If you have ever rented a kayak, you probably know how a rudder works. You steer with your feet: push the right pedal to turn right, and vice versa. Some people feel safer with a rudder, others find it in the way and prefer to steer with the paddle.

I usually ask beginners to lift the rudder the first time they paddle. It is one less thing to think about, and it is good to be able to handle the kayak without one in case the rudder breaks.

What happens when you use the rudder?

Besides steering, the rudder stops the kayak from drifting sideways. The rudder and everything else that sticks out under a boat – keel, centreboard, skeg and fins – together form the boat’s lateral plane.

On a sailing boat, that is the rudder plus keel or centreboard; on a Viking ship, the steering oar and long keel; on a surfboard, the small fin at the back.

A kayak has an unusually small lateral plane, with or without a rudder or skeg. The downside is sensitivity to crosswinds. The upsides: you can paddle in shallower water, the kayak weighs less and it is easier to handle on the water and on land – on the beach, the jetty and up on the car roof.

Why is the rudder at the back?

Boats have good grip at the front and less at the back. It is almost always the stern that is hard to control. Turbulence under the stern makes it skid while the bow stays fairly still. A rudder at the back reduces drift in crosswinds and keeps the stern in place with the wind behind you.

Some kayaks, such as surfskis, have a fixed rudder underneath, a little forward of the stern. It can’t be lifted but works better in big waves, where a rudder at the very back can end up in the air on a wave crest. In shallow water and on land, though, it is vulnerable.

In Swedish waters most people – sea kayakers included – paddle among rocks in shallow water more often than in big waves offshore. That is why flip-up rudders at the stern are most common: if one hits a rock, it simply folds up.

Steer gently – or you will brake

Push the pedal too hard and the rudder turns almost sideways – instead of turning, you brake hard. Steer gently, like changing lanes on a motorway: glide over rather than turn. As my driving instructor used to say: imagine an egg between your foot and the pedal! For a really sharp turn, help with the paddle.

Rudder or skeg?

Rudders work best on long, fast kayaks with a straight keel line. If the keel line is curved (“banana-shaped”), like on many British-style sea kayaks, a flip-up skeg suits better – you steer with the paddle and your body. Such kayaks turn easily and enjoy big waves. But if you want to cover distance fast, choose a rudder kayak! Read more in rudder or skeg?

Kayaks with a rudder

The product pages for our sea kayaks show whether a kayak has a rudder, a skeg or both – Havspaddeln Sarek, for example, has both. In Stockholm? Rent a kayak at Långholmen and try paddling with and without a rudder, or join a guided kayak tour in English.