Day 2: About Being Balanced - Your child is learning how to:
Rowing
- Leave the oars gently touching the water.
- Having a soft grip on oar handles as you recover for the next stroke.
- Keep your weight over the center of the boat, especially your head.
- Avoid jerks and tugs when applying pressure.
- In turbulence, make tiny corrections in body position.
- Draw the oars all the way to your rib cage for an effortless release at the finish.
- Set body angle before coming up the slide for the next stroke.
Kayaking
- Effortlessly drop the paddle in the water.
- Sit up tall throughout the stroke motion with only perceptible head movement.
- Whenever possible cut through waves rather than take them broadside.
- Keep your chest up, chin up, and shoulders down and relaxed through the stroke.
- Do the hula motion with your hips to keep the boat balanced when experiencing waves.
- Make powerful paddle entries into the water without leaning or tipping.
Sailing
- Continually shift body weight from starboard to port side in order to keep the hull flat.
- Use the hiking stick if necessary to shift body weight outboard and continue to steer.
- Quickly releasing the sheets if the sail is drawn too tight and the boat begins to heel over.
- In coming about, smoothly and quickly shift body weight during the turning motion.
- Always be prepared to quickly release a cleated sheet in gusty winds.
- Continually scan the sheets for the main and jib to ensure they are free and unknotted.
