John Fereira's and Kirk Olsen's notes and links on the Greenland paddle are right on target, IMO. The link to Chuck Holst's site provides an excellent reference on building one's own Greenland "stick", a very enjoyable activity which is well within the capabilities of even a rank amateur non-carpenter like me, who uses almost only hand tools. I'm very far from being an expert in either style of paddling, but I have paddled Euro for a few decades now. About three years ago I switched to a Greenland paddle partly for the same reason others have mentioned - shoulder arthritis and decaying wrist joints. My experience is that the Greenland stick *is* easier on my joints and muscles - it has less "bite" on initial catch, as others have said. There's a big difference in the way my joints feel during and (especially) after a paddling session. The Greenland is *much* easier on my shoulder and wrists. But the surface area of the blade is not significantly different from that of many Euro paddles. The difference is in the "aspect ratio" of the blade - longer and thinner on the Greenland blade, which provides for a more gradual entry and "catch". But once the blade is in the water - all the blade - the surface areas of the Greenland and the Euro are essentially identical and you can generate as much power as you want, every time. The dihedral shape of the Greenland is another joint-sparing property, and it's also an aid when bracing, rolling, or sculling. At least that seems to have been my experience. At age 70 and using a Greenland, I can still keep up with my younger paddling buddies. Of course they can blow my doors in if they want to sprint, but that's because they're younger and much stronger.They can blow my doors in with either their Euros or their Greenlands. The difference is not the paddle, but their younger bodies and their superior conditioning. A Greenland wouldn't be the paddle of choice for Wildwater racing and similar sprint racing events. Also, I would probably not use it as my paddle of choice for surfing, though it would work adequately. Aside from those activities, the Greenland will get you there every bit as fast as a Euro. As for deep high bracing, deep sculling, and so forth - the Greenland works just as well. When in doubt, extend the on-water side of the paddle a couple of inches (surprisingly little!) and you will probably find that the Greenland gives you at least as much support as the Euro. Every stroke which can be done with a Euro can be done with a Greenland - and for those who have the time and athleticism to learn them, there are quite a few rolling techniques which are done with the Greenland but not with a Euro. More than one person who was a little doubtful about rolling with a Greenland has been a bit amazed at how powerful the standard C-to-C, screw, and layback rolls are with a Greenland, even without extending the grip on the paddle. Bill Hansen *************************************************************************** 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 Sep 04 2004 - 05:24:02 PDT
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