Re: [Paddlewise] Purity vs Bastards

Nick Schade wrote:
> 
> What the heck is purity good for anyway? ...SNIP... If the
> "non-biblical" mating of a kayak paddle with a canoe works better, then why
> not use it. ...
> 
> I say the heck with purity. It is fine for museums, but if you are
> interested in actually using your boat, do what works best. ...

Nick,

What do you mean by "works best"?  I would suggest that most of us who
"actually use" our boats are interested in maximizing enjoyment as
opposed to minimizing effort.  If the latter were our objective we would
probably follow the lead of the Inuit and stick motors on our boats. 
Aesthetics are an important part of the sport.  Boat and paddle
performance have many dimensions beyond crude measures of efficiency. I
definitely try to do "what works best", but I am not quite sure that I
mean the same thing by this that you do.

By the way, who exactly are these "purists" who believe that the
traditional way is in every case the "ideal"?  I can honestly say that I
have never met such an individual.  Everyone whom I have ever met on the
water has adopted some form of "bastardization".  Folks seem to be aware
of the fact that they are drawing from both traditional and modern
approaches.  There are some who adopt a mix of the traditional and
modern that that differs from what you seem to feel is optimal, but that
does not make them "purists".  We are all shades of gray (except for
jet-skiers :-).  A common rhetorical device on this list seems to be to
label as a "purist" anyone whose views lean a bit more towards the
traditional than the views of the person engaging in the name-calling.

Dan Hagen
(A "purist" who uses a composite sea kayak, a polyethelene whitewater
kayak, a composite flatwater canoe, an ABS whitewater canoe, and
carbon-fiber paddles, but who paddles rudder free and uses a
single-bladed canoe paddle, and is thus some sort of confused, religious
extremist. ... I'll try to remember to cross myself the next time
someone who is less confused cruises by using their superior
approach.)
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