I would think Olympic development programs -- at least those in countries with big budgets for Olympic sports -- would already have done extensive experiments on paddles, such as the obvious experiment of building and testing many similar paddles. If so, the paddles used in the Olympics must reveal the fruits of those experiments. *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
I conducted my own paddle comparison test today. Boat was new to me, a Tribalance outrigger kayak that I plan to use for introducing scared newby persons (wife?) to paddling, and that I hope a friend with two synthetic hip joints will be able to paddle, sitting on the back deck with feet/legs inside the cockpit. I may use it for camera work and extended gazing with binoculars. I start to feel sea sick very soon in my regular tippy feeling Cobra Expedition looking thru' the glasses. My regular paddle is a Werner graphite San Juan, light, _big_ blade touring paddle. The new paddle is a greenland made by the folks at Superior Kayak in graphite. It is a work of art, I examined it and examined it and I couldn't see a seam in the graphite cloth anywhere, I'm really curious how they make them. Anyway it is quite light and 87" long with a max width about 3.5 inches. Nice large oval grip, extremely comfortable to hold. I started out with the greenie and combining that with a new boat with a rudder (I've never used a rudder before) it must have looked pretty uncoordinated and funny. After about 20 minutes I was starting to thing the boat and the paddle, both, were a mistake. I didn't seem to be making a lot of forward progress and I couldn't seem to make the boat go straight. I raised the rudder and switched to the San Juan and did a little better for about half an hour, still having trouble going straight. The wind started to come up and since it is in opposition to the direction for going back to the take out, I turned around and started back, figuring I might have some real trouble with new gear and reflexes. Having heard that the greenies were good into the wind I went back to it and was astonished to find that suddenly it seemed to be working extremely well. When I first started using it, the first time, it fluttered viciously for a while until I managed to get the knack of the slight tipping of the blade that produced smooth working. This time I found that I was making better progress against a 10-15 knot breeze than I ever had before, and with less apparent effort. I soon fell into a smooth rhythm of quick short paddle strokes with the paddle held very low and made what seemed to be effortless progress into the wind. I found that the greenie seemed to spin it's wheels if I tried to make a quick acceleration, i.e. sudden application of lots of force resulted in lots of noise and sucking down of air along the shaft and not much boat movement. When I stopped trying to do a drag race start and took lots of shorter, easier, strokes, the boat soon accelerated and felt as tho' it was coasting along at a pretty good speed. When I got back to the takeout, I knew my fat old body was going to be reluctant to move out of the cockpit, quickly (my regular boat is a SOT), so well before I got to the beach I wrestled my butt out of the cockpit onto the back deck behind the cockpit and paddled that way. That position would be very convenient if you are addicted to fishing. When I was almost ready to touch bottom I stood up and poled in to contact with the sand and then just stepped out. Couldn't do that in surf, or course, but I couldn't do that in any other kayak I've ever been in, either. I think that a little more experience with the greenie will result in it "growing on me". I'm going to have to experiment a little more with the Tribalance boat and see how successful my goals for it will be. It's very cleverly designed, the outriggers assemble to the hull in less than 60 seconds, and since they give the boat a 7.5 foot beam it goes without saying that it has extreme initial stability. The floats have two height settings, on the high setting that I used today, they mostly don't touch the water much at all. It seems ideal for smooth water and people who fear "damn tippy little boats." URL's http://www.tribalance.com and http://www.superiorkayaks.com Fair winds and happy bytes, Dave Flory -- Check out the marine mammals _at_ <http://homepage.mac.com/dflory/Menu5.html> Speak softly and study Aikido, then you won't need a big stick. *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Dave Flory wrote about a Greenland paddle: <snip>>>>>>This time I found that I was making better progress against a 10-15 knot breeze than I ever had before, and with less apparent effort.<<<<< Let me guess, you paddle unfeathered with the Werner San Juan don't you? Matt Broze 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/ ***************************************************************************
Quoting David Flory <daflory_at_pacbell.net>: > I conducted my own paddle comparison test today. Boat was new to me, a > Tribalance outrigger kayak that I plan to use for introducing scared > newby persons (wife?) to paddling, and that I hope a friend with two > synthetic hip joints will be able to paddle, sitting on the back deck > with feet/legs inside the cockpit. Maybe, for safety's sake, all kayaks should be required to have outriggers. I'm sure they are more reliable than sp*ns*ns. Then we could accuse you-know-who of trying to murder people with his inferior product. ;-) Chuck Holst tongue planted firmly in cheek *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
This spring I took up six person outrigger canoeing. It's a blast. 40 feet long, just wide enough to fit into, and fast, fast, fast. Cheers, Richard Culpeper *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
On Sun, 15 Jun 2003 14:30:57 -0400, "Richard Culpeper" <culpeper_at_tbaytel.net> said: > This spring I took up six person outrigger canoeing. It's a blast. 40 > feet long, just wide enough to fit into, and fast, fast, fast. Be sure to try the one and two person outrigger canoes if you get a chance. Some of the singles are wonderful if you get some following waves. The tandem, at 26 feet long, is too long to catch many of our local waves(North east USA), the 21 foot singles are much better at catching waves. The sixes are fun, paddled 19 miles saturday morning in a six, but I like the singles better. A single outrigger canoe is about the same speed as a reasonably fast kayak, my estimate is they are a little slower than a Seda Glider. Last summer I attempted to paddle one of the single outrigger canoes without the outrigger. Boy was that entertaining... flail, panic brace, panic brace, flail, flail, flail splash. My 17" beam surf ski is far more stable than the outrigger hull. Some day I hope to be good enough to fly the amas for more than 2 strokes... As Richard suggested definitely try the outrigger canoes if you get the chance. Kirk -- Kirk Olsen kork4_at_cluemail.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/ ***************************************************************************
Jon wrote: <I would think Olympic development programs -- at least those in countries with big budgets for Olympic sports -- would already have done extensive experiments on paddles, such as the obvious experiment of building and testing many similar paddles. If so, the paddles used in the Olympics must reveal the fruits of those experiments.> Yes and no. These programmmes produce paddles (and paddling techniques, and boats) which are very good in the hands of a trained athlete over a short course on flat water, with a rescue boat nearby. They may work in "real life" conditions as well, but maybe not.... Rob. *************************************************************************** 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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