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From: Doug Lloyd <douglloyd_at_shaw.ca>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Andrew McAuley
Date: Fri, 02 Mar 2007 11:10:47 -0800
This just showed up on the internet:

http://www.smh.com.au/multimedia/national/mcauley/index.html

Thanks John for the KASK update.

Doug Lloyd


>I have just returned from the Kiwi Association of Sea Kayakers (KASK) 
>annual
> forum, where there was a tribute to Andrew.
>
> Before the keynote presentation by Nigel Foster and his wife, Kristin
> Nelson, on their Labrador expedition, Paul Caffyn gave a brief summary of
> Andrew's journey, including his courageous decision to return to Tasmania 
> on
> his first attempt. Paul was at Milford Sound waiting for Andrew to arrive
> and said he felt hollow when he learned of the upturned kayak.
>
> Dave Winkworth, a friend of Andrew's from Australia, then gave a very 
> moving
> description of Andrew as someone very special, but also very normal, who
> would have felt comfortable sitting in the audience of paddlers about to
> watch someone else's journey.
>
> Dave then asked, if when next paddling our favourite piece of water, we
> could pause and raise our water bottle to the memory of Andrew, a
> fellow-paddler.
>
> A fitting tribute.
>
>
> -- 
> John Kirk-Anderson
> Banks Peninsula
> NEW ZEALAND
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From: Nick Schade <nick_at_guillemot-kayaks.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Andrew McAuley -> Wing Paddle
Date: Fri, 2 Mar 2007 15:11:55 -0500
I notice Andrew was using a wing paddle. Anyone feel there is any  
advantage to the wing in this sort of trip. I doubt he was going very  
fast and maintaining a really good wing technique day-in-day-out  
seems a little unlikely. Any thoughts?


On Mar 2, 2007, at 2:10 PM, Doug Lloyd wrote:

> This just showed up on the internet:
>
> http://www.smh.com.au/multimedia/national/mcauley/index.html
>
> Thanks John for the KASK update.
>
> Doug Lloyd

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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From: Doug Lloyd <douglloyd_at_shaw.ca>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Andrew McAuley -> Wing Paddle
Date: Fri, 02 Mar 2007 18:49:09 -0800
>I notice Andrew was using a wing paddle. Anyone feel there is any
>advantage to the wing in this sort of trip. I doubt he was going very
>fast and maintaining a really good wing technique day-in-day-out
>seems a little unlikely. Any thoughts?

Hi Nick.

Here's a small excerpt from one of the NSW lads found at:



http://www.nswseakayaker.asn.au/magazine/57/skegs.htm

Exceprt:
"I did a trip with Andrew McAuley two years ago and have seen him in action 
many times since. He uses a wing or propeller paddle. I have watched him and 
others using wing paddles and the benefits of it have played on my mind. I 
wanted to give a paddle a go and was quite lucky to borrow one from Rob 
Mercer (Thanks Rob!). Since then I have picked it up and tried it, thrown it 
away saying, "definitely not for sea kayaking" and finally given it a fair 
dinkum go. It was not until I had paddled with it for some time that I 
became convinced of the advantages of using a wing paddle on the sea. I took 
the 'wing' on a 90km training paddle in preparation for my Bass Strait 
crossing and learnt the technique required to get the best out of it. Easier 
to use than a straight paddle and efficient through the water, it was to my 
liking and, from that moment, I was a convert. Now I won't use a "straight" 
paddle, even if you pay me."

Looks like some of these guys down under like them for the long haul. Too 
bad Andrew couldn't have shaved just one more day off his crossing attempt..

Doug Lloyd
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From: RICHARD CULPEPER <culpeper_at_tbaytel.net>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Andrew McAuley -> Wing Paddle
Date: Mon, 05 Mar 2007 18:25:27 -0500
I paddle sprint racing kayaks with a wing, and wild water kayaks with a non-wing.  Wing blades are not as good for bracing and 
rolling.  When it comes to sea kayaking, if the conditions will be rough, I prefer a non-wing blade.

On Fri, 02 Mar 2007 18:49:09 -0800
  Doug Lloyd <douglloyd_at_shaw.ca> wrote:
>>I notice Andrew was using a wing paddle.
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From: Steve <Steve_at_exclusivelycats.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Andrew McAuley -> Wing Paddle
Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2007 17:34:58 -0400
I just finished Watertribe.com 300mile Everglades Challenge using the 
Epic Mid-Wing the entire way.  In my experience the blade is slightly 
less forgiving for bracing and not great for sculling. Otherwise it is a 
great tool that encourages a good forward, stroke even when fatigued.

Steve Bailey
aka KneadingWater



RICHARD CULPEPER wrote:
> I paddle sprint racing kayaks with a wing, and wild water kayaks with 
> a non-wing.  Wing blades are not as good for bracing and rolling.  
> When it comes to sea kayaking, if the conditions will be rough, I 
> prefer a non-wing blade.
>
> On Fri, 02 Mar 2007 18:49:09 -0800
>  Doug Lloyd <douglloyd_at_shaw.ca> wrote:
>>> I notice Andrew was using a wing paddle.
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From: Matt Broze <mkayaks_at_oz.net>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Andrew McAuley -> Wing Paddle
Date: Fri, 2 Mar 2007 23:57:00 -0800
Nick wrote:
>>>>>I notice Andrew was using a wing paddle. Anyone feel there is any
advantage to the wing in this sort of trip. I doubt he was going very
fast and maintaining a really good wing technique day-in-day-out
seems a little unlikely. Any thoughts?<<<<<<<

The downside to the wing that I see is that it is not as good for bracing.
Also because you always use the same stroke it can wear you down because you
can't switch  to other strokes for a rest. Nigel Foster's article in Sea
kayaker pointed the later point out a few years ago. I think I  experienced
this when paddling on a long trip on Lake Powell with a old racing buddy who
used his wing for the trip. As the long days wore on (we averaged 27.5 miles
per day in short November days and gear laden kayaks) we went from him
running me into the ground at first to him not being able to paddle as long
or fast as I by the end of the week. At first I attributed this to me
gaining conditioning on the trip (because I had started at a lower fitness
level than my paddling partner) but after reading Nigel's article I think
that the wing paddle he was using might have also been a good part of it.

One of the articles said that Andrew was using a single kayak. I noticed
Dave Winkworth's name was mentioned somewhere as well. Was Andrew paddling a
Nadgee Explorer? Was Andrew using a rudder? A non-rudder kayak is also
harder to control with a wing paddle because the stern draw stroke is
awkward at best when using one.

Matt Broze
www.marinerkayaks.com
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From: John Kirk-Anderson <jka_at_netaccess.co.nz>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Andrew McAuley -> Wing Paddle
Date: Sun, 04 Mar 2007 21:14:45 +1300
on 3/3/07 20:57, Matt Broze at mkayaks_at_oz.net wrote:

> 
> One of the articles said that Andrew was using a single kayak. I noticed
> Dave Winkworth's name was mentioned somewhere as well. Was Andrew paddling a
> Nadgee Explorer? Was Andrew using a rudder?

Funny old world. Dave Winkworth walked out the door five minutes ago, after
a day's paddle where he got away from me in a down-wind run in his Nadgee
versus my Tempest 170.

Andrew was not paddling a Nadgee, it was a modified Mirage, complete with
rudder. I'm sure the Aussies can provide full details.

Cheers

JKA


-- 
John Kirk-Anderson
Banks Peninsula
NEW ZEALAND
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From: Peter Treby <ptreby_at_ozemail.com.au>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Andrew McAuley -> Wing Paddle
Date: Mon, 5 Mar 2007 09:34:17 +1100
"...a wing paddle. Anyone feel there is any
advantage to the wing in this sort of trip. I 
doubt he was going very
fast and maintaining a really good wing technique 
day-in-day-out
seems a little unlikely. Any thoughts?"
I think the problem of maintaining "a really good 
wing technique" is probably similar to maintaining 
a good forward stroke with another type of paddle. 
If the paddler usually uses a wing paddle, 
efficiency gains are available.
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From: PeterO <rebyl_kayak_at_iprimus.com.au>
subject: RE: [Paddlewise] Andrew McAuley -> Wing Paddle
Date: Mon, 5 Mar 2007 21:45:01 +1100
Peter Treby wrote:
>I think the problem of maintaining "a really good
>wing technique" is probably similar to maintaining
>a good forward stroke with another type of paddle.

G'day Peter,

The problem's the same but the consequences may be potentially worse with
the wing paddle as it may not forgive a sustained poor stroke. I'm told that
people have a greater tendency to sustain shoulder injuries because the
force available with the wing paddle is greater. But I don't if there are
any stats available and thats what counts of course. I did wonder if
paddling at sea would allow a broader range of muscle groups to be involved
so reducing the risk of shoulder damage, thats even more hypothetical!

Andrew had a reputation for maintaining a consistently well developed
paddling stroke and had won at least one Hawkesbury Classic. Theres an adage
within the NSWSKC club that the time you need a good stroke most is when
you're least likely to be using it ie when you're tired (came from Rob
Mercer I think). I find that very helpful and when tired will slow my stroke
down and just go for perfection. It provides a deal of relief.

Re the question on Andrew's boat. Doug posted a link a few days ago that has
some quite detailed pictures of the boat - it takes a while to load as its a
video clip. The boat was a Mirage 580 (single) that had been lengthened and
the hull deepened slightly.

All the best, PeterO
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From: Peter Treby <ptreby_at_ozemail.com.au>
subject: [Paddlewise] Wing Paddle
Date: Tue, 6 Mar 2007 10:16:36 +1100
Most of what a paddler is doing on a trip
is a forward stroke. A wing paddle encourages,
even forces, a good forward stroke. The
possibility of "greater tendency to sustain
shoulder injuries" and similar comments, one hears
from those who aren't using a wing paddle. If you
start using one, and give yourself time to adjust
your stroke and muscle tone, a wing paddle can be
great. My impression is an efficiency gain for no
extra energy.
Is anyone on this list using a Lendal Kinetic
Wing?
Anyone using a Toksook? What are these like? They
look like a bombproof rockhoppers and surfers
paddle.
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From: John Kirk-Anderson <jka_at_netaccess.co.nz>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Wing Paddle
Date: Fri, 01 Jan 1904 01:15:02 +1300
-So, whadya all think about the Wing Paddle?

Josh-


Josh,

I would hazard a guess and say that more kayakers in New Zealand are using
wing paddles than not. This is due to the high level of participation in
multisport and adventure racing, which has had a flow on to sea kayaking.

I had always shunned the things, mainly due to ignorance. This feeling was
reinforced when trying to teach a wing user how to do a sweeping brace
stroke. He said that he couldn't, as the blade would dive. Most strokes that
I suggested met with the same response. Eventually I asked him what they
were good for, and he said he would race me to the corner to show me. When I
suggested that we race backwards, he reneged.

This view changed after watching a good friend who has been paddling for
nearly 40 years, and has used wings since Mark 1, Version 1. He was coming
in through surf in his sea kayak when he did a bow rudder stroke, while
using his wing paddle. When I said I didn't think they were any good for
anything other than forward strokes, he chucked me his spare paddle, also a
wing, and said simply, "Learn to use it".

I can now declare that there is nothing I can do with a conventional paddle
that I can't do with a wing. They grab a big hunk of water and hold it
tight, which does require slight changes to some slicing strokes, ie:
hanging draws and sculling draws. Apart from those minor points, they're
great.

I now use a "wing paddle stroke technique" when using standard blades. This
generates more power as well as solving a minor problem with tennis-elbow.

I'm back to using my Lendal modified-crank shaft with Nordkapp blades, but
can't help but wonder what would happen if I took a saw to the shaft and
grabbed some epoxy glue, and......

Cheers

John Kirk-Anderson
Banks Peninsula
New Zealand


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From: Peter Chopelas <pac_at_premier1.net>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Wing Paddle
Date: Wed, 29 May 2002 18:26:06 -0700
I have examined wing paddles, and tried them out and find them interesting.
A well designed wing paddle is a huge improvement in blade design and very
efficient in terms of muscle power in vs. forward thrust output.  Most are
designed I think unfortunately for sprints and not for long distance
cruising, so it would be interesting to see one optimized for low power
cuirsing.

They suffer the same problem many modern designs do, they are not
symmetrical so doing rapid "emergency" maneuvers properly need to be
practiced so they become reflexive.  Also I think, as someone else posted,
they require a very different technique and you must learn how to use them
properly, including making all the emergency actions automatic.

These are two reason why I am a big fan of native style paddles.  They have
no such draw backs.

Peter

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From: Kirk Olsen <kolsen_at_imaginelan.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Wing Paddle
Date: Thu, 30 May 2002 09:59:45 -0400
At 06:26 PM 5/29/2002 -0700, Peter wrote:
>A well designed wing paddle is a huge improvement in blade design and very
>efficient in terms of muscle power in vs. forward thrust output.  Most are
>designed I think unfortunately for sprints and not for long distance
>cruising, so it would be interesting to see one optimized for low power
>cruising.

Futura has a decent list wing paddles, and blade dimensions for Flite 
paddles on their site http://www.surfskis.com/options.html, Venturesport 
has the sizes for Bratcha paddles on theirs 
http://www.venturesport.com/cgi-bin/products/products.cgi?search=cat_wing_pa 
ddles&title=Wing%20Paddles

Epic no longer lists the excaliber jr. on their 
site,http://www.epicpaddles.com but futura still had it listed.

I find my 515mm by 170mm Bratcha II blades too large for use in our sea 
kayaks, its fine on the surf ski.  I've used an Epic Mid (164mm by 500mm) 
on my surf ski a couple of times and find it a much nicer paddle, probably 
a comfortable size in a sea kayak for a strong paddler.  I would like to 
find an Epic Jr or a small Flite to try in my sea kayak.

I'm very, very aware that rough dimensions are not a great way to measure 
blade size. Only Epic supplied the actual surface area of the blade rough 
so rough measurements were the best I could do.  None of this also takes 
into account the actual blade design - and there is a huge improvement in 
the blade design between my Bratcha II and the Epic Mid that I've tried.
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From: James <jimtibensky_at_fastmail.fm>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Andrew McAuley -> Wing Paddle
Date: Mon, 05 Mar 2007 08:10:04 -0600
Nick Schade said: Anyone feel there is any advantage to the wing in this
sort of trip. I doubt he was going very fast and maintaining a really
good wing technique day-in-day-out seems a little unlikely. Any
thoughts?


I haven't used a wing in decades, and never for long trips, but I have
always changed my technique a little in long races just to be able to
use different muscles, or, at least, the same muscles in slightly
different ways.  I believe that lowering or raising my forward stroke
even a little changes things enough to give some benefit in a long, hard
paddling session.  I would switch from the old Scandinavian stoke, all
torso with almost straight arms ( my usual stroke), to the Hungarian,
classic no cross-over the centerline, and it seemed to help.  My
experience with the wing is the same as everyone else - it give less
flexibility of technique than other paddles.

This might explain the fatigue effect others have described.

Jim Tibensky
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