Michael said (snip): >BTW: Reading this thread one might get the impression that the contributors do all their paddling only in heavy winds and seas and only to windward.< Really not sure how you drew that conclusion. Heavy wind and wave conditions, when encountered, do tend to test one's paddling technique, or at least raise some issues with respect to blade size, wrist stress, feathering, etc., more so than flat water. When these issues come up on a thread, paddlers naturally gravitate toward these specific environmental concerns. >I change styles, feather angles and sometimes even paddles to adapt to different conditions and venues. For example, I feather only to windward. Since I also tend to plan my paddling ventures to avoid paddling to into the wind as much as possible, I rarely if ever have to deal with wrist problems or concern for appropriate feathered technique. Am I therefore a wimp?< No, just smart. But then smart can be boring though probably easier on the wrists. I do think the list represents a good cross-section of paddlers, with the likes of race types such as Kirk, to traditionalists like Shawn, to the more sublime back-water bayou paddlers who shall remain nameless as they seek silence. That's why everyone's comments are valuable to some certain degree. I certainly got a sense of balance as I've followed the thread(s). I also see a lot of paddlers carrying two main paddles these days (both varying in purpose and design) with one or the other being employed depending on conditions. Gone are the old days of a good main paddle, with two halves of a cheap one on deck as a spare. Personally, I don't follow that philosophy, as I like my continuous-shaft paddle which I feel is stronger than a take-apart for what I use it for. I also encounter a lot more paddlers using adjustable-feather paddles, and a lot more paddlers who are aware of dihedral differences and willing to look for a paddle to match intended uses. I don't think you have a monopoly on being a wimp, if indeed avoiding aggravating arthritic contributors is considered wimpy. I've managed to avoid wrist problems, even though I have a carbon-fiber Lendal that I never use, by punctiliously avoiding too tight a grasp on the paddle shaft -- especially with the control hand. I do think the paddle-wrist interface is a fundamentally simple one (no need for dogma or much discussion) with the complexity being the spiritual connectivity between you and your paddle, as ultimately your paddle is your propulsion, your stabilizer, your turning device, your brake, your righting device, and possibly your rescue device to avoid a Jesus moment (along with your pragmatic and spiritual connectivity, respectively, with your boat of course). Your paddle may also have an aesthetic value that goes beyond the look and feel of say, a wooden GP, which is given a high regard in this category. Good torso rotation and leg involvement in the recumbent position, as you noted in the portion I snipped, is important, but can also be overstated. At least that's what I smugly tell myself as I pass all those recumbent bike guys on steep hills. :-) Anyway, I think as long as paddlers are getting out on the water and enjoying it -- either for recreational or athletic conditioning -- it really shouldn't matter what stick they are using. Doug Lloyd Victoria BC ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ "Whatever can be said at all can be said clearly and whatever cannot be said clearly should not be said at all." Ludwig Wittgenstein ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ *************************************************************************** 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 Tue Sep 07 2004 - 21:39:42 PDT
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