"David Kemper" writes:

What I've been describing is from seeing and paddling racing boats which
are very long so the stern doesn't dip perceptibly. The same principles
will apply to shorter boats but may be harder to put into practice. Try
it and report back. We all learn from others experiences.

Apart from wash and boat length, learn a good basic paddling stroke. The
power should come from your torso and legs, not mainly from your arms.
There are drills to improve that, and also to improve catch and release.
Learn from people that are used to paddling distances (I learned first
from someone who did flat water marathons and later from sea kayakers).

Roos