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And you won’t have to figure it out alone.
If you ever want personal support, I’m always available for private lessons in the Victoria area.
From time to time, I also offer group classes, full-day workshops, multiday trips, and skill-based retreats for those who want to go deeper.
You’ll hear about all of these through this list.
But first—I want to share a quick story with you.
Because if you’ve tried the Greenland paddle, and it didn’t feel quite as easy or stable as you hoped… you’re not alone.
This is what changed everything for me—and for a lot of paddlers I’ve worked with over the years.
Watch This 80-Year-Old Roll His Kayak More Effortlessly Than Paddlers Half His Age
Have you ever noticed how some kayakers seem to use force, and others make it look so easy?
This question stayed with me for years after watching an Inuit rolling demonstration.
Like most modern sea kayakers, I thought I understood the Greenland paddle. “Just use it like a Euro blade,” everyone said.
But that advice couldn’t have been more wrong.
It’s like learning to dance by memorizing foot steps when you could be feeling the rhythm.
My Journey
For years, I paddled with tension, always ready to react with a brace.
I remember that knot of fear during challenging crossings—steep waves crashing around me, my body rigid, ready to react.
Like most paddlers, I believed safety came from mastering recovery techniques: wet exits, reentries, quick braces.
But during one particularly rough crossing, I realized I might not be able to get back in my kayak if I capsized.
That’s when I remembered something about those Inuit paddlers:
They didn’t worry about recovering from capsizes because… they rarely capsized in the first place.
Their movements were so natural, so fluid. As if they were having a conversation with the water instead of fighting it.
The secret? A simple shift that makes a surprising difference – but that no one talks about.
While we are locking our foot pegs tight and holding our bodies rigid, they are staying free to move, ready to respond to every wave.
It’s not about fighting the water—it’s about moving with it, like a dance.
This small shift changed everything for me.
The Transformation
Within days of adopting traditional Greenland techniques, my paddling transformed.
I wasn’t fighting for balance anymore… even when paddling broadside too steep waves. I wasn’t relying on a reactive brace, or having to get back in my kayak after a capsize. Instead, I was naturally stable—like walking without thinking about each step.
But the real revelation came when I started sharing these techniques with other paddlers.
Take Sarah. She’s in her 70s and had taken multiple Greenland paddle lessons with modern instructors. “They just told me to paddle like I always did,” she said, frustrated by shoulder pain and instability in rough water.
She was ready to give up paddling because of the pain.
After learning these traditional techniques, everything changed. Now Sarah enjoys multi-day camping trips to places she never imagined visiting. No shoulder pain. Rock-solid in waves. Moving faster while working less.
“I thought I was too old to learn new techniques,” she told me. “But these don’t feel new at all—more like taking your natural way of moving and applying it to the kayak.”
Then there’s Bob, 80 years old, who discovered that these techniques actually work better for him than modern methods.
“It’s not about strength,” he explained to younger paddlers watching in awe as he rolled effortlessly in rough conditions. “It’s about understanding how your body naturally wants to move on water.”
Why These Techniques Work
What makes traditional Greenland techniques so transformative?
They don’t rely on strength, endurance, or learning a lot of techniques. Instead, they return you to how the human body was designed to move.
Here’s what happens when you embrace these methods:
- Natural Balance Replaces Constant Vigilance
When you paddle using traditional principles, you stop fighting to stay upright. Balance becomes second nature. As one of my students said: “I used to spend every moment ready to brace. Now I just… paddle.” - Speed Without Strain
“Can you really paddle as fast with that skinny stick?” That’s the common question.
And the answer? Faster.
When used correctly, a Greenland paddle channels your energy more efficiently. I’ve watched lifelong paddlers shake their heads in disbelief as they started moving faster with less effort than ever before. But it only works when you know how to use it. - Pain Becomes Optional, Not Inevitable
That shoulder ache you’ve come to accept as “just part of kayaking”? It’s not inevitable.
Elbow strain after a long day? Completely unnecessary.
These pains aren’t signs of age—they’re signs of technique that fights against your body’s natural mechanics.
With traditional methods, those aches don’t just lessen—they disappear entirely.
Rough Water Becomes Your Playground
Imagine facing steep waves with excitement, not anxiety.
Not because you’ve mastered recovery techniques, but because you’ve discovered how to move so naturally that emergencies rarely happen.
As Tom, a recent student, told me: “I used to survive rough water. Now I play in it.”
What's Next?
This isn’t about learning new skills. It’s about rediscovering what your body already knows.
In just 5 minutes, I can show you what most paddlers are missing when they use a Greenland paddle.
You’ll learn:
- The simple adjustment that instantly reduces shoulder strain
- Why pushing water backward makes you less stable
- The counterintuitive secret to feeling secure in waves
- What the Inuit understood that modern instruction often misses
This isn’t theory or complicated technique. It’s something you can feel working in your very next paddling session.
I’ve put together a short, free video that shows you exactly what to do differently.
Even if you’ve been paddling with a Greenland paddle for years, I guarantee you’ll discover something that makes your next session feel easier, more stable, and more natural.
Your body is waiting to remember what it never truly forgot.