[Paddlewise] Greenland Paddles

My two cents:

I enjoy paddling with Greenland paddles. Are they more efficient
than modern styles? I don't know, but I think that to a certain
extent efficiency depends more on paddling style than on the
paddle. Because I made the looms on my first paddles too short,
I use the East Greenland sliding stroke in which, during the
forward stroke, the paddle is passed back and forth through the
hands a distance of six inches to a foot -- or more, if some
bracing is required. I don't know that this stroke is more or less
efficient than other strokes, but one advantage is that it allows
more of the blade to be planted in the water, and so allows the
use of a paddle that is shorter than normal. Doug Van Doren
once told me that John Heath says that this stroke was typically
used with paddles that were a little shorter than normal. Another
advantage is that because with practice the sliding motion
becomes largely automatic, sliding the paddle out even more
for an extended brace requires hardly any thought.

So John Winters can use a shorter Greenland paddle without
being unauthentic. ;-)

Maybe it is a whitewater legacy, but most kayakers seem to be
taught -- whether consciously or unconsciously -- to keep their
hands in one place. This appears to apply to most Greenland-style
paddlers, too, except for braces and rolls. In fact, Van Doren was
not even aware that the East Greenlanders incorporated a partial
slide into their forward stroke until I brought it to his attention last
year. (Even then he had to confirm it with John Heath before he
would accept it.) Maybe I will drop the sliding stroke myself when
I finally finish my new paddle, which has a longer loom. ;-)
However, one of my favorite scenes in Palos Brudefaerd is a
closeup montage of the heroine's brother cruising along with a
graceful,  effortless-looking sliding stroke, and one of my goals --
rarely achieved -- is to bring my own technique to the point where
it looks like that.

FWIW, most of the sea kayaking instructors in the Twin Cities
area prefer the Greenland paddle for their personal use, and at
least one applies what he has learned from using a Greenland
paddle to his teaching for all paddle styles. I know of only two
who do not prefer a Greenland paddle: Don Dimond and Bill
Newman, who have made a hobby of paddling across the
Great Lakes. (Bill also has a strong whitewater background.)

One thing I have noticed is that my Greenland paddle does slip
more in the water than my old 245 cm Wind Swift, which I
bought on bad advice about length. On the rare occasion when
I paddle with the Wind Swift, I am surprised by how much better
it grips the water, but also by how small and uncomfortable the
loom feels. If it were shorter, I might use the Wind Swift more,
but in truth I prefer the more comfortable and secure grip of the
Greenland paddle.

This slippage does make it harder to accelerate with a
Greenland paddle. The trade-off, as others have noted, is that
there is less stress on my paddling muscles, so they never feel
more more tired than the rest of me at the end of a long day,
yet my average cruising speed with a loaded kayak is about the
same as others -- about 3 to 3.5 mph. And of course it is a great
rolling paddle, as even the Winters brothers have conceded.

BTW, the Wind Swift is an ounce or two lighter than my lightest
Greenland paddle.

There are at least two authentic Greenland forward strokes.
The one with the paddle held low is often thought to be the
quintessential Greenland forward stroke. However, the
Greenlanders also used a higher stroke with the paddle
planted closer to the kayak when they were in a hurry, and
I have been told that this high stroke was typically used with
the storm paddle.

I have a high intensity acquaintance who uses a wing paddle. He
paddles mainly for exercise, and is always in racing mode. He is
a straight-ahead paddler with little interest in just fooling around
in his kayak. So far as I know, his bracing skills are rudimentary
and his roll nonexistant. The wing paddle is the perfect paddle for
him. But not for me; I  like to fool around in my kayak, and on
Wednesday evenings I spent almost as much time upside down
as I do right side up. For me a Greenland paddle is the perfect
paddle.

I guess it's a matter of different strokes for different folks.

Chuck Holst

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