Your kayak is designed to go backwards and forwards. You need to learn to go backwards, too.
Getting comfortable paddling backwards is an important part of kayaking. Back ferries, boat scouting, backing away from obstacles, etc.. are all easier if you are comfortable backwards.
Drill:
30 backstrokes slow
15 medium
15 fast
The Reverse Stroke:
Head: Your head should look over your shoulder every few strokes. Pick a side that gives you the best view of where you are going and look over that shoulder at least one time for every 5 strokes.
Paddle: Your paddle should go in at your butt and out at your toes. Top hands job is to make the paddle as vertical as you can comfortably go. Most people do back sweeps in order to paddle backwards, paddling really low to the water with both hands. Getting the top hand up, creating a more vertical paddle, gives you more speed. The position that you are in is not as strong as keeping the hands low, but the effect each stroke has is greater.
Boat: If you are in a river runner or creek boat, keep the boat flat, no edge, trying not to rock the boat back and forth.
Body: Keep your weight forward, especially in a playboat as the stern will go under if you don’t. You will use torso on your reverse stroke as well. Watch your life-jacket again, like the forward stroke, to monitor how much torso you are using. 45 degrees each way is the goal.
Putting it together:
Paddling backwards is challenging at first, just trying to stay straight without any real correction strokes. The reason is spin-momentum and lack of awareness of where you are. You learned to paddle forwards in a straight line pretty quickly, and you’ll learn to paddle backwards in a straight line quickly. The fact that you are not able to easily paddle backwards yet without turning is proof that you are not doing it enough to consider it a functional skill to use on the river. Just your awareness of where you are when backwards will improve from this drill very quickly. Your head, paddle, boat, and body will come together quite easily as most people find it easier to use torso backwards than forwards.
Level 1 Drill: Start off very slowly- looking over your shoulder every few strokes and trying to avoid spinning out. pick up the speed to a medium pace by the time you are at 30 strokes. From 30-45 strokes- go a solid medium pace, focusing on torso and paddle position. From 54-60 strokes focus on holding on and not quitting, as well as keeping your technique together. You will feel a burning in your shoulders from this drill. It is the blood pumping into them and warming your muscles up. You will also be surprised at how quickly you get stronger going backwards both physically and technically.
Level 2 Drills: Start off at a medium pace for 30 strokes, increasing to fast at 30 and then sprinting at 45.
Level 3 Drills: Same skills, but in whitewater. Back ferries, back peel outs, and running downstream backwards (where you know the river and know there are not any dangers in the way!)