> > Seems to me that any manufacturer can convert any of their paddles to a four > piece. it's just a question of sawing off the blade and installing the > push-button mechanism. > My recommendation earlier was to use whatever 4-piece paddle Feathercraft was putting its name on (i.e. they subcontract paddle manufacturers to make the paddles for them using proprietary design features) but I had assumed the same as Sandy says above. Now I am not so sure. I have a Werner Camano 4-piece that has a major problem. So much water gets into the paddle blade end area during the course of a trip that you really should empty this every few hours if not more often. Who wants to carry extra ounces at the blade end? The 4-piece I have from Feathercraft (mine dates back to when it was made by Aquabound but now I think they have Nimbus make it for them) takes on very little water at the ends, i.e. nothing to worry about. But the Werner is ridiculous in what it takes on. I have not talked to the company but someone else did. They told her that she was dipping her blade and shaft too deeply into the water. Seems a lame cop-out to me. While certainly a full dip well up the shaft is not a good paddling stroke, it is really hard to avoid placing a bit of the joint in the water even with good paddling technique. And what about sculling or draw strokes or rolling, all activities that definitely submerge a 4-piece paddle at its end joints? Another thing to be aware of with a 4 piece paddle. The blade ends themselves if separated will sink in dunked, i.e. they have little if any inherent flotation. I found this out one day at pool practice when I lent the blade portion of my Feathercraft one to a whitewater paddler who wanted to practice toward a hand roll. On one of his attempts he failed and let go of the blade, which quickly sank to the bottom of the pool. No big deal in a pool but a disaster if the blade were off the paddle on a dock and got accidentally kicked in. Would anyone with a 4-piece paddle care to share what their experience has been regarding buildup of water at the blade end during paddling as well as practicing sculls, draws and rolls? ralph diaz-- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024 Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com "Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag." ----------------------------------------------------------------------- *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************Received on Tue Jan 15 2002 - 07:02:23 PST
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