Erik wrote: > > Do paddle shafts *have to* have good flex characteristics?....but I don't recall reading why a paddle shaft *has* to flex. > .... less flex means more efficient paddling. I think perhaps a bit of flex acts as a kind of shock absorber to ease the load on the joints and muscles (especially noticeable at the end of a long day of paddling). If it acted like an "ideal" spring, you would recover the energy input from the beginning of the stroke (flexing the shaft) at the end (when it unflexes). But neither wood nor composite make efficient springs in general compared to metal because they have more internal friction (some of your muscle energy goes into heating the shaft with each flex). But on the other hand, a very stiff shaft would also weigh more, meaning you would put more work into lift and lowering the shaft with each stroke. For sprints, I imagine very stiff shafts would be most important since you want to get as much power transferred to the water to get as much forward speed as possible, and though it may not be the most efficient way to go, it produces maximum speed for short distances. I have tested very stiff racing paddles and they did not seem like they would be comfortable over long distances compared to "softer" paddle. So it would seem there would be a balance for comfort, weight, and stiffness that would be optimum, which likely varies with each individual, the type of paddling you do, each paddle design, and each material. So take your pick. Wood is traditional. I like the look and feel of wood, and it costs next to nothing to make a traditional paddle from wood, which is more than enough reasons for me to use wood. Peter *************************************************************************** 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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