RE:[Paddlewise] Paddles

I couldn't find anything to disagree with in what John Winters wrote about
paddles. While I'm a very "feel" oriented guy and usually trust my
kinesthetic senses a lot, I especially liked John's point about not going
with your feelings when judging a kayaks speed. You can feel how hard you
are working but you can't really feel accurately how fast you are going.
Even though many think they can, they are often fooled by using ease of
acceleration (or other factors) that aren't applicable to judge the speed.
To accurately know your speed you need some measuring device. It can be as
simple as a watch (and a fixed distance), which is my usual technique. BTW
Steve, I'm just as fast (over a short distance anyhow) if I have had several
minutes rest as I was the first time (using the same kayak and in the same
conditions). The hull speed of the kayak pretty much dictates what my time
will be if I'm pushing as hard as I can. Wind, water temperature, or current
are all things that you will need to be concerned with when trying to make
speed comparisons though. However, you can calculate the differences due to
water temperature (and salt or freshwater differences, although they are a
lot less dramatic) if you time yourself over the same distance at different
times of the year, like I do. I figure it works out to about 2.5% slower for
every ten degrees F. of temperature decrease).
With all John's explanations in mind, I still can't figure out why the
paddler made almost the same distance per stroke without also using more
energy to go faster (when using a higher stroke rate with the narrower
blade). It just doesn't compute. It takes a given amount of energy to move a
given kayak at a given speed though the water. If you move it faster that
takes more energy. If more energy wasn't expended then the Lendahl paddle
must be somehow wasting a lot more of the energy that went into it than the
Whetstone paddle did. What John wrote would seem to point to the wider
(lower aspect ratio) blades as being more efficient not less? Years ago a
Werner Paddles brochure claimed that their high aspect ratio blade gripped
the water better (if I recall correctly, due to the longer edge perimeter)
but then later in the same brochure they credited the same narrow blades
with being easier on the shoulders (presumably because, as is the common
knowledge--but I'm not sure about), they slip more in the water to cushion
the load on the shoulder. I still don't think they can have it both ways. Am
I missing something here? Any more ideas on how each stroke can move the
boat the same distance but one paddle is easier than the other so that more
strokes can be taken to move the kayak faster using the same effort?

Matt Broze
http://www.marinerkayaks.com

***************************************************************************
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/
***************************************************************************