By Ray Goodwin

Thanks to Venture Canoes, NRS and Freebird Paddles.

Ray Goodwin’s website:
www.RayGoodwin.com

Ray’s YouTube Channel is:
www.youtube.com/c/
RayGoodwinCanoe

Ray Goodwin’s Poling (Part 1)

If you have ever been frustrated, on long shallow areas of a river, shoving off the bottom with a paddle, then poling is for you. Poling gives us a practical way to make progress, whether upstream or down when the water is shallow.

In previous times, wooden poles were cut and shaped when and where needed. Some will stick with wood for the aesthetics, but glass fibre, Kevlar or aluminium poles are very convenient and light. They usually have a split in the middle, so they are thrown into the car for transportation and stow easily in a canoe. All of the poling sequences in the photographs show this type of pole. The inside is packed with foam and the ends capped. They can bend excessively under a dynamic push, and the end caps are slightly rounded, so they do not get the best grip on the riverbed. You can also use them as the mast and gaff of a sailing rig. For harder poling, I have a single piece of aluminium with a spike on each end.

There are two leading schools of thought on stance and balance. Many advocate a diagonal stance (photo 1 below) where the feet are wide and diagonal across the canoe. However, many of us have moved over to the style of the competition poler, where the feet are wide and square (photo 2 below) across the canoe. I use a diagonal stance on occasion but, for the vast majority of the time, and certainly when it gets hard, I will be square. The square stance enables you to use edging to steer the canoe and swap poling side with ease.

The pole can be used very effectively as a paddle, whether kneeling or stood (photo 3 below). If I suddenly go from shallow to deep water or lose control rapidly, I do not reach for a paddle but will continue with using the pole as a paddle.

You can even use the pole to pull turns (photo 5 below). Here I have both hands at the end of the pole and have swung the other end cross-deck. I was effectively using the pole for a cross-deck bow rudder or bow draw. Combined with a sweep on the other side, effective and tight turns are possible. And, of course, we can trail the pole and use it as a rudder (photo 6 below).

Note: In all the photos, I keep my legs flexed to absorb and control movement in the canoe.

Like so much of our paddling in any craft, we can use edging to control or create turns or maintain stability on eddylines. Getting used to edging is vital. In one exercise, the feet are spread across the canoe, and you pump the weight from one foot to the other. The body remains upright, and it is merely a swift transfer of weight from foot to foot. Stability will vary from canoe to canoe.

Another helpful exercise (photo 7 below) involves using the pole to provide a low brace to the water or, if you are cautious, to the river bed; weight is then transferred to the right foot. The left toes are still in contact and are ready to push down and flatten the canoe. The body is upright with the weight above the right foot and inside the canoe.

Once we start using the bed of the lake or river, then our grip on the pole needs to be thought about.

There are two basic grips, first a kayak grip (photo 8 below) and second A baseball or rounders grip (photo 9 below). It is this grip that will be used almost exclusively when poling off the bottom. Both hands have the thumbs on the top for a power grip. With the pole angled, you can push the canoe forwards. (If it is too vertical, you will lift yourself rather than push the canoe.)

With the pole at 45 degrees, you can put effort into the push. In straightforward situations, the arms and body rotation do the work. When more power is needed, use your full weight by flexing the knees and dropping the body. Once your body has rotated, and the pole is at the end of the useful thrust, the canoe has forward speed. Steerage can be achieved by using the pole as a rudder.

An important aspect of this style of poling is the ability to swap sides at speed (Photo 10 and 11 below). At the end of the push, you reach back with the rear hand and turn it, so your hand points down the pole. The left-hand lifts the pole beginning to swing the forward end of the pole to the opposite side of the canoe. The right hand will swap directions as the pole swings across. Both thumbs are now up and in the power grip position.

There are times when it is easy; I will keep the pole on one side of the canoe (Photo 12 below). Travelling at speed, I alternate the end of the pole in use: windmilling. As I finish one push, I use the same lift as before with reversing the rear hand to start the process, but now I will drop the other end of the pole into the water ahead of me. Speed will carry me past the pole, and I won’t push until the pole is behind me. Remember, we want forward impetus, not lift.

Climbing a simple rapid

Once in a rapid, then we can use a wide variety of techniques (photos 13 and 14 below). Here the pole has a secure placement on the river bed, so I have chosen to climb the pole hand over hand. A quick push off of the top of the pole gives the chance to recover the pole forward for the next placement.

Here, the canoe is in a small eddy (photos 15 and 16 below). To put the nose back across to my right, I have dropped the left edge, planted the pole and am now using the pole to swing the nose. The rear hand is pulling in, and the top hand thrusting across to my left.

Note: the canoe is bow light for upstream travel.

Snubbing

When travelling downstream, you will generally drive the boat forwards, so use the same techniques as going upstream. Snubbing is a way of slowing the boat down and controlling its speed while going downstream in shallow water. You may occasionally want to slow the canoe while travelling downstream. You can even use a series of reverse ferries with the pole. In the days of birch bark canoes, snubbing protected the bow in shallow rapids.

The canoe is stern light, I am ahead of the midpoint, so the upstream current does not grab the stern and turn the boat. My feet are square across the canoe. I keep the pole stretched out in front of me and at as low an angle as reasonable. If I am slowing the boat, I will jab at the bottom rather than try to stop dead. When the pole is planted, I can move the bow to and from the pole. I will not cross the pole across my body when slowing the boat, and it is too easy for the pole to jam and knock you out of the canoe. I may have it across me during a descent, but only to give the boat a quick sideways push.

Remember: there are only two types of poler, those of us that have swum and those of you that are going to.

English Canoe Symposium

It was the English Canoe Symposium, and the main guest was Harry Rock, the American poling champion. I had been running workshops through the weekend, and Sunday evening was my first chance to chat with Harry. He was delighted to discuss the merits of square stance poling but was undoubtedly not dogmatic about it. I had used and taught a diagonal stance for years, so I looked forward to learning from and bouncing ideas with Mr Rock the following day.

Ash and I were there early and got kitted up. Someone made rude comments about my lack of optimism in donning a drysuit. Ash and I were quickly on the water and, before the session proper started, we were attempting to climb the rapid and ledge above Brathay Pool. The route was awkward and even getting to the ledge was hard. The ledge stopped both of us, and we were burning a lot of energy. The majority of the group were still on the bank, but Harry was now on the water.

With no fuss, Harry headed upstream towards us. The awkward rapid now appeared straightforward, and his canoe climbed up and over the ledge with fluent ease. Ash and I could only look on with envy. Harry said nothing, but his body language was asking, “Ok boys, do you want some of this?”

Yes, Mr Rock, we did!

After more than a day of brutal carrying and dragging sledging down the Carnoch (Knoydart), I was glad to take to the water again. It was shallow, but the pole provided a welcome respite to the previous efforts.