RE: [Paddlewise] High Aspect Ratio Paddles

Peter Treby Wrote
> Thanks to Peter Chopelas for showing that
> high aspect ratio paddles are more efficient.
> Why don't all long distance paddlers use them,


G'Day Peter, Peter and Paddlewise,

If you're paddling at sea and with so many shapes and sizes of people and
boats, so many idiosyncratic but effective paddling styles and the infinite
variety of sea states, is it possible that chaos reigns and there's no fixed
answer?

For example I choose a short paddle with long blades because: - 1. It
maximises my bodies ability to efficiently do work over long distances. 2.
Its slippage through the water is forgiving at the end of a long trip when
tiredness might make me forget to closely link my upper body and shoulders,
so I avoid tendon injury. 3. The long blade and short shaft let me use
broken vertical paddle strokes to keep the boat (a Pittarak) moving straight
in a following sea. On the other hand if there is going to be a lot of surf
involved I'll choose a low aspect ratio paddle because I can roll better
with it and my high aspect ratio paddle is not as strong.

I'm guessing that many people will have different but equally valid ways of
optimising their person/boat/sea efficiency and that physics and biophysics
are not the most important issues when at sea.

I'll bet a decent bottle of red that they are important for racing on flat
water though.

All the best, PeterO




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