Re: [Paddlewise] Greenland Paddle Shape

From: Nick Schade <nick_at_guillemot-kayaks.com>
Date: Fri, 10 Sep 2004 08:32:46 -0400
On Sep 9, 2004, at 3:26 PM, Michael Daly wrote:

> On 9 Sep 2004 at 11:59, Nick Schade wrote:
>
>> Did those earlier hunters starve to death?
>
> Hyperbole doesn't do.  Just because an implement is improved doesn't
> mean that the prior one was useless.

My point is we don't have any evidence that hunting with the newer 
paddle form is any more productive than with the old form. From a pure 
survival standpoint, the "better" paddle is the one that allows you to 
supply more seal meat to your family. The assumption that the newer 
form is better is no different than assuming the Euro paddle is better 
than the Greenland paddle merely because it is the latest innovation.

> I've said it before and I'll say it again:  I think that one
> overwhelming reason for choosing the long GP style blade over shorter
> ones is that they are quiet.  For a hunter, stealth is more important
> than speed, endurance or many other factors.

It may be true that the current blade shape is quiet, but your 
conclusion presupposes that the earlier version was not equally quiet. 
Do you know this, or is it an assumption? One reason to have a pointed 
blade like the lanceolate old Greenland paddle is to make the entry 
quiet. I would not be surprised if the more rounded tip common on 
modern Greenland paddles is a little noisier.

Nick Schade

Guillemot Kayaks
824 Thompson St
Glastonbury, CT 06033
USA
Ph/Fx: (860) 659-8847
http://www.guillemot-kayaks.com/
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Received on Fri Sep 10 2004 - 05:33:10 PDT

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