High Brace

Orkney Sea Kayaking Association

Kayaking around Orkney - an archipelago of islands off the North coast of Scotland
High Brace (or High Recovery Stroke)

The terms High Brace and High Recovery Stroke are often used interchangably, however, there is a slight difference.  A brace generally denotes a static stroke where you are using the water for support, i.e.  bracing into a wave.  The high recovery is more dynamic and requires you to undertake an action to recover the kayak.  Thus it can be performed on flat water, for example, during a canoe polo match, where it is the dynamic action of the stroke combined with body movement, rather than the support of the water, that will keep you up right.

Of most importance is to keep your hands and arms within the 'safety box' in order to minimise injury.  I know I go on about it, but I did once see someone dislocate their shoulder while not doing anything dramatic so it is a genuine risk and it was horrible to see!

We talk a lot about the low brace 'monkey position' and it's good to think of the high brace position as an upside down 'monkey'. Start with your paddle in monkey position then flip your arms so that the paddle drive face is now nearest the water.  In order to obtain support, the paddle needs to move out to the side so we can think about 'Upside down monkey picking his nose'.  Ken Whiting illustrates well that the paddle remains parallel to the water but that the drive face is used in the recovery.  Note also his emphasis on head postion and the way that the head ALWAYS comes up last.

Ken talks alot about slapping the water, but all that he is emphasising is that the blade is parallel to the water surface in order to obtain maximum support.  You don't have to actively slap the water in order for your recovery stroke to be very effective.  When he refers to the hip snap, he literally means the act of using your lower body to right the boat.  Think about lifting the knee closest to the water up in order to right the boat.

'Floppy head' is key in perfecting low recovery, high recovery and rolls; indeed, there are many similarities between a high recovery and a  C to C roll.