Hey Earl, thank for some great info. What do you think about incorporating that swivel seat in ultralights OC6? Looks like you could get a little more power transmitted from the legs by preload the off leg by the actions of the other. Maybe just a second per, but how knows...... Just a thought.

VA'A TECHNIQUES EXPLAINED BY GÉRARD TEIVA, TEAM OPT TRAINER
The Va'a, as we know it today, exists only since the 80's. It's the time of the creation of the Federation, the first clubs and especially the evolution of the material. It is a period of in-between where the elders have been able to inspire the new ones by sharing their knowledge, experience and techniques.

Before the creation of the first Va'a Federation, only the districts practiced this sport, finally reserved for an elite. To be part of the teams competing at the Tiurai * competitions, it was necessary to prove oneself. At that time, Teahupoo * reigned, then came the turn of Mayor Nui (Tautira). Two very different schools but sharing the same base: Huti Paari *.

HUTI PAARI
The Huti Paari is the golden rule of the ancestors of the Va'a: "Far ahead and deep. Do not shoot with the hand but with the whole body to slide the canoe "says Gerard. Adapted to the straight rays without T used in the 80s, the Huti Paari is considered the technique of speed picking par excellence. "You call your oar ahead and you're leaving," Gerard shows me the movement with a stick found on the ground, and suddenly I feel the pace. The frantic rhythm that the rower gives to the pirogue can be likened to a dance that starts slowly but never stops.

"Far ahead and deep. Do not shoot with the hand but with the whole body to slide the pirogue »
Huti Paari is a technique that is used less nowadays. Firstly because of the evolution of the material. Indeed, rowers adapt their techniques to the types of canoes or oars with which they train daily. A train in T will not require the same movements as a right train, for example. Then comes the sensation. The rowers will favor the feeling of speed, it will dictate the stroke of rowing. Hence the arrival of a new technique: the Huti Pe'e *

HUTI PE'E
Huti Pe'e keeps a steady pace. It is about attack here: the rower hits the water of his oar and this more and more quickly. This technique can vary depending on the swell since the rower adapts the pace and the stroke of oar to the water. "Pe'e means attacking the water faster by making a quick return," explains Gérard. Indeed, the canoe must be propelled forward with each stroke of oar.

"Pe'e means to propel, to throw"
Huti Paari and Huti Pe'e are techniques to maintain and / or increase speed. But these techniques could not be effective without a good boost: the Pine *.

THE PINE
For the canoe to gain speed, it must be positioned on the surface of the water. It is therefore imperative, from the start, to raise the waterline of the boat. To achieve this, there is the technique of Pine that is akin to a throttle. This technique of evacuation of Va'a makes it possible to extract the canoe of the water and thus to promote sliding. Gerard shows me how to proceed:

"We have to start short, and gradually lengthen the movement until the boat comes out of the water, and there we plant far ahead. "

 Now, Take a look at this 3 time Olympian:

Please have an open mind and apply what you learn.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/18UKtgiXPV0Pj1LR4C8VGHQdgNwxSBNpd/view

Thanks Ric!!!

Great video by surfski education about catching bumps.  Pretty self explanatory with great illustration but for those novices at heart (including me) watch a couple things:



1) he doesn't immediately turn down to chase the fast/bigger wave, he gets on a smaller one running in a slightly different direction to start (0:30 sec).  Notice how little effort he uses to get in it (like 2 light strokes!) - incredible.  This takes will power, it is very hard not to chase every fast wave you see (turn down on the first one), but if you do, you will be tired, not catch anything and start falling behind.

2) at about 1:00 he turns down (left) as a faster wave comes and puts a little more effort

3) at 1:30 he then spots a steeper faster wave while moving at speed and sprints to catch it

Steersmen, study this carefully since you have to be able to connect like this.  Use the small ones to catch the big ones.  But EVERY paddler in the boat needs to study this just as much or else the team boats will not work in the downwind.  If everyone does not know exactly when to put in effort and what the steersman is doing, then it would be like the surfskier in the video having one arm paddling and one arm resting at the same time.  You need to power together or you won't catch anything.

Go out and practice.  A group of us go out almost every Monday and Wednesday afternoon to get wind.  Find an OC1 and come out and practice.  Plus it is about the most fun you can have in the ocean