Re: [Paddlewise] Registering distance paddled

From: Kirk Olsen <paddlewise_at_fastmail.fm>
Date: Thu, 31 Oct 2002 14:10:57 UT
On Thu, 31 Oct 2002 09:29:15 +0000, "Clas Hagelstam"
<clas_kayaker_at_hotmail.com> said:
> Anyone have experience with a sensible
> ( electronic) gadget that registers
> distance paddled?
> Maybe a sensor attached to the inside of
> the hull or mounted through a hole with
> the active surface flush with the bottom.

I've got a knotmeter from speedtech 
http://www.speedtech.com/asp/prodtype.asp?prodtype=35
which records distance travelled, along with speed.

They have 2 models of interest to a paddler.  An impeller verion that has
a small "propeller" on a fin that attaches to your boat.  The other
version is a trailing wire that you just drop over the side.  Neither
model requires putting a hole through the hull.

I used it a fair amount on a couple outrigger canoes (single and double)
that I paddled this year.  It's great for letting you know right away
what effect boat and stroke adjustments have to your speed.  Since we
were practicing while paddling 
into a stiff current the knotmeter gave our real speed in the water
versus a gps which would have only given our speed relative to the
planet.

The impeller version is basically 3 pieces.  The reciever, which has nice
big legible numbers, that attaches to an angled plate which is velcro'ed
to the boat.  The impeller is in 2 pieces, a base plate (fairly
hydrodynamic, that is about 1/2" by 2" (1.25 X 5cm) and maybe 1/4" thick)
which attaches with 3M adhesive, and a removable impeller/fin that slides
into the base plate.

If you change boats a lot the trailing wire is probably preferable. 
Additional base plates are available, but they are "permanantly" attached
to the boat so you can't get speed results in a borrowed boat.  I would
be interested in finding a source for the 3M adhesive, since I bought the
impeller version but paddle a lot of different boats.

The results do go haywire when you go under high tension power lines. 
I'm fairly certain we never got the outrigger doing 35 knots ;-)

Kirk
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Received on Thu Oct 31 2002 - 06:11:10 PST

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