Re: [Paddlewise] bracing and power

On Fri, Jul 16, 2010 at 1:46 AM, MATT MARINER BROZE
<marinerkayaks_at_msn.com>wrote:

>
>
> Maybe you should give it a try and report back to us Craig.
>

I think we all went through the same (more or less) cycles of paddle shapes
and sizes. And I'd be the last (ok... maybe second-to-last) to question
Matt's experience and prowess. But I think I will take one of my 8' cedar
2x4s and carve out a longer GP. Or maybe I'll just take a nap. We'll have to
wait and see.

Many of the arguments against the *LONG* paddle are somewhat off the mark
and been lost n the noise of "Euro versus GP". Remember that he's not using
a *LONG* Euro paddle of 9' but a GP of 9' (unless I've totally misunderstood
his argument). A GP of 9' will have substantially less mass (and windage) at
the end of that long lever arm than a Euro will and so be correspondingly
quicker to use. And, if made with the appropriate materials, still fairly
light. My GP, carved from a single cedar 2x4,  is as long as my ultra-light
Lightning and almost as light... certainly much lighter than my w/w Werner
paddles.

I'm guessing that not many of us here have tried a 9-foot long GP and that
all our bad memories of longer Euro paddles might not be as relevant to the
actual debate as we think. Also, I don't think Chuck is advocating a switch
to a long paddle for playboating in Deception Pass (for instance) where a
paddler needs to be able to deftly and quickly change strokes to stay
upright in the conditions. Rob's "dynamic paddling" in rough water is right
on... and I'm pretty sure a *LONG* paddle wouldn't be appropriate. Of
course, who is to say we all only use one type of paddle?

I think Chuck's mostly saying that for longer trips we might want to
consider the *LONG* GP paddle as an alternative to a shorter paddle and that
it's still perfectly usable if the conditions deteriorate. You won't want to
playboat with one but it won't kill you any quicker than a EP if the wind
rises. Assuming you've spent some time planning your trip properly and used
good weather judgment.

Matt and Robb would probably not make a good candidate for a *LONG* paddle.
But lots of paddlers just go from point "A" to point "B" in fine weather and
I think that, for them, it would be worth a look.

Craig Jungers
Moses Lake, WA
www.nwkayaking.net
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