Something I have heard and my personal but limited experience confirms is that the paddle (and technique) are way more important than the hull design. Though certainly the hull is a significant part of the total picture, efficiently putting the limited power available from your muscles into forward motion is actually the majority of this picture. It would be like building a race car and ignoring the engine, building an airplane and ignoring the propeller on it, etc. Knowing something about fluid mechanics, and early on experimenting with both "modern" and native style paddles, my personal experience is that certain native style paddles (not all of them) are way more efficient than the "Euro" style paddles. Though they are much more sensitive to technique. Since I did not have any deeply entrenched habits from extensive modern paddle use, I easily adapted to the "stick" paddle and found it a joy to use, and much more efficient and powerful than a modern one. Once you learn how to use the narrow blade I think it becomes automatic and technique is not an issue. If you simply try out a native paddle, switching from using a modern one without instruction nor sufficient time to get to know it, you will likely be disappointed and wonder how anyone could use such a useless stick as a paddle. For myself, after a number of trips with native paddles, if I try a Euro paddle, I wonder how anyone could use or even make such a poor design. It has been my casual observation that most recreational paddlers use poor technique, and that nearly all of the commonly available recreational paddles are not of very efficient design. There seems to be a preoccupation with weight and strength, rather than with proper blade design. And after more than a few conversations with modern paddle makers it is pretty obvious to me most do not have a clue about the fluid mechanics of what makes the paddle work. Unfortunately it is a very complex relationship between the shape, the fluid motion across the blade, and the properties of the fluid. What works best with both technique and blade shape do not easily yield to intuitive understanding. Needless to say that thousands of years of development at the hands of natives in some of the most challenging climates has yielded a remarkably good paddle and techniques, far superior to most modern designs. Give the native narrow paddle a serious look and you may be surprised at what you find. Peter *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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