Re: [Paddlewise] paddle sizing and Technology guides design

Not an authority, but an ex-engineer...

We haven't defined efficiency.

In any case, more energy converted to forward momentum per unit energy
expended translates to faster speeds.

Faster speed does not necessarily mean higher efficiency.

If I were a racer, I wouldn't care about how much energy I saved after the
race. I want to finish 2% faster, even if I expend 20% more energy.

If I were on a multiple all day open ocean crossings, I sure would care
about about conserving 20% of my energy and could care less about going 2%
faster.

I believe Greenland paddles achieve this, primarily through the difference
in Reynolds numbers of Air and water.

live long and paddle,

albert


> I don't like appeals to authority but I do have one question that kind of
> appeals to authority. If Greenland style paddles are so efficient why is
it
> that no Olympic Racers that I have ever heard of (even pre-wing) have ever
> used them or even a lightweight high tech high aspect-ratio version of
them.
> Did they just completely miss the boat on this because of the wrong
> assumption that bigger and wider was more powerful? I probably haven't
given
> Greenland paddles enough of a chance to have learned how to use them the
> most efficiently. I guess maybe I just don't like having wet hands from no
> drip rings all the time and switched to feathered (by cutting my paddle in
> two and twisting it 90 degrees before duct taping it back together over a
> sleeve) like a weenie as soon as the wind blew a little in my face.
However,
> my observations from using them and also sprinting against a paddler
equally
> as strong as myself (at least when he was using the same model paddle as
me)
> who was also very into native paddles and their correct use, was that they
> were slow on acceleration and couldn't keep up the same top speed. For
other
> uses they seemed just fine (although some like the "Quill" zigzagged
around
> so much in the water under a load they were hard to control. The falling
> leaf effects flutter rate is higher on a narrower blade. The wing type
> stroke pretty much relieves this flutter problem though which is one of
the
> reasons I use that stroke even though I don't like wing paddles for
cruising
> for many reasons other than efficiency.
>
> Matt Broze
> http://www.marinerkayaks.com
>
>
>
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