ok i've been steering my whole life. I can surf the hell out of a oc1.
today i tried a teva nui from the 2004 world sprints in Hilo.
i wanna know the more in depth steering styles and about rigging it so it holds a straighter path.
Hiro C.????
Submitted by uncle on Wed, 05/14/2008 - 9:05pm
I'm still learning to try to keep it straight...
I can hel you with the rigging tough.
You need :
- a measuring tape.
- 6 pieces of rubber 3/4 inch wide, 2-3 feet long. Inner tube for bicycle is what I use. Car tube is too thick for V1.
- small wood wedges.
When perfectly rigged, your hull should stand horizontal in the water. Use wedges on the hull side to fine tune this.
Some people like to rig the front iato 1cm toed in (measure from center of the hull to center of the ama). I prefer to have the hull and ama parallels, i.e. no toe.
The vertical plans of ama and hull must be parallels. Check this by looking at your canoe standing in front of it from 5 meters. Keep your eyes at hull-ama level. Use wood wedges to fine tune.
On flat water, the back tip of the ama should be level with the sea, not under, not in the air.
When you get it right, and if you are not in the need to unrig the canoe for storage, use electrical tape to cover the rubber. It will protect your rubber from the sun and will make it last much longer.
In the surf try to move your center of gravity by siting closer to the bow or to the stern.
Some V1 are easy to steer and some others are a real challenge... I've never seen a Teva Nui... Can't say anything about it.
Compared to a surfski, the lack of a rudder means that you have to anticipate a lot. When you're surfing on the wave, it's difficult to change the trajectory of the canoe, so you've got to place it right before it start surfing... easier said than done !
Have a good time paddling...
#1 Wed, 05/14/2008 - 11:06pm
thanks
#2 Thu, 05/15/2008 - 6:55am
Learn a good J Stroke.
Seriously. If you've got a good J then things start going a LOT better in general. That plus a good diagonal draw and a sweep should give you what you need.
Practice by paddling 60 strokes on a side trying to keep it straight.
Back off on the power until you can keep it straight, then start adding power as you learn to anticipate and not have to think about what you need to do.
#3 Thu, 05/15/2008 - 3:48pm
Use your hips to push your hull to the left or to the right, and use your feet against the foot-plate.
#4 Thu, 05/15/2008 - 4:24pm
ok now what about down wind paddling??
i caught some small bumps but i would just peel out and die.
Hiro C.??
#5 Thu, 05/15/2008 - 7:40pm
peel out ?? don't get it.
#6 Thu, 05/15/2008 - 10:05pm
im sorry spin out...
#7 Fri, 05/16/2008 - 9:25am
Hi Uncle .... also remember the Teva Nui was specifically designed by Tiger for flat water sprints not for open ocean paddling ! .. Harv
#8 Fri, 05/16/2008 - 2:13pm
any v1's made to surf, or at least handle small bumps
#9 Fri, 05/16/2008 - 8:54pm
must go faster than the wave to avoid spin out.
#10 Fri, 05/16/2008 - 9:37pm
Sometimes in larger swells you've just got to poke, like steering in a six-man (no surprises that the best steerers are often the best V1 paddlers (Manutea and Lewis come to mind). Have a look at the 'free sessions' videos on www.vaatahiti.com for a much better idea on how to surf a V1, or check out
for an example...
One top tahiti paddler actually was telling me that he does not like to slide down the wave, but instead sit up on the crest higher and hold himsellf there, because it gives him more control, and avoids 'spinning out'... th best thing is to get out there have a play around to get the hang of it, because it really does take a heck of a lot of practise.
#11 Fri, 05/16/2008 - 10:32pm
This video was shot on a reef break. I suggest you should stay awy from such a place young padawan.
#12 Fri, 05/16/2008 - 10:43pm
Actually while I'm at it - fancy a bit of canoe surfing anyone?
Erm, yeah.
#13 Fri, 05/16/2008 - 10:44pm
Orr, why spoil the fun Hiro? I was only trying to send the man to his doom...
#14 Fri, 05/16/2008 - 10:45pm
Nice movie... Sure we can do the same with an OC6 ! Who's coming ? CocOnut ?
#15 Fri, 05/16/2008 - 11:03pm
Um, yeah... I'll be right behind ya Hiro, all the way brudda...
#16 Fri, 05/16/2008 - 11:11pm
Don't you blokes ever look in the Locker?
"Introduction to V1 Paddling"
http://www.box.net/shared/ho4qurfok4
Cheers Rambo
#17 Sun, 05/18/2008 - 2:13pm
Rambo's locker-the single best source in the world for straight paddling knowledge- besides actual humans, of course.
#18 Sun, 05/18/2008 - 2:15pm
Ok, I'll be fair, part of the Locker is off-line temporary (the Knowledge Base) so you're all forgivin'.
Sorry to be so quiet lately, working on timer circuits, radio control etc, etc for the 15 onboard cams for Hammo.
Not to mention 32 AAA, 24 AA and 8 - 9volts batteries, 18 SD flash cards and 5 battery chargers, all being delivered this week. And you thought paddling was expensive? :cry:
Cheers Rambo
#19 Sun, 05/18/2008 - 2:42pm
God bless Mrs. Rambo. I don't know how you do it, Rambo, but I'm sure glad you do. If you aren't paddling the hoe this year, I hope you do a webcast/movie for it.
#20 Sun, 05/18/2008 - 3:07pm
As I read Alan Carlsson's notes on V1 (THX, Rambo), paddle steering a va'a is like an OC6 powered more on 1 side (ie; if 1/3/5 stromger than 2/4/6, boat will pull towards whatever side they are paddling on.); that is... if not weighted and paddled technically correctly, the va'a will pull towards the side you are paddling on. I don't have a V1 yet, so when I take the rudder off my Fuze to at least get a feel for the stroke I have the exact opposite condition. The canoe goes opposite whatever side I'm paddling on; if paddling on left, then boat heads right. My question is; is this a characteristic of a rudderless OC! and a va'a is different; or is it a result of my abysmal technique?
BTW: I have to agree with above post: most important element in trying to surf V1 is takeoff angle .
#21 Sun, 05/18/2008 - 7:53pm