The thread on boats people paddle has been a useful one for me -- learned a lot about different craft without even getting wet! I'd be interested in hearing what others use to paddle their boats, and how their paddle choice has evolved. Here's my saga to kick things off: Started with an older version of the 230 cm Werner San Juan: huge paddle face area. Lots of paddling power in this thing! After a season of use, because I could not keep up with my yakking partner, bought a: newer version 240 cm San Juan (even more area). Bad idea! Very quickly had tendonitis in my elbows -- had to abandon this paddle and go back to the smaller one. The tendonitis persisted until I bought a: 220 Lightning (smaller blade face than the San Juan -- not sure of the model; think it is their main blade for sea kayakers). Great paddle! really works well -- seems very efficient, and all the elbow tendonitis went away, but from too much paddling I started to get wrist tendonitis. Still struggling with that. To accomodate other boats (mainly a Folbot Greenland II -- loooong ways to the water!), I acquired: a couple Mid-Swifts (240 cm and a special order 250 cm). These are really sweet paddles! Very light and have plenty of face for the double. Can get by with just the 250 cm, so I'd sell the 240 to a good home. My SO (in the front hole of the G II) has used a: 230 Sea Swift for three seasons, now. Really likes the blade. Too much area for my poor wrists, but this thing really puts the power in the water. She can use it from the front hole of the G II. Too short for me to use from the rear. Had Werner modify the 240 San Juan down to a 230 -- it's the one I loan to others paddling along with me. The original 230 San Juan has developed serious blade cancer in the shaft area -- it's going off to Werner for surgery any day now -- to live the remainder of its days as a backup paddle. Just a happy paddle guy! -- Dave Kruger Astoria, OR *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
On Wed, Feb 25, 1998 at 02:09:45AM -0800, Dave Kruger wrote: > The thread on boats people paddle has been a useful one for me -- > learned a lot about different craft without even getting wet! I'd be > interested in hearing what others use to paddle their boats, and how > their paddle choice has evolved. My first paddle was a club: a Mohawk beginner's kayak paddle. Then I switched to a Perception RIM, which at least had dihedral blades and gave a bit more grip on the water; then I upgraded to a Perception fiberglass model, whose name I don't recall -- but I still use it for a lot of general-purpose river running. Then I picked up a used Schlegel slalom paddle: carbon fiber, and *very* stiff. I used that for two or three years, and last year bought my first Mitchell paddle. Oh, what a joy! It's a carbon shaft with wood blades covered in carbon and edged for abrasion resistance. It flexes very little, but *just* enough to make it easy on the joints. And unlike the Shlegel, when I plant it in a duffek and throw my entire body weight into the stroke, it doesn't budge an inch: no flutter, no slip, *nothing*. I really like this paddle (can you tell)? I'd say that it took 2% off the time of all my slalom runs, easy. My first C-boat paddle was Dagger Quintus, but I've since upgraded to Mitchells for that too: I have an all-wood paddle that I use when paddling stern in the C-2, and a wood shaft/carbon blade that I use when paddling solo C-1. (It's a bit shorter because I don't need quite the leverage and because I can't handle the longer one yet -- it's that cross-bow thing that messes me up.) So the bottom line is that the three paddles almost always found in my hands are Mitchells. They do *great* work and they handle repairs as well -- one of my friends just got back a refurbished all-wood K-1 paddle that looks brand new. ---Rsk Rich Kulawiec rsk_at_gsp.org *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
On Wed, 25 Feb 1998, Dave Kruger wrote: > The thread on boats people paddle has been a useful one for me -- > learned a lot about different craft without even getting wet! I'd be > interested in hearing what others use to paddle their boats, and how > their paddle choice has evolved. Here's my saga to kick things off: 218 cm Lightning Ultralight with Struer blades and a 45 or 60 degree offset. The blades on this paddle are oversized. It's a wonderful paddle, nice and light with a good grab on the water and a fairly stiff shaft. This is my wife's current favorite. 220 cm Bratcha II wing paddle, with 60 degree offset. Stiffer and heavier than the Lightning. I'm still figuring out how to use this paddle. 7'6" Cricket greenland paddle. I usually use this when I paddle with my wife. If I'm not going out for a workout I usually take this. Nice looking paddle with a very comfortable blade loom transition. Bow paddle, about 220 cm. No feather, arched shaft, with grips mounted perpendicular to the shaft. I've only used this paddle about 8 to 10 times so far. The technique is different, and I can do a few different strokes with it. I'll probably spend equal time with this and the Greenland in the future. There's a picture of this at http://world.std.com/~jkolsen/html/bow.html It's a good cold weather paddle in that my hands stay dry because the water doesn't run down the shaft. Baldwin 225 cm, 80 degree offset. Almost as light as the Lightning with more flex in the shaft. Nice paddle for someone who doesn't muscle it too much. The shaft is translucent and I left stress fractures in the shaft when I used it for a race. Werner Comano take apart. Spare paddle. I don't like the feel of the blades in the water, the weight, or the feel of the shafts. For the canoe: Barton 14oz carbon bentshafts. Basically my only canoe paddles. I've been meaning to make a cherry (wood) straight shaft to use soloing and doing freestyle. kirk *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
Nice idea to survey the paddles... I use a 240 CM Mid Swift, with the fancy graphics...for better visibility on crowded waterways. A 228 Lendal Archepellago and a Canadian clunker...Aqua Bound for the kids. I love the Swift and it's actually taken abuse better then the heavier Lendal.. cya Bob Denton Vice President Undersea Breathing Systems bob_at_dnax.com http://www.dnax.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
Started with a Perception Sea Passage (had to look on the paddle to remember what the hell it was) then moved to an Aqua Bound Vector and finally to a Werner Kauai (220 cm for both Megan and me).. Our boats are 20 to 21 inches wide (17 to 18 feet long) and we paddle on bay and ocean. We may be moving to Greenland style paddles. I have carved two already, and we have seen the Van Dorn video. I think there may be health benefits associated with the Greenland style but that's not the reason I'm switching. With proper technique they may be among the fastest paddles out there. Add to that the ease of rolling and sculling and you've got a pretty attractive prospect. The fact that you can carve your own for about $10 makes it darn near irresistable. I have seen Inuits with a second paddle on deck as a spare. Might seem a little ungainly but they manage okay. What's cool is I have seen them arrange one paddle perpendicular to the boat on one side, and the other paddle perpendicular to the boat on the other side for incredible stability. Seems like a great way to maintain balance while getting your spray skirt on and pumping out after a capsize. Keith Kaste Dave Kruger wrote: > The thread on boats people paddle has been a useful one for me -- > learned a lot about different craft without even getting wet! I'd be > interested in hearing what others use to paddle their boats, and how > their paddle choice has evolved. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
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