On 11 Oct 2003 at 8:18, Erik Sprenne wrote: > Do paddle shafts *have to* have good flex characteristics? [...] > being equal (which they never are), less flex means more efficient > paddling. Good flex doesn't necessarily mean a lot of flex. The common wisdom holds that if a paddle shaft is extremely stiff, it causes joint problems more that a flexible shaft. I question that to some extent, since it seems that the really stiff shafts are usually paired with big blades and blade size may be part of the problem. I certainly can't detect any flex in the 17.5 inch shaft section I used to measure electrical resistance (in another thread on lightning). Of course, there is flex, just less than I can detect with my hands. When I test my paddle (50-odd inches between blade roots), the shaft flexes, but I have to use forces a lot higher than paddling forces to see anything. The amount of flex, or deflection, in normal paddling must be miniscule and the amount of energy this represents is probably trivial. There's also a debate on the degree of flex that contributes to recoverable energy in a stroke. I haven't formed an opinion on this yet. Mike *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************Received on Sat Oct 11 2003 - 08:32:34 PDT
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