More fuel for the fire: I've been wondering as the debate goes on why I got started in whitewater kayaking with feathered blades and have never switched. One good reason for feathered is that I've competed in slalom racing, and when the power blade is pulling one's boat through the water and through a gate, that feathered blade on top gives you another several inches clearance through the gate in a fully vertical position. Being of the old school, I also don't rotate the paddle in my control hand - for sure want to have my orientation unchanged as the need for braces and rolls arises. So, when I had a wrist injury and was going on a week long trip in Alaska, I paddled unfeathered. Scary at first and any time I needed a brace, which thankfully wasn't often, but it worked fine. And back to my style of nonrotating control hand with feathered blades after I got back. Go with the flow - use what is right for the situation and comfortable for the paddler. Natalie *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Thanks Natalie, for sending the Gerritsma paper to me. I don't know if it was slalom kayakers wanting to slip gates or flatwater racers wanting to cut the drag that first started feathering. I'm pretty sure it was one or the other. The vast majority soon adopted it. I think for better reasons than hero worship. If that was the case we would all be using wing paddles today. Matt Broze http://www.marinerkayaks.com -----Original Message----- From: Natalie Wiest <wiestn_at_tamug.tamu.edu> To: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net <paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net> Date: Thursday, August 12, 1999 11:29 AM Subject: [Paddlewise] Feathered and unfeathered paddles >More fuel for the fire: I've been wondering as the debate goes on why I got >started in whitewater kayaking with feathered blades and have never switched. >One good reason for feathered is that I've competed in slalom racing, and when >the power blade is pulling one's boat through the water and through a gate, >that feathered blade on top gives you another several inches clearance through >the gate in a fully vertical position. > > > > > >Being of the old school, I also don't rotate the paddle in my control hand - >for sure want to have my orientation unchanged as the need for braces and >rolls arises. So, when I had a wrist injury and was going on a week long trip >in Alaska, I paddled unfeathered. Scary at first and any time I needed a >brace, which thankfully wasn't often, but it worked fine. And back to my >style of nonrotating control hand with feathered blades after I got back. > > > > > >Go with the flow - use what is right for the situation and comfortable for the >paddler. > > > > > >Natalie > > > > > > > > >*************************************************************************** >PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List >Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net >Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net >Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ >*************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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