Kirk Olsen said: > Okay I'll bite. When is additional paddle weight an advantage? > Assuming comparable paddle strength. Kirk, While paddling in 25-30 knot beam winds with the winds gusting to strengths I couldn't begin to estimate since I had never been in winds that strong before, I was using my Werner fiberglass Kauai which is much lighter than the Toksook. Twice the paddle just started to rise in the wind causing me to have to let go with one hand to keep from capsizing downwind. I switched to the Toksook and the problem went away, although the wind did not. The only thing I can attribute it to was the additional weight. Some of the additional weight must also come from the metal inserts at the tip of the blades. That has certainly made for a lot less blade damage in rocks and pushing off of beaches to launch through surf. Otherwise, I'm like you, I prefer light weight - and if the Toksook could be modified to be as strong as it is and weigh less, I'd be very much in favor of it. I have been playing with a Greenland Stick for a while and I really like it - especially the lighter weight. However, I don't feel confident with it in surf yet as I don't feel I have the acceleration that a Euro provides. Friends have told me that is because my technique still needs work - I hope so, I'm taking a class on it at the Southwest Kayak Symposium. I do like the lighter weight of the GP! Steve *************************************************************************** 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 Wed Sep 01 2004 - 08:52:55 PDT
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