Re: [Paddlewise] Wing paddle and hull speed was (Re: Who Took Shaun White Sea Kayaking?)

On Fri, 19 Feb 2010 11:56 -0800, "Craig Jungers" <crjungers_at_gmail.com>
wrote:

> My short course is about 1.5 (statute) miles (we are inland and on a lake,
> after all) and my long course is about 2.3 miles. They depend on whether I
> cut through a grass island (shallow and slow) or not. I often do that
> just to check out the birds nesting in the island. Otherwise the long-course line
> from my dock runs 1/4 mile to the cut under the I-90 freeway and then
> straight to the turn-around (a distinctive rock that rises above the
> water) and back.

How is the Mariner in shallow water?  My Huki S1X is pretty good in
shallow water,
My Fenn Mako is horrible in water that's less than about 10 feet deep. 
They have 
comparable dimensions, the flatter bottomed Huki goes better in
shallows.


> I am, by no means, a sprint racer. And the edge that a wing gives to a
> well-conditioned athlete would not apply to me. I will be 67 years old when
> I do this, after all. I am curious to see whether the wing I use (which no
> one makes any more) makes a clear difference for me as opposed to a
> Lightning paddle (which no one makes any more).

I've got a paddle assortment similar to yours.  An Epic Wing, a
Lightning ultra light
with Struer blades, and a greenland stick.

When I paddle my Pintail I only want the greenland paddle.  It's such a
slow boat that
using the Lightning or a wing feels like I'm ripping my joints apart. 
The boat hits 
it's hull speed and refuses to go any faster.  It will squat more, but
getting it to go faster
is next to impossible.  I suppose I could adjust my cadence to about 5
strokes per minute, but that
feels unnatural to me.


> My wing has one thing in common with all wing paddles I've looked at: it
> feels unbalanced. If you hold the paddle as it was intended to be held for a
> paddle stroke and just loosen your grip the paddle will flop over to an
> inverted position. For me this means that I have to hold the paddle firmly
> and think about which face is "active".

The blades are offset from the shaft. They all rotate in a loose grip. 
If you keep one blade
firmly planted most of the time it's less likely to rotate.  Which does
imply you spend the whole time 
in propulsion mode and not paddling leisurely.

> Also, my wing is difficult to use in a low brace position without being
> *very* careful which side of the paddle you are bracing with and the angle
> of attack. If you brace with the *wrong* side (with the forward edge - the
> winged shape - down) the paddle will catch and trip you. So you have to be
> sure to brace with the leading edge facing up. But the wing is very
> sensitive to angle and if you angle it a little bit down it will dive and
> take you and your kayak with it. Most paddles do this but the wing is even
> more pronounced.

All of the above is true.  With time you can get used to it.  If you
want to spend time changing
directions a blade other than a wing is nice.  Or cheat and get a boat
with a rudder....

For playing around in a maneuverable rollable boat I wouldn't think of
using the wing.  Definitely
time for the greenland.  If you want to get from one place to another I
definitely prefer the wing.
The lightning feels positively sloppy in the water compared to a well
planted wing blade/stroke.

> My wing is not very good at back-paddling and it's terrible at draw strokes
> and sculling. On the other hand my wing excels at rolling, high braces,
> and bow rudders; as long as you are careful which side of the blade is
> active.

With some care sculling with a wing isn't too bad.  Back paddling is a
ugly.
 
I definitely have a bias. I probably paddled 70 days last year with the
wing, 2 with the greenland 
stick, one with the Lightning.  I spend 95+% of my paddling time on a
ruddered surf ski.  Controlling strokes
aren't all that necessary, outside of a good slap low brace and a
modified sweep/high brace.

Kirk

-- 
  Kirk Olsen
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