I am constantly looking for various ways to truly work and practice paddle skills in a fun and natural way during my time on the water (and land). I find satisfaction in allowing my skills practice to be a fluid aspect of whatever it is i'm doing, as opposed to having a "workout" or stroke routine solely for the sake of skill building (however that kind of practice is good as well :). I find on moving water this is not a difficult thing to do. However, on a flatwater kayaking day trip i find it a bit more challenging for the natural practice fluidity to exist. One way i have been working my strokes and maneuvers practice recently is by picking up trash. Now, i of course have been picking up litter when hiking, paddling, or being anywhere (just as, i'm sure, all of you do) for as long as i can remember. But i have made a conscious decision to turn it into quite the fun little game.To reach items on the water, or stuck under a tree, or washed up onto on odd bend in the shoreline, i create scenarios allowing for a wide array of strokes and maneuvers to be practiced. As i approach a piece of garbage i begin to formulate the series of things that i will need to do to reach it, and then i go through the motions to see how my plan works out. One example may be: Plastic bottle floating 40 feet out at 2 o'clock, 2 to 3 forward strokes, sideslip right, keep momentum with a couple more forward strokes, sideslip right again, glide right up to the bottle. Then i give it a try. My plans don't always come together like i think they will but it's an interesting exercise to go through. Next time you're out on a paddle give it a try. Our environment and your skills will be the better for it in the end. :)
