Kevin said in reply to a thread: Yes, this is why the proper forward stroke is somewhat difficult to teach. When the forward stroke is done right, it "feels" wrong... as if there wasn't enough effort applied. People want to be rewarded for their effort, and unfortunately bad technique feels rewarding because of the work out it gives. A knotmeter would be a better metric for people to judge their progress. <snip> I still think feathered blades with some decent blade area work best in situations where it matters most - like paddling into the wind. In any other situation, does it really matter? Perhaps for the long distance tourer or long crossing adventurer, then maybe some of the other parameters are more important (like smaller blades, unfeathered, etc). As far as technique, paddlers who want to mature their available skill sets should be thinking flexibility and variability. At times, an upright stroke is called for; at other times a low "sea-stroke" is indicted. As with many things in paddling, not being rigid about technique consistency can be a good thing. Case in point - your observation about "workout". I believe you are talking about when to take the blade out of the water (one of the things under discussion anyway - I'm racing through the digests). Normally, pulling out the blade as one passes their hip is a good maxim, but I know for me anyway, with a Euro paddle, I'll keep the paddle in the water much longer when the wind is high and in my face. It is the only way I can keep forward momentum in a gale. The trick is to lift the blade out of the water at a bit of an angle so as not to lift too much water. You can compensate for a wider paddle blade by buying a soft dihedral design, which lessens the severity on shoulder and elbow joints. Also, especially in gales, keep that grip loose (but not too loose). Hey Kev, I'll get back to you on your questions about my little adventure with the gale and reef on that Monday in question. I've been busy last few nights fixing hull damage and some pesky leaks attendant from the outing. PS Had a lovely paddle last Wednesday. Gale warning up for the afternoon, with good tide running. With amazing self restraint, I went out in the morning calm instead, with three other, older paddlers. We took the "gravy train" ebb express ride down the coast, with the tide, to Trial Island, played in the standing waves, then lunched on goodies, then caught the sea's "train track" back with the flood - all before the wind picked up and all hell broke loose. George would have been proud of me. "Without incident", isn't that one of his mottos at the academy? Being normal can be fun, though I backpaddled for 25% of the trip (why be totally normal - and good muscle/technique training too; did some fast sprints, and worked on correct rotation with proper posture). Behave big guy! Doug Lloyd *************************************************************************** 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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