecaps while paddling.

For proper hand placement on your paddle, start with your

hands about a shoulder’s width apart. If you place the center

of the paddle on top of your head, your elbows should form

slightly less than a 90 degree angle. There should be an

equal amount of paddle shaft beyond each of your hands.

Some paddles may have the blades offset, or “feathered”,

at some degree from parallel. A feathered paddle presents

less surface area for the wind to catch as that blade moves

forward through the air. Some paddles have a flattened spot

along the paddle shaft that will help keep your “control” hand

in a fixed position. However, a special technique must be

used to get each blade in the water. If the paddle is right-

hand controlled (when the right blade is held vertical, the left

blade “scoop” is pointed mostly up), the right hand will stay

tight and the left hand loose. To learn the process, hold the

paddle tight in your right hand and loose in your left. Using

the right hand, rotate the paddle blade back and forth; it

should spin in your left hand. Now take a stroke on your right,

then cock your right wrist back (left hand staying loose and

somewhat open) and take a stroke on your left. If using a

left-hand control paddle, reverse the process. The left hand

stays tight and the right hand loose.

The basic paddle stroke will give you forward power. Place

a paddle blade in the water near your toes. Pull the paddle

blade back alongside the boat to approximately your hip area

while your opposite hand and paddle blade move forward.

Then lift the first paddle blade out of the water while lowering

the second blade into the water and take a stroke with the

other side.

If you pull the paddle out and away from the hull in an arc, it

will force the bow of the boat to swing away from the paddle

blade. This is called a “sweep stroke” and is used to turn the

boat.

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Mirage OASIS Owner's Manual Page 11

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