If you've learned the strokes one by one, how about seeing them all on one page? Splitting them into moving forward, moving sideways and changing direction makes them easier to remember.
01. Going forward and stopping
The forward stroke is the basic move that sends the board forward. The reverse stroke pushes against the water in the opposite direction and is used to slow down or stop.
Practice first on calm water, leaving plenty of room to stop. Rather than memorizing the names, feeling what movement each one creates is what matters.
02. Moving sideways and turning
The draw stroke moves the board sideways. The sweep and the crossbow are techniques for changing direction, so tell apart the arrows for moving at the top of the picture and the arrows for turning at the bottom.
Even when both involve going right, sliding sideways to the right is different from the nose turning to the right. Look at the board's direction and the paddle position in each picture together, and the difference is easy to see.
| The movement you want | The technique in the picture |
|---|---|
| Go forward | Forward |
| Slow down · stop | Reverse |
| Move sideways | Draw |
| Change direction | Sweep · crossbow |
03. Pick the technique you need and take a closer look
This picture is a review sheet that brings several moves together. It doesn't mean you have to master everything up to the crossbow before you can head out, so practice step by step, starting with basic forward paddling and stopping.
In the linked guides below, you can follow each technique from the ready position through taking the blade out of the water. A good way to use them is to pick one movement you need today and learn it in detail.
Sources and scope
The artwork is Starboard's original Basic Paddle Strokes infographic, used here as a review sheet for our five existing technique guides; the explanation is Starboard Korea's commentary. We keep the movement and turning arrows, and we don't suggest that you need to master every technique on your first day.
The illustration is Starboard's original artwork; the explanation is Starboard Korea's editorial guide, translated into English here. Sources checked: 2026-09-08.
