[Paddlewise] paddle size

Regardless of what size of paddle you prefer, you would have laughed to see
Stan's paddle.  It had blades the size and shape of pieces of wonderbread
angled forwards like a bent shaft canoe paddle.  I blanched when I saw it.
Several of us were planning to paddle up the Samish River into a strong
current and headwind.  How was this guy going to keep up?  We started up the
river paddling vigorously.  Sure enough, Stan was clear out of sight in a
couple of minutes.  We'd eddy out, and wait, and, a few seconds later, Stan
would catch up.  As the morning went on Stan started to keep up better, then
he started to get ahead, then he started to get way ahead.  We were getting
tired and beginning to slow down.  Stan wasn't getting tired at all.  I tried
his silly little paddle.  It felt broken.  It felt almost like there was no
blade.  It was easy to paddle alright, it just didn't seem likely that it
could go, but there was Stan, living proof after a hard morning of paddling,
that this paddle, slow at first, was very kind to the human body.  I was, and
am, dumbfounded.  I tried rolling with it.  It sucked, but I could do
it--barely.  It would be even worse for bracing.  I think the lousy bracing
and rolling performance were more off-putting for me than the weird feel of
the thing.  I'm pretty impressed with Stan's effectiveness with his stick.  If
I could convince myself that I'd be safe with it, I'd have him make one for
me.  So far, I can't convince myself that it is safe.  Stan says it takes
awhile to learn to use it.  That, at least, I believe.





Ken Rasmussen


www.kayakfit.com 


kayakfit_at_fidalgo.net 





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