Or.... confessions of a die-hard whitewater kayaker I used to find simple flatwater paddling somewhat boring. I tolerated long trips on calm seas mostly as a means to an end -- fabulous camping and enjoying the company of friends. I only got excited when the weather becamoe rough or there was surfing of some kind or another. But then I borrowed George Gronseth's Greenland paddle for a three day trip, and I was hooked. I built my own out of red cedar, and pretty much taught myself how to use it. I love perfecting my technique with this paddle, trying to make my strokes as efficient as possible, practicing bracing and rolling, etc... I would say that really perfecting the use of a Greenland paddle is very challenging, and therefore fun at least for me, whereas perfecting the use of a modern paddle is relatively easy. One style is not necessarily better than another, but it is rather pointless to crticize their merits without spending a while learning how to use them both, which I have done. I love using a Greenland paddle, and hate using a modern paddle while on the sea at least, and I will try to explain why below: - A paddle carved by you will fit your hand perfectly. - A proper Greenland paddle IS a wing paddle. It has a symmetrical airfoil shape, and proper paddling technique uses a lateral velocity component such that water flows over the foil and generates lift -- exactly like a "modern" wing paddle. Regular modern paddles do not generate lift at all, but instead operate solely via drag force. The principle of generating lift is attractive to me. - The greenland paddle easily lends itself to several very different paddling styles, whereas the modern paddle really only has one style. Certain muscles will always get tired on any long trip, so I think it is nice to be able to switch the groups of muscles which get tired by switching paddling styles. Three styles with ny own names attached are: - Cruising stroke: Paddle is held in close to chest and low to the cockpit. Arms are used to dip each end of the paddle into the water, but torso twist is the primary motivating force. I use a higher than normal cadence with this stroke. - Sliding stroke: Very similar to modern technique, except the outboard hand always slides a little bit along the shaft for each stroke. There is more of a drag component in this stroke (at least until I get better... fun fun fun), and I use a normal cadence. - Racing stroke: Identical to a modern racing wing paddle stroke, with extended arms and extreme torso twist. There is a high component of lift to this stroke, and I use it to accelerate whenever catching waves. Done properly, I think it is faster than any stroke with a modern normal paddle. I am certainly not doing the description of these strokes justice, but I don't have time to write a novel. I would rather show you! - Bracing takes practice because it is a slightly different motion than bracing with a modern paddle. At first I found it very challenging, but I've got the hang of it now. I would still say that it is inherently easier to brace with a modern paddle, because it requires an extra component of motion. However bracing is definitely improved over modern wing paddles. - Rolling is vastly superior to modern paddles. I could write a book on this topic... - My paddle, the one George has made, and the one described in sea kayaker all have sharp break between the shaft and the paddle blade. I've seen a commercial wooden greenland paddle at Alder Creek (Betsy Bay perhaps??) in Portland, and it has a continous transition between shaft and blade. I think this latter construction eliminates some of the best advantages of a greenland paddle -- being able to instinctively feel the orientation of the paddle blade, having a more secure grip, and knowing exactly where your hands are located. I highly recommend that you try making your own paddle if you are curious. It costs practically nothing, and doesn't take that much labor to get the rough shape. If you are ever in Seattle, drop me a line and I would be happy to give you a demo of a greenland paddle. If you need help making one, get the article from Sea Kayaker, the excellent .pdf file from Chuck Holst that is available on the Paddlewise page (I think), and ask here for advice. I guarantee you will get all the help you need! I hope this discussion prompts at least one person to learn how to use a greenland paddle. Cheers, Kevin ___________________ / Kevin Whilden \ |Dept. of Geosciences \___ |University of Washington \ |kwhilden_at_u.washington.edu| \________________________/ *************************************************************************** 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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