Re: [Paddlewise] Switching paddle types

From: Shawn Baker <shawnkayak_at_yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 11:49:47 -0700 (PDT)
--- Peter Staehling <staehpj1_at_yahoo.com> wrote:
> --- Shawn Baker <shawnkayak_at_yahoo.com> wrote:
> > Shawn wrote:
> > Unless you're using a 90* or 0*
> > offset...in which the inboard
> > blade pretty much tells you exactly what the
> > outboard blade is doing. 
> 
> Not so sure about this one.  I think many paddlers let
> the paddle slip in their non control hand, orienting
> it only with the indexing of their control hand.  That
> would seem to indicate that the angle of their blades
> are pretty hardwired into their brain, whether that
> angle is 30, 45, 60 or whatever.  Every stroke they
> place is based on that angle.  Why would that be
> limited to 0 and 90 degrees?

I'm limiting my comments to extended strokes (and have in this
thread)...not to be confused with an altogether anti-feathered
argument. I still have and love my feathered paddles.

Because...if you're really doing an extended stroke, even your
"control" hand moves on the paddle shaft, and you lose the indexing
your control hand is used to.  With a true extended stroke (with a
feathered paddle), your control hand ends up where your other hand was,
and indexing is lost.

> I have used extended strokes a good bit in squirt
> boating. 

Didn't know you were a squirt boater--wow!  I'll have to ask you about
it more sometime.

> I won't clain ANY of my strokes are fluid or
> precise, but I have watched some of the "founding
> fathers" of squirtboating use VERY precise extended
> paddle strokes with a 40 or 45 degree feather paddle. 

But to be fair, we're talking about some very advanced and dedicated
people who probably spend more waking hours in their tiny boats than
out of them.  I think most of us average mortals get confused extending
feathered paddles--especially since holding a feathered blade on the
right side is different from the left.

Like you said, too, when more speed is needed with an EP, stroke rate
is increased.  It's cumbersome to use an extended paddle for more speed
with a feathred EP...so most people don't do it.

I'm not saying EP's are bad.  I'm not saying feathered is bad.  I'm not
saying you can't extend an EP. I'm not saying GP is the only way to go.
 Just saying that extending a feathered EP is too quirky to be of much
regular use.

Shawn

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Received on Thu Sep 19 2002 - 11:49:56 PDT

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