Re: [Paddlewise] Greenland paddles

> John wrote in response to Julio ;
> 
> But why? Why can't you do the same style of paddling with a modern blade?
> Why is the one better than the other?

The feather is one reason. If you try the low Greenland stroke with
a feathered paddle you are likely to ruin your wrists. 
But the main reason why it is difficult (I am not saying impossible) to
do Greenland style paddling with a modern blade is that the Greenland
paddle has a symmetrical hydrofoil shape --a wing-- and modern paddles
do not.

Another thing that one has to watch out is that true Greenland paddles
have a short shaft, and the paddler is always partially gripping the
blade directly, there is no confusion on the position of the blade
at any time. Commercial Greenland paddles have a long shaft and the
paddle puts his/her hands in a round portion of the paddle. That can
make rolling pretty confusing, and so is bracing and paddling affected.

> 
> >The Greenland style paddle moves in smaller circles than the modern one.
> >A wing paddle is most effective when held vertical to the water, and
> >that blade goes from that high position to below the water level on
> >the other side. A Greenland paddle just jets a few inches over the water
> >before it dives again, that is why it takes less work.
> 
> You will have to explain this to me. If the lower style is more efficient
> (less work) why do racers paddle differently? Seems to me they would want
> to do less work. There are those who paddle very upright and find it more
> relaxing than the low style. How is this explained. I have heard here that
> people just have to give the Greenland paddle a chance. Isn't the opposite
> true?

Racers race, Greenlanders tour or hunt. That is what the wing paddle was
designed for, racing. Atheletes would use kayaks specifically designed
for racing, and use wing paddles designed to optimize the efficiency of
motion, with the sole purpose of moving forward faster than any one.

If you want to race use race equipment, if you want to paddle in the
Greenland style use Greenland paddles and kayaks.
Hybrid possibilites are not ruled out, anyone does what he/she likes.

> And in response to Dana:
> I am confused. If the Greenland paddle slips through the water more easily
> then isn't more energy lost? If so, why does it use less energy? Seems to
> be contradiction.

The issue is not whether or not a paddle uses more or less energy,
is how it uses it.

It might be phychological; faster and shorter strokes with less force
are probably more comfortable for the spirit of many humans. Being calm
and relaxed conserves energy, and paddling with a succession of 'umpfs -umpfs'
(pulling hard) drains mental and physical energy together.

> It seems to me that if the Greenland paddle slips
> through the water more it must have a lower drag coefficient than the
> modern style of blade. If so, why can't the modern style be made smaller
> yet so it will have the same net drag but will have a smaller blade and be
> lighter than the Greenland style? 

Again, modern paddles lack the symmetrical foil shape. You can try
to paddle with a model of a Greenland paddle without the foil shape
and find out that it does not take you anywhere. 
I am under the impression that Greenland paddles work like wing paddles
but flying through the water upside down (they dig down as they enter
the water, and that force is used with the torso rotation to aid
in pushing forward)

>  Another puzzle. The Greenland stroke is
> wide (well away from the side of the boat) as such does it not tend to
> cause more turning and thus waste energy that would be spent on propulsion
> forward?

The Greenland paddle flies through the water, the lift component that
is used to push the boat forward is more important than the side
component used by the drag of the blade alone.

You can try to paddle with a 2x4 piece of lumber, which effectively is
a Greeland paddle that does not have the foil shape yet. That experiment
should convince you of that the key to Greenland paddling is the foil shape.

A good scientific way to improve Greenland paddling would probably be
to experiment with NACA foils, and decreasing angles of attack towards
the ends, like airplane propelers. Maybe one could get to the most
efficient Greenland paddle for Greenland racing, if there ever is 
that discipline.

- Julio (having a lot of fun with this discussion :-) )

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