Re: [Paddlewise] Greenland vs. wide blades (was feathered vs unfeathered)

 Greg Stamer wrote:
<SNIP>
>If a wave is so large that it is going to break on or over my chest, I
>"become a needle" by kissing the deck, adopt a roll setup position and
>spear the wave. Usually the wave is shed quickly and cleanly and with very
>little turbulence. The whole procedure consumes only a few seconds and
>causes very little disturbance to my paddling cadence. I learned this
>technique early in my surfing career from Wayne Horodowich and find it
>extremely useful. If you choose to keep your torso erect and continue
>paddling in such a scenario then yes, your feathered blade may slice
>through the wave but if the wave breaks on your chest, you can be
>back-endered and/or slammed painfully onto your rear deck. You may also be
>struck in the head or neck by your paddle shaft regardless of feather. As
>they say, been there, done that.

Yes all good techniques, but if an error happens with an unfeathered paddle
there is a chance that there may be a lot more force behind it because with
the unfeathered paddle the breaker can grab both blades at once and drive
them in the same direction at the same time. All the broken paddles (from
surf) we have seen or replaced at our store under warrantee (that I can
remember) were unfeathered. One paddler did an ender and fell through his
paddle. One was hanging on to his paddle as hard as he could as the
turbulence tried to yank it away from him while he was upside down waiting
for things to calm down enough to roll. His paddle snapped at the joint
between his hands. Most others simply said they were upside down and in such
turbulance it was all they could do to hang onto there paddle and they
didn't know exactly what happened to break it.
>
>If you insist on some advantages of unfeathered blades in surf, I offer the
>following observations. I find that an unfeathered blade is somewhat easier
>to keep hold of while getting severely "maytagged" since it has a lower
>profile when held against the hull and is less likely to be caught by
>violent underwater turbulence.

Feathered paddles fit nicely against the deck in this "ready to roll"
position too. The rear blade vertical against the side and the fore blade
laying along the deck. So I have no problem holding a feathered paddle in
the "needle" position which I also adopt when punching through a wave--but
because of the less serious consequences of not getting the paddle into
position soon enough I might get an extra stroke in to help me make it
through the break and not get rear endered). When it is really turbulent
down there ("maytagged") it is unlikely you are going to get any paddle to
lay against the deck unless you started with it tightly held there before
the wave broke. I have often had to let go of one hand when a feathered
paddle threatened to yank my shoulder out of the socket. The paddle may have
gyrated around for a while before it calmed down enough to grab it again and
roll up, but I  can't recall ever having it completely yanked out of my hand
even when it hit the sand. I will theorize that an unfeathered paddle would
be harder to hold on to (because of the both blades at once problem) but
gyrate less if held by one hand.

>Likewise, since most days of big water in my
>area are "victory at sea" conditions and are often accompanied by high
>winds, I find an unfeathered blade to be more neutral in these conditions
>with little tendency to spin, dive or catch a beam wind.

Spinning and diving seem to be problems with feathers less than 75 degrees
and more than 15 degrees. (see earlier post for side wind comparrisons)

>Of course in this
>kind of wind a Greenland paddle truly excels.

Unless, as you said early in your later post, you are paddling into it.
(I'll admit it is lots better than big unfeathered blades then though)

>On a very subjective note, I
>enjoy the feeling of symmetry when linking strokes that is lost (on me)
>with the wrist cock of a feathered blade.

So, quit cocking your wrists when you paddle feathered and regain the
symmetry.
>

><SNIP>
 If, on the other hand, you are really looking for the *most
>efficient* paddle for surf play then you have to decide what it is you are
>trying to maximize. Is it fun? Is it more points in serious competition? Is
>it maximizing air time on an aerial? Is it having money to eat with rather
>than buying that $350 paddle? Is it simply making it to shore dry and
>alive? And so on. Your criteria will likely be different than mine.


My criteria is mostly the ability to a catch faster waves (further out from
the break zone) to get a longer ride. (Or even more often to catch faster
wind waves when the waves start to get out of reach of catching as they get
longer over a longer fetch as you move downwind.) I don't like losing the
wave I have put so much effort into catching.
Let me say that I agree with just about everything Greg has said in these
posts regarding technique and a live and let live attitude to other paddlers
ways of doing things. There is no one right answer for everybody.
Matt Broze
http://www.marinerkayaks.com


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