Johnny Puakea Teaches the Tahitian Stroke

Here is a breakdown of this video with notes and time markers by Karl.

Time	Points Discussed
1:39	Set the blade, load the blade, put pressure on the blade, then wait for the craft to be pulled up to that point.
2:01	The catch is the most important part of the stroke.
2:05	The term cavitation means that water is moving around the blade. It happens when you do not lock the blade in the water but, instead, start pulling the blade before it is all the way locked.
2:08	During the stroke phase, you want to put pressure on the blade rather than just pulling on the blade.
2:53	The faster you go, you still want your blade to be in the water just as long. You should minimize blade air time (return).
4:28	We are now concentrating on making the return quicker (instead of slower like was emphasized in the past).
5:08	You want to have down pressure on the paddle at the catch, not forward pressure.
5:32	The paddle shaft should pivot on the upper hand, not the lower hand.
6:35	You need to have patience when your paddle is in the water: 1. Load the blade 2. Apply pressure 3. Have patience
7:03	A slower stroke rate can often propel your canoe faster than a faster stroke rate.
8:54	“While paddling an OC1 at 42 strokes per minute, I can be going pretty fast.”
10:00	This new Tahitian stroke causes less pain on your body; it’s easier on your body.
14:30	We are not using our legs as much as before; we are using our body weight in front rather than leg drive.
16:16	This Tahitian technique makes a BIG difference in the newest canoes (round hull, shape, etc.)