Just got my new Gearlab Kalleq delivered this week! (Now I just need the water to be like…not hard. I am in Saskatchewan Canada and we have a few more months to go before the ice leaves.) I purchased a bent carbon cyprus last summer and loved it though by the end of the summer my shoulders could feel it. Hopefully this greenland paddle will help with that. Just another tool in the toolbelt!
Anyway, I thought I would weigh them and let you know the results if anyone is interested.
Kalleq 220cm is 707.5 grams (24.95 oz)
Cyprus 210 cm is 708.5 grams (24.99 oz)
So pretty much the same wieght.
And now I must wait.
Have fun those of you who are able to paddle this time of year!
Curious to your thinking. Why the longer GP than the Cyprus? My GPs tend to be shorter than my Euro paddles, except those for whitewater and surf. I like the higher angle and faster cadence with the shorter Akiak (210) and Aukaneck (200) for surfing with the long boat. But, for general paddling around (not sprinting), I go to my longer and more 'traditional" cedar GP (216).
First let me say that almost all purchases I make are online without trying the product. I am nowhere near any store or sea paddling community to try anything out. So I research the heck out of everything and then just hope it works for me.
When I bought the Cyprus at that length I had been through several versions of a euro style paddle and found that I like a higher angle forward stroke and each paddle became progressively shorter. The Cyprus is a great paddle and the first time I dipped it in the water and it popped out at the end of my stroke it just made me smile. Paddling over the summer and 500 km (310 miles) later my body was feeling it. The Kalliq length I chose was based on several factors:
I will be using it on long trips with long paddling days over relatively flat waters.
So, that is a function of how high of an angle and how much of the blade you put into the water. Most GP users will catch, stroke and get the blade deep enough to have their hands skimming (or immersed in) the water when the stroke is next to the hip. So, if you thinking of the surface area of the blade section immersed in the water, it’s as much if not more that the area of a Euro blade.
The length of the GP/blade will affect cadence. Whether a particular feels good or not is pretty subjective. Guess you will figure that out when you get out on the water with the paddle. The Kalleq is a “sightly” paddle for those into carbon.
Yeah part of the fun for me is figuring it out. And I love when old methods meet new technology so I love the look and feel of the carbon fibre entwined with ancient knowledge of the greenland style paddle.
Just another perspective. I am 6’ with a tall back, so I sit up fairly high in the kayak. I bought a 210 Cyprus, after using a 220 low angle paddle. I found it a little short and a little lacking in purchase. Then I got a 215 Corryvreckan, which I quite like with a high angle paddling style. I resisted the whole Greenland paddle thing until I just had to try one. I followed online instructions which were good, but the presenter suggested a too short length, as others had commented on. I made a 223cm, and it works great for me. The two paddling techniques are different so it is hard to do a direct length comparison. When I stand with my GP, I can just wrap the first knuckle of middle finger over the top edge. I actually prefer the GP now, and became certified using only it. It is fun when you discover how the power is generated with the GP.
