Paddling Techniques & Skills Flashcards
7 cards from real ACA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Paddling Techniques & Skills flashcards as text
What is the key biomechanical principle behind an efficient forward paddle stroke?
Answer: Rotating the torso to engage core and large back muscles
Torso rotation engages the powerful core and back muscles, reducing arm fatigue and generating more powerful, sustained strokes.
During an ACA skills assessment, a paddler consistently slips their blade through the water during the catch phase. What should the instructor diagnose?
Answer: Blade is not fully submerged, causing a flutter or slip
A slipping or fluttering blade at the catch means it is not fully buried before the power phase begins, wasting effort and reducing efficiency.
Which type of rudder stroke is best suited for maintaining a straight course in a following sea without losing speed?
Answer: Stern rudder
The stern rudder acts as a passive steering correction at the end of a stroke, allowing the paddler to track straight with minimal speed loss.
A student struggles to hold a ferry angle in moving water. What is the most likely cause?
Answer: Not maintaining a consistent angle relative to the current
A successful ferry requires holding a precise upstream angle; letting the angle collapse allows the current to spin the boat downstream.
What is the function of the Duffek (bow draw) stroke in whitewater kayaking?
Answer: To carve a sharp turn toward the paddle side while carrying momentum
The Duffek places the blade forward and out to the side; the paddler plants it like a pivot point and the boat swings toward it using existing momentum.
When teaching the high brace, what common error most often leads to shoulder injury?
Answer: Raising the hands above the head with elbows extended
Hands above the head with extended elbows places the shoulder in an impingement-prone position; force on the brace can dislocate the joint.
In an ACA instructor course, what does 'blade path' primarily refer to?
Answer: The track the blade travels through the water during a stroke
Blade path describes the trajectory the blade takes through the water, which determines whether a stroke is propulsive, turning, or bracing in effect.