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From: Carey Parks <carey_at_jimparksfamily.com>
subject: RE: [Paddlewise] Electronic paddle - was bracing and power
Date: Mon, 2 Aug 2010 11:01:58 -0400
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Carey Parks <carey_at_jimparksfamily.com>
Date: Mon, Aug 2, 2010 at 11:01 AM
Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] RE: Electronic paddle - was bracing and power
To: PeterO <rebyl_kayak_at_energysustained.com>


Peter et al,

I was stumbling around in the Android Marketplace looking for cool stuff for
my phone (and I use that term "phone" loosely) and I ran across an app for
rowing that displays and records the boat acceleration and also infers
stroke rate, and some other things by using the "phone's" integrated GPS and
three axis accelerometer. It's pretty good. Both the app and my device.

http://nargila.org/trac/robostroke/wiki

It of course does not integrate paddle dynamics, but to my mind they can be
separated and still be useful. Maybe not optimal, but useful, and the cost
is zero since I own the phone. The system (given boat, paddle, paddler,
water) has an input, the paddlers stroke, and an output, the boat
acceleration. I can think of two distinct scenarios where the optimal paddle
stroke could be different. One is a sprint, when the goal is maximum boat
speed, and the other is a cruise where the goal is maximum boat speed at a
maximum heart rate, or a minimum heart rate for a given boat speed.

I don't have the electronic paddle, but I do have a heart rate monitor and
now this thingy to display and record boat acceleration. I'm going to go
have a play with them both and see how the instant feedback on the
effectiveness of a paddle stroke helps me adjust my stroke (GP) to get the
most effect on the boat.

Lots of things might come into play, like how much of the power developed by
the paddle is absorbed by my body and not transmitted to the boat? I will
try things like feet on and off the pegs, tight back band, different paddle
grips. (I only have one paddle so I'm going to leave paddle length
alone!!!)

Best,

Carey



-- 
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