Bent Shaft Cross Forward stroke?

Trying out my new paddle yesterday. My first bent shaft.

Attempting a cross forward was turning me into pretzleman. It felt like I had to go back too far to get a good stroke.

So is it done?

If so can anyone descibe how it’s done?



What is a cross forward stroke?
I have been a bent shaft paddler for years and never heard of it.( of course I am hard of hearing so…) Is it like a cross bow rudder AKA cross brace AKA off side post AKA front- rudderdamnit?

Cross forward
I learned it as a straight shaft whitewater stroke. Bob Foote says it’s a C1 (decked whitewater canoe) technique.

From a standard forward stroke, leaving your hands in place on the paddle, rotate your torso to your offside, lean forward, plant the blade in the water and sit up/hip thrust, turn the blade parallel to the hull slice forward and do it again.

Being somewhat ignorant of bentshaft technique I didn’t know if there was some variant commonly used. Since the bentshaft moves the stroke back, out at the hip vs out at the knee, I was getting pretty tangled up. Could be more rotation would help?

I’m trying to limit switching as paddling on my right side too much agravates my tennis elbow.



I can do all my cross strokes with my
home-made 5 degree bent shaft paddle, but I would not bother with a more typical 10 to 14 degree bent shaft. Cross forward and cross sweep strokes are a useful technique for quick-turning whitewater boats, but not for the firm-tracking flatwater boats which work best for hit-and-switch.


I believe that off-side strokes are essential for whitewater, not optional, especially for play and for smaller boats.

Anyway, Tommy, for the type of ww boats/rivers you paddle - why the interest in a bent shaft paddle??


Why? Flatwater & ocean
Hey Pat,

The bentshaft is a flatwater paddle for me for now at least.

Since I live closer to the Atlantic than to most of the local whitewater, I like to get out there some, especialy in August when the water is warm and the Greenhead flies are gone.

For a while I was paddling a touring kayak but I have a hard time sitting for very long so for now I go out in a Swift Osprey, bagged out like a whitewater boat and set up for kneeling.

Being a lazy whitewater paddler my flatwater technique STINKS. So I’m interested in learning all I can.

Unfortunately I’ve got tendonitus in my right elbow which does not like it when I paddle righty. Fortunately I usualy paddle lefty.

So when I’m using the bentshaft, trying to paddle switch, and my elbow starts complaining, I go back to paddling lefty. I can go faster with forwards and cross forwards than I can J-stroking.

That’s why I asked.


Not the best use of the bent shaft
Kneeling, cross forward with bent shaft paddle.

It doesnt add up at all. Tommy look at your paddle angle in the water. Is the blade vertical during your cross forward stroke AT ALL TIMES? Or are you pushing down water during the beginning or pulling up water at the end?

Cross forwards have an element of an inwater recovery. With the typical bent shaft you have to extend WAY over the side of the boat to keep the blade slicing back through the water with the blade absolutely vertical. This is nigh impossible with a bent shaft of 14 degrees, might be attainable with a five degree bend.

If you have tendonitis and have to switch a much better method with bent shafts is North American Touring Technique.

You will be in a much better ergonomic position with better body mechanics with a straight shaft paddle. Kneeling you get a vertical paddle placement easily with a straight. Bents are designed for sitting paddlers!

North American Touring Technique?