Paddlewisers, As I am sure a lot of you know, I have been a proponent of unfeathered paddles. However, I frequently practiced feathered paddling for those times when the headwind is just too nasty for an unfeathered paddle. The paddle I was using was a 2-peice, adjustable for 0 degree and 80 degree feathers. Even with a bent elbow, this 80 degree feather was a bit hard on the wrist of my control hand. I just bought a new paddle, and like most new paddles, it came with a feather of 60 degrees. What a relief! I just paddled 16 miles feathered without a hint of a wrist problem, and the feather angle seemed natural as I paddled. I can't imagine going back to 80 degrees. If I recall right, someone, possibly Matt Broze, posted a while back that the 60 degree paddles flutter more in a strong headwind than 80. This would make since because the upper blade is at more of an angle on a 60 degree paddle than an 80. I'll have to test this some time. Duane http://hometown.aol.com/pirateseakayaker *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Duane wrote: <SNIP> >>I just bought a new paddle, and like most new paddles, it came with a feather of 60 degrees. What a relief! I just paddled 16 miles feathered without a hint of a wrist problem, and the feather angle seemed natural as I paddled. I can't imagine going back to 80 degrees. If I recall right, someone, possibly Matt Broze, posted a while back that the 60 degree paddles flutter more in a strong headwind than 80. This would make since because the upper blade is at more of an angle on a 60 degree paddle than an 80. I'll have to test this some time.<< It isn't flutter, it is that one blade climbs when going into a strong headwind and the other dives. Both tend to tip you to the same side and make the paddle much harder to control in those conditions.. 45 degrees is about the worst here. This is unfortunate because as you discovered somewhere between 45 to 60 degrees is about the easiest feather angle for gripping a paddle with both hands and not having to bend the wrist or lift the elbow during a medium to high angle power stroke. I think a better solution than unfeathered, or 45 to 60 degree feather, is to use "low hand control". The lower hand is the one that grips the paddle and the upper hand is somewhat open with the paddle free to rotate and pivot in it. This way the push can be done much like a straight punch without bending the wrist up, down or sideways throughout the pushing phase. This takes a little practice, but once learned will result in far less wrist problems and a more powerful stroke. Try immobilizing the wrist on the "control" hand and paddling. When you lift the forearm of the "control" side you put a rotating motion on the paddle. Loosening your grip for a fraction of a second just before burying the other blade allows this rotation to continue the 15 to 30 extra degrees needed to not bend your wrist while pushing (the major cause of wrist problems in paddlers in my opinion). I paddle 75 degrees left feather (I'm right handed), but can paddle 60 to 90 degree paddles without having to consciously adjust using these techniques. At 75 degrees the only time I notice it is less than 90 degrees is when I'm quartering into a high wind and the climbing side is into the wind. The lifting here is slight and easy to control so I don't see it as reason enough to go back to a higher degree of feather angle. Matt Broze http://www.marinerkayaks.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Duane wrote of his positive paddling experience using a 60 degree feathered paddle, but noted Matt Broze's observation that a 60 degree feather may flutter more in high winds than an 80 degree feather would. Here's an observation based on limited (for this group) experience: For some years I've used a 60 degree feather with no wrist problems. I don't paddle in the really high winds others find comfortable - if I know the wind is going to be more than Bft 5 I stay off the water. But in Bft 5 winds, I haven't had trouble with flutter, especially when using a lower paddle angle, somewhat more like the Traditional low angle, or the cruising angle some people use when using longer (130+ cm) paddles. Bill Hansen Ithaca NY *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Bill Hansen wrote: > Duane wrote of his positive paddling experience using a 60 degree feathered > paddle, but noted Matt Broze's observation that a 60 degree feather may > flutter more in high winds than an 80 degree feather would. > > Here's an observation based on limited (for this group) experience: For some > years I've used a 60 degree feather with no wrist problems. I don't paddle > in the really high winds others find comfortable - if I know the wind is > going to be more than Bft 5 I stay off the water. But in Bft 5 winds, I > haven't had trouble with flutter, especially when using a lower paddle > angle, somewhat more like the Traditional low angle, or the cruising angle > some people use when using longer (130+ cm) paddles. This looks like a job for a continuously variable feather angle paddle (now that's a mouthful!). You can choose high feather angles for serious winds, moderate angles for high shaft angle paddling and lower angles for low shaft-angle paddling. Pete Cresswell, on r.b.p (or r.b.p.t), says that the more he uses them, the more continuously adjustable paddles make sense. The more I think of them, and play with different paddles, the more I agree. That's why my next paddle, _when_ it arrives, will be c.a. And variable length. Add bent shafts and various offsets to relieve wrist and other joint strains and the days of the straight shaft, fixed angle paddles should be numbered. Mike *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
What's the failure rate of these variable feather and variable length paddle mechanisms? It's nice to feel a solid simple non-mechanical paddle shaft in the hands. (No rudder pedal under the feet, either [mumbled under breadth]. And when I get back on land, I hand carry my kayak the twenty miles or so home.) *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Thu Aug 21 2025 - 16:33:14 PDT