Hello Janita.

I am only an intermediate paddler so take my words with a grain of salt. When I hit the sides of my boat it usually means that I am dropping my top elbow and not entering the catch vertical enough. As I get more fatigued the problem tends to get worse.

I recommend concentrating on a vertical catch and keeping your top elbow just below your chin on the finish of your stroke. If you look at footage of the elite paddlers you will notice that although their top hand may vary between chin and forehead levels, their top elbows are always finishing the stroke just below their chin.

If you can get someone to take pictures of you while you paddle do so. This will show you what to work on. Also if you can get footage of your stroke when you are fatigued (the end of a race or the last 50 yards of a quarter mile sprint) you will find out what your tendencies are and hopefully correct the deficiencies.

Good luck. Ray