Matt replied: >Not! Where did you get this information? Are you sure this isn't six kilometres per hour? If you had said Greg Barton and were talking about a narrow surf ski or Olympic Flatwater kayak on reasonably calm water I might have believed it. I'll bet Chris can't sprint a Romany Explorer faster than six knots for even fifty yards.< I'm pretty sure I heard this as 6 knots from a reliable source, but it could have been 6 mph; however, I definitely don't remember the person saying 6 km/h. I took what the paddler told me at face value. It did seem high to me, but I didn't question the number, and didn't moderate it for the post as I purposely repeated it verbatim to the best of my memory; whatever speed Chris paddles at, I'm sure he out-distances most other paddlers we know and certainly anyone who attempts to expedition with him, the latter being empirically evident. Chris has been coming over to Victoria to do some instruction through a local paddling retailer/venue. I heard he likes to expedition paddle without his drysuit, even in cold waters, in order to maintain his fast pace (whatever that actual maximum sustainable speed is). I'm sure this could present a difficult situation and/or a bit of a dilemma for anyone trying to keep pace with him in a colder climate where there is a safety concern. My original comments weren't so much meant to highlight Chris's alleged pace, but rather indicate the fact that the man paddles fast, long and hard without a GP, yet appears to maintain joint/muscular integrity - and that in the context of fairly dramatic seas. I think we both know the preponderance of how much more effort it would take to propel a Romany for an extended pace above 5 knots. Probably twice the effort as 4 knots (just an unscientific guess). Maybe you and Cam could design one last kayak before retiring, one that paddles amazingly efficiently at 5 to 6 knots, yet retains seaworthiness in all conditions. But no copying an Aleut Baidarka. :-) >>>>>I wonder what Chris Duff uses for a paddle, and what the spec's are. He can maintain 6 knots, an outrageous pace, for long periods of time I've heard.<<<<<< Doug Lloyd (who has a world of respect for Chris, but thinks Chris is best paddling solo) Victoria BC *************************************************************************** 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 08 2004 - 18:42:46 PDT
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