As training chairman, I have seen many new paddlers and even some new instructors confuse the J-stoke and the stern pry. These are two different strokes that have different purposes and different modes of execution. Both are valuable when they are used properly. The J-stoke is used by a solo paddler or by the stern paddler of a tandem team. Its purpose is to keep the canoe going in a straight line on flat water, or to maintain the proper angle in moving water. Since the canoe has a tendency to turn away from the paddler's side, the J-stroke is most effective when the canoe has some forward momentum.
The first part of the j-stroke is the same as a forward stroke. If the forward stroke is not executed properly, the canoe will tend to turn away from the paddler's side. New paddlers are often reluctant to get their T-grip hand out over the water, so they do a sweeping stroke, which turns the canoe strongly away from the paddler's side. and makes corrections more difficult.
The power phase of the forward stroke ends when the paddle is about even with the paddler's knees. At this point, the thumb on the T-grip (control hand) is turned down as the blade continues its path toward the stern, so that the blade finishes perpendicualr to the surface of the water as it is pushed out away from the hull. This feels really awkward at first, and most beginners do not turn the grip enough. Most paddlers sometimes lever off the gunwale toward the end of the stroke. Some call this the Lazy J. The ACA describes a "modern J-stroke" that is shorter and faster that the classical J-stroke, and it also ends with a lever off the gunwale. These are variations of the J-stroke, and they are similar in that the thumb of the control hand is always turned down. This keeps the same side of the blade pushing against the water throughout the stroke, making a smoother stroke and saving energy. If the canoe has forward momentum, the blade can stay in the water toward the stern, and act as a rudder for a few seconds. The control hand remains out over the water, or at least over the gunwale.
In contrast, the stern pry is a forceful stroke that can exert a strong turning force on the canoe. It is also done by a solo paddler or by the stern paddler of a tandem team. It differs from the usual pry in that the blade is sliced in close to the hull far astern, well behind the paddler, and the shaft is at an acute angle to the surface of the water. The blade is not very deep in the water, but there is still a lot of the blade exerting force on the water. Using the gunwale as a fulcrum, and not the hull as in a regular pry, the blade is forcefully levered away from the stern as the T-grip is pulled in toward the center of the canoe. The thumb on the T-grip hand is turned up so that the wrist is straight and the stroke is stronger. This stroke causes some loss of forward momentum if the canoe is moving forward, but it does not require that the canoe be moving. The stern pry is useful for correcting your angle during a ferry in fast water, for surfing, or any time that a quick turn away from the paddler's side is needed.
A J-stroke is not forceful enough to substitue for a stern pry when you need that quick, strong turn. On the other hand, a stern pry is a very poor substitute for a J-stroke on flat water or duing an easy ferry. It is tiring to watch beginners wearing themselves out doing a sweeping stroke that turns the canoe away from their paddling side, then a strong stern pry which slows the forward momenturm and over-compensates by turning the canoe towad the paddoer's side. How much more pleasant it is to watch an experienced paddler using a smooth J-stroke to ferry with seemingly very little effort.
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