Re: [Paddlewise] Race Training.

On Fri, 18 Feb 2000 dmccarty_at_us.ibm.com wrote:

> I have enough strength to overpower the paddle but
> that does not make me move faster.  There  is a word begining with C use to
> describe what happens to props moving too fast in the water.  Can't think
> of it after two days...  Grrr..  In a sense this is what I mean when I talk
> about overpowering the paddle.

The C word you were hunting for is probably "Cavitation".  The word you 
wanted to use is ventilation.  Ventilation is sucking air down behind the
paddle causing to lose it's purchase on the water.  Cavitation is caused by
propellers going fast enough to cause a partial vacuum in the water.
  
> To put it another way.  My wife and I took two people kayaking for the
> first time.  The man was flailing at the water.  Splashing water all over
> the place, getting tired and out of breath very quickly.  He was moving no
> faster than the woman who was calmly just paddling along.  He lathered up
> in sweat while she was nice and comfortable.  This was on a 400 yard paddle
> from the put in to the other side of the lake.  He was doing a few things
> wrong but mainly he was overpowering the paddle.  I never could get him to
> calm down and paddle more smoothly.  He was exhausted at the end of the
> trip and she was just fine.  One was nice and smooth the other used to much
> muscle and hacked at the water.

I do some racing, 6 or so races a year since having kids.  Last year at a 
local 1.5 mile canoe race 2 of my friends, both 50 somethings, raced 
against 2 twenty year old well built guys.  My friends beat them across 
the lake.  Strength isn't everything.  Technique counts a hell of a lot 
when paddling/racing.
 
kirk
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