Hi All , Anyone have any experience with the Derek Hutchinson designed Toksook paddle . It is an interesting looking paddle and I recently saw it in use while observing some of his teaching clinics from the shore at the ECCK festival in Charleston , S.C. You can find an information web page here : http://www.useakayak.org/toksook.html It is certainly not a cheap paddle at $300. So - other than price - is there any controversy about the paddle design from the , to some , controversial man ? Best regards , David *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
At 09:00 PM 4/25/2003 -0400, David Walker wrote: >Hi All , > >Anyone have any experience with the Derek Hutchinson designed Toksook >paddle . It is an interesting looking paddle and I recently saw it in >use while observing some of his teaching clinics from the shore at the >ECCK festival in Charleston , S.C. > >You can find an information web page here : >http://www.useakayak.org/toksook.html > >It is certainly not a cheap paddle at $300. So - other than price - is >there any controversy about the paddle design from the , to some , >controversial man ? At an LL Bean symposium several years ago I helped Derek carry his boat down to the water and carried his Toksook in the other hand. It's a bit heavier than you're typical $300 paddle. During the class I took with him someone else asked about the paddle and he said that he thought very light weight paddles were overrated. On the other hand, Linda Legg also uses a Toksook and she's a small person (but a very good paddler). *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
> -----Original Message----- > From: owner-paddlewise_at_paddlewise.net > [mailto:owner-paddlewise_at_paddlewise.net] On Behalf Of David Walker > > Hi All , > > Anyone have any experience with the Derek Hutchinson > designed Toksook paddle . David, I have been using a Toksook for over a year now. It is my favorite paddle but it is not perfect. The paddle is extremely strong and can handle my 225 lbs sitting on the shaft for an entry or exit when necessary---the drawback is that the paddle is heavy. It took a while to get used to the weight, but now I don't notice it at all. I tried using my back-up paddle several weeks ago (it used to be my favorite paddle) and after 10 minutes, I put it back on the back deck and went back to the Toksook The symmetrical blades make it very easy to use for low and high braces and the 90 degree feather make it extremely easy to always know the position of your blades. It took Derek teaching me not to rotate my wrist with a feathered paddle so that I became comfortable with this large of a feather angle. In the past, I used to use a 60 degree feather. I also use a longer paddle with the Toksook than any other paddle. All of my other paddles are 230 cm but I was told by Wayne Horodowich to get the 240 Toksook and he is right. The shaft length is the same as the rest of my paddles. There is also someone in our local club who has 2 Toksook's for sale at a good price. If you're interested, email me and I'll send you his address. There is also a complete review that I wrote about this paddle on the review pages of our local club www.ckf.org Steve Holtzman Southern, CA *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Regarding the Toksook paddle I'd like to comment on one aspect that is quite interesting. That being, it's shaft is shorter than a typical paddle of similar length. That is because the blades are longer than a typical paddle. I enjoy my Toksook more than most of my other paddles. It behaves well in the water and appears as speedy as the Kaui my wife owns. I like the beefier construction and it's weight is not a burden at 34 ounces for the 215cm size. The wind doesn't seem to lift it as others do. It seems to be forced downward rather than lift up in high winds (30+ knots). Rob G *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Thanks to all who responded with their impressions or experiences with the Toksook paddle . Like most things some folks liked it and some did not and some liked it at first only to later draft away to another design . Some seemed to have liked it with the exception that they had ordered what they later felt was a too long paddle , the sellers seem to often recommend a 240 cm length . I suppose that length may work better for some of those aggressive edging techniques that Derek teaches in his classes , but even here some folks purchased the longer length and fell it was a good choice despite what seems to me a recent trend for folks to migrate toward recommending shorter paddles than in the past . Anyway , I was contacted off list by some one offering to sell me a 220 cm Toksook paddle with 60 or 70 degree feather at a good price so I ordered it and received it today . In some ways it reminds me allot of my BB Journey paddle but with out a dedicated power face . I did learn that it is not only available with just the ninety degree feather , but apparently in a wide range of angles . And not everyone was convinced to get the longer length which the web site seems to recommend . I think the somewhat shorter shaft length will work fine , time on the water will tell . One thing new I found after receiving the paddle is that the shaft is round but one side has an indexing piece about ten inches long affixed to it which is in line with the spine which runs down the middle of one of the flat faces of the blade of one blade . Just a sort of long raised area glassed in along the shaft which will rest under the fingers . It also has a bit of reflective tape on the blade roots but I think that may have been added by the previous owner and not a standard thing on a new paddle . So while fully aware it is practice and skill which makes the paddler and not the paddle I shall have fun playing around with this new to me design . Best regards , David Rcgibbert_at_aol.com wrote: > Regarding the Toksook paddle I'd like to comment on one aspect .... > it's shaft is shorter than a typical paddle of similar length. That is > because the blades are longer than a typical paddle. > > I enjoy my Toksook more than most of my other paddles. .... *************************************************************************** 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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