On Sat, 28 Mar 1998 11:01:37 -0500, you wrote: >Not to be argumentative, but I'm at a loss as to why anyone would want to >use an incredibly inefficient old style paddle, when new designs like Wing >paddles, make you more stable, and allow you to cruise at much higher speeds >with less effort. Its still "human powered", but with better technology. >So what am I missing??? >Regards, >Dan Volker > Dan - What is missing for most of us is this: A wing style paddle is very sensitive to angle which makes it more difficult to sweep and brace with than a regular paddle. I find that I can not reliably roll with a wing paddle. Admittedly I generally use an aleut style paddle carved from a cedar 2 by 4 which sculls easily and in my experience is less sensitive to minor errors in blade positioning than wing types. By the way I have to agree with the posts that point out commercial "Greenland " paddles are a far cry from the traditional reality. My paddle costs approximately $2.00, a little time, and on the west coast where I paddle is easily replaced from natural renewable sources with a little patience. As for the precise effciency differences check that out with the techies. Practically speaking I have found that supposedly more efficient gear takes a back seat to good technique. I have paddled with people who have just purchased the latest go fast stuff only to have them get very frustrated because they are not instantly great paddlers. It is more important to work on yourself than your gear! Cheers,! Mark. S. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************Received on Sat Mar 28 1998 - 17:19:58 PST
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