Re: [Paddlewise] Feathered v Unfeathered paddles

-----Original Message-----
From: Strosaker_at_aol.com <Strosaker_at_aol.com>
To: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net <paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net>
Date: Tuesday, August 10, 1999 9:03 PM
Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Feathered v Unfeathered paddles


Duane Strosaker wrote
>I tour and surf with an unfeathered paddle.  I think it is more ergonomic
and
>versatile, because it allows for straight wrists and arms, and for low and
>high angle strokes.  It is also a lot easier to use for sweep strokes,
rolls,
>braces, and stern rudders, because the wrists are in more of a neutral
>position.

All of these things are just as easy with a feathered paddle if one uses low
hand control (the hand position is the same as unfeathered--it is only if
you are trying to maintain the fixed grip of the control hand that makes any
of these more awkward.

>Unfeathered paddles are best when the wind is coming from behind
>and the sides.

Both have different disadvantages in side winds and any push that is gained
by unfeathered in a tail wind is likely to be lost ten times over going into
the same speed head wind. A strong paddler paddling 4 knots into a 10 knot
headwind will have added 10 knots of blade speed to the 10 knot wind for a
relative wind of 20 knots. This creates 4 times the pressure on the
unfeathered blade than when there is no wind (and the extra drag using an
unfeathered paddle in no wind is still far more than a feathered blade
slicing through the air at about 2.5 times boat speed). There is virtually
no loss for the feathered and considerable for the unfeathered into the
wind. Paddling with the same effort downwind might get the boat speed up to
5 or 6 knots but for comparrison purposes we will stay with 4 knots. This
means blade speed would be about 10 knots. This would create virtually no
drag due to the unfeathered blade sinally doing as well as a feathered. If
we keep the speed the same winds higher than 10 knots would add a little
benefit to unfeathered paddling but in reallity your boat speed would
increase as well meaning it might take 15 knots of tailwind to break even.

>The only disadvantage they have is in a strong headwind.

Such an overwhelming disadvantage that I cut my first paddle in two and
twisted it into a feathered paddle.

>I did have to feather my paddle in some severe high headwinds that I
recently
>encountered, or else I wouldn't have been able to make any headway.  As a
>result, I now practice paddling, rolling, bracing and other skills with my
>paddle in both the feathered and unfeathered positions.  It was tricky
going
>back and forth at first, but it quickly became easy with practice.  Now I
can
>use which position is best for the particular conditions I encounter.

You think you can, but I'll bet if you ask a buddy to try to capsize you by
surprise sometime you will find you revert to the braces that you have
practiced and won't have time to think "which feather am I using today". It
is one thing to practice doing it both ways, it is quite another to control
your reactive panic brace.

>By the way, I don't have any problems surfing with an unfeathered paddle,
and >I actually think it is more effective.  I even went as far as to cut my
one
>piece feathered surf paddle in half and put it back together in the
>unfeathered position.  Overall, I prefer an unfeathered paddle, except in a
>severe headwind.

During severe wind conditions is not when I'd want to be messing with my
reactive paddle brace.

>Don't let anyone tell you that you have to feather your
>paddle to be a good kayaker.

I know a lot of good paddlers who paddle unfeathered but not one good racer
(slalom or flatwater) that does.


Matt Broze
http://www.marinerkayaks.com



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