Stern Rudder

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Key Points Boat underway (ultimately used to surf) Posture (Upright) Torso Rotates (90 degrees if possible) Blade Immersed Low Shaft Angle Offside Arm Over Center of Spraydeck (over the side of boat if possible) Push/Pull Action to steer boat (Front hand!) Both Hands Over the Water Feather Recovery

The Stern Rudder

A stern rudder is used for small variations in your direction and, as such, is most often used to keep you going in a straight line. This stroke comes into its own when used at speed either when surfing waves or ferry gliding.

The first part of a back sweep. Rotate your torso to the stroke side, put the blade in the water close to the boat at the stern and push or pry the back of the blade out and away. This is an easy way to get a kayak to turn, but it has a braking effect, slowing you down so use it quickly and sparingly. A very powerful turning stroke when you really lay on it, it is the stroke of last resort when a broach must be dealt with firmly but be careful not to get the blade so deep that you can't snatch it from the water before your sliding stern runs over it and trips.

The stern rudder is easily learned, but you should use it sparingly as a tool for steering correction. To rudder; plant the blade to the rear of the cockpit—but remember your hydrodynamics. For the rudder to be effective, the boat must be moving forward against the rudder's resistance.

The disadvantage of the rudder is that it is a drag, literally speaking. The rudder retards forward movement. When possible and comfortable use a forward sweep instead. You get steering control while maintaining momentum. And remember that momentum—movement relative to the water—is the key to stability. An injudicious stern rudder the middle of a set of waves can leave you caught in the trough, with angry white stuff looming over your head and licking its chops in anticipation of chewing on you.

The Technique - Refined
To start with paddle forwards and get some forward momentum going. If this stroke is new to you then after your last paddle stroke take the paddle out the water and place one of the blades at the back of the kayak with the drive face facing and parrallel to the kayak. The whole blade should be in the water. The other blade shouldn't be in the water but just above it so that the paddle is relatively horizontal. Once you have had some practice doing it this way then try continuing your last forward paddle stroke all the way round to the back of the kayak and straight into the stern rudder. The rudder (i.e back blade) can then be pushed away from the kayak slightly to turn you, and then brought it again to pull you the other way. This gives you a lot of directional control over the boat. Another way of changing direction with the rudder is to feather the blade, so by twisting your wrists you will put the blade at a different angle in the water and this will cause the water to run over the paddle differently causing you to turn, you can feather it different amounts and different directions to turn you different amounts and different directions respectively. Once you have turned put the blade back at the normal angle to carry on going straight. This feathering technique is particularly usefull when you you are turning away from the paddle and you cant bring the blade in any further to compensate, just feather the blade instead. It doesnt have as much power as moving the blade but it is good for small refinements.