How to kick

[ducksterman]

When tubing do you usually kick with your legs straight or your knees bent.

Either way which do you think is more efficient.

[caibill]

hey JC, does that mean a motor in your A**?

I kick with knees bent, and try to propell myself on the upstroke. Perhaps I'm doing it wrong, but the cramps I get in my inner thigh from kicking straight legged are NOT worth it.


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Lotech Joe

[SheTies]

Bent knee kick works best for me. Try to ensure that the force from your kick is going directly into pushing you through the water rather than inadvertantly kicking towards the bottom. Sounds like a silly thing to point out but it makes a difference when you are tired and dragging your butt back to shore.

[Royal Wulff]

RW here,

I use a canoe.

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"We fish for pleasure; I for mine, you for yours." -James Leisenring on fishing the wet fly-

[Bamboozle]

Usually bent although I've had times when I had more than an hour's worth of kicking to get back to shore. On those occassions I did both to prevent cramping like Lotech described.

My thought process tells me that the longer the stroke, (ie legs bent), the better the push.

[Rick Bennett]

8 horse yamaha, it has a good kick

[ohiotuber]

Knees bent.
Mike

[ducksterman]

JC,RW,Rick,
That's why I really like my pontoon with its little electric motor.

Some thoughts...I pretty much do it as Bamboozle says...but if no cramps I go knees bent.....however, I have never been sure which is the most efficient....thinking that swimmers go straight legged so maybe that's the efficient way [of course they are not sitting]...too me straight legged is harder to do [blaming my lack of conditioning].

Am I correct in figuring that the design of Force Fins is for kicking with knees bent?

[Royal Wulff]

Duckster, RW again

I can get just about anywhere with my canoe. I also have an electric for my two canoes, but with paddles and my little Old Town Pack canoe I could probably get across two to 3 inches of water if I had too.
You can do a lot of different things with a toon, kayack and so forth, but you can't take a month long wilderness trip for two with all the gear and food you need without a 17 foot canoe. It can hold a thousand pounds comfortably. And then you can turn right around and use it on your local pond for an evening of bluegill fishing. No one will ever dispute the special things you can do with a variety of different watercraft, but neither will anyone ever dispute the versatility of a canoe. I've owned seven of them in my life.

later, RW



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"We fish for pleasure; I for mine, you for yours." -James Leisenring on fishing the wet fly-