Yes, I've done that stroke since I was 15 years old. My cousin would get upset if I scraped the gunnel, because, he said it would scare away the fish and the animals. So, I never scrape the gunnel. And, you do get to see more wildlife that way, especially here in Canada. Loons, beaver, otters, moose, even frogs are caught by surprise as you silently come up behind them. And, it makes it more pleasant for the experience, as the water is silent too. You learn to whisper on the lake with your canoe partner.

My j stroke morphed into this on long trips and the zip at the end has kept me entertained for hours, glad I'm on the right track. Thanks for your videos

Some of us paddlers in Canada call this the Guide stroke as it seems presumptuous to call it the Canadian stroke as it's done in lots of places besides Canada. If you watch any of the professional canoe guides here pretty much all of them will be using this stroke as it is most efficient on long days and less tiring. One thing worth noting is that the steering portion of the forward knifing should end at your hip. After that the paddle pitch should be neutral. Continuing the knife with the blade pitched down past your hips during recovery is counter productive, Steering done behind your hips will counteract the turn away from your power stroke toward your paddling side which is what you want but steering done forward of your hips will slow the canoe and tend to turn away from your paddling side.

Great video Ray, your knowledge is an asset to the community. As a beginner watching this, the way you explain the methods and rationale takes away any intimidation.

My favourite paddle stroke. The ‘Zip’ is what I listen out for as well…

Another good lesson.

Gracias Ray....

estoy aprendiendo, con 71 años, y esto se da, por qué tu didáctica es muy comprensible. Abrazo desde Uruguay 🫂🇺🇾

Nicely demonstrated, that is my favourite forward stroke.

Good stuff ,thank you !

Thank you so much!

Nice video Ray, great demos. I got into this stroke after watching lots of Bill Masons videos during the lockdowns. Such a lovely stroke to zoom along with, and I agree with Lina’s zppppp! It really does! Look forward to the next video 🫡

Thank you Ray fir your teachings all those years ago and still today through the media of You tube , hope to see you out and about

Thankyou.

Thank you, i am no master in paddling, but i use this stroke very often, especially on lakes or wide rivers with strong wind!
Have a nice time and enjoy your life

Obrigado professor,  seus vídeos tem ajudado muito no início da minha remada !!

A great paddle stroke Ray, when i get it right(?) it feels almost lazily effortless. A great stroke for calm open water.

Funny, I'm a Canadian, self taught canoeist doing it for about 30 years.  Nobody ever showed me this stroke and only in the last couple of years did I learn it wasn't something I came up with on my own and that it even has a name!  It's interesting how your body just slowly adapts as you gain experience and muscle memory.  I couldn't tell you when it happened either.

Great video! I love this motion, I use it from the stern when tandem paddling. Untortunately, due to hip dysplasia, I cannot kneel and sit back on my heels, I can for a few minutes with a seat, but that is it. I need to put some kind of a 3rd seat that allows me to edge the boat while solo.

Its the default stroke for long days.  I often meld it into the indian stroke where the blade doesn't exit the water.  And yes, its fun to get the blade to buzzzz, if its thin enough.

I did that stroke unintentionally on my las trip. I can do the zip thing when i am padding on the right side of the boat, on the left side its way more complicated for me! Thanks for sharing