The
careening tendency of this twist you must counteract by a corresponding
twist of your body in the other direction. Then the hollow will allow
you two or three strokes wherewith to assure a little progress. The
double twist at the very crest of the wave must be very delicately
performed, or you will ship water the whole length of your craft.
With the sea abeam you must simply paddle straight ahead. The
adjustment is to be accomplished entirely by the poise of the body. You
must prevent the capsize of your canoe when clinging to the angle of a
wave by leaning to one side. The crucial moment, of course, is that
during which the peak of the wave slips under you. In case of a
breaking comber, thrust the flat of your paddle deep in the water to
prevent an upset, and lean well to leeward, thus presenting the side
and half the bottom of the canoe to the shock of water. Your recovery
must be instant, however. If you lean a second too long, over you go.
This sounds more difficult than it is. After a time you do it
instinctively, as a skater balances.
With the sea over the quarter you have merely to take care that the
waves do not slue you around sidewise, and that the canoe does not dip
water on one side or the other under the stress of your twists with the
paddle. Dead astern is perhaps the most difficult of all, for the
reason that you must watch both gunwales at once, and must preserve an
absolutely even keel, in spite of the fact that it generally requires
your utmost strength to steer.
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