Re: [Paddlewise] paddle benchmarks

From: Kirk Olsen <kork4_at_cluemail.com>
Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2003 14:40:22 -0500
On Thu, 14 Aug 2003 14:22:54 EDT, Rcgibbert_at_aol.com said:
> In a message dated 8/14/2003 12:28:27 PM Central Daylight Time, 
> kork4_at_cluemail.com writes:
> > I tried a few paddles and got the following results:
> > Lightning, Greenland, Bow, Wing   

> I spend time between various paddles, also. I am curious as to know how well 
> fitted the Greenland Paddle is to your body and boat dimensions. 

Based on Chuck Holst's document the Cricket is about 3 inches shorter
than my anthropomorphic measurements and an inch narrow on the loom. 
Neither
measurement all that far off.  I'm a boringly average sized male - 6' 165
pounds.

> That Bow paddle is a strange looking affair. What's the story behind
> that? Why the curved shaft? Any benefits to it? 

The person who designed it, Bill Low of Willow Kayaks, has carpal tunnel
and wrist tendonitis.
He can't paddle with a straight shaft paddle or his fingers go numb (or
something
like that).  He has no trouble paddling for hours with the bow.

As a test hold your hands in front of you like you are holding a kayak
paddle.
Notice the tightness running along the inside and lower side of your
forearm.  Now rotate your thumbs
toward the sky.  On me the tightness goes away when I rotate my hands.
The thumbs up position is how you paddle with the bow.  It takes a little
to get used
to but the paddle stroke works well, you just need to adapt your
technique to the different
hand position.  About the only strokes that don't work with the paddle
are ones where you
change your hand position.  I use the paddle to roll without any
difficulties.  I like
the bow paddle best during cold weather as water doesn't run down the
shaft and your hands stay dry ;-)
-- 
  Kirk Olsen
  kork4_at_cluemail.com
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Received on Thu Aug 14 2003 - 12:40:30 PDT

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