Since I have access to a d3 printer at the moment I would like to try making a mold for a diy winged paddle using fiberglass. Might be a waste of time but would be a fun learning experience.
Iâve been studying the wing paddling form and wonder if itâs the form, or the form and the paddle. Also curious if itâs preferred by all paddlers in, for example, Olympic competition, or whether itâs finding its way into general use. Is it believed to offer a speed advantage, an endurance advantage or both?
As far as I know is both. They Bernoulli effect is more efficient with a winged paddle, and the stroke from racers in more efficient especially with how much they use legs. Technically the paddle should offer a slight power and efficiency boost due to both of those things being essentially the same. Lots of interesting articles online.
Right, Iâve been seeing a bit more on them.
I used a wing paddle, briefly, for maybe 20 strokes. I coincidently met an old friend at a launch, he had a wing, I asked to borrow it.
Now Iâm used to a Greenland and when I put that bucket of acceleration into the water I almost flipped on the first stroke.
So, Iâll bet they are fast but be careful!
1 Like
The wing allows for the most efficient transfer of energy by using your large muscle groups, requiring you to twist with your torso, and generally maintain half way decent form. A flat paddle requires zero technique to be somewhat effective. Bad technique on a wing punishes you immediately. Also, the slip in the water is converted to a forward force vector as the wing âfliesâ through the water. THis accounts for a very small portion of the overall power generated, but when olympians lose by .03 seconds a .2% power gain is gold, literally.
My Maroski fittings are printed on a 3D printer. The tubes are sommwhat brittle and will crack/ break. They are epoxyâed in when installed.
Your paddle might not be as strong as you would desire without further work.
Thatâs fantastic! Iâve wanted to get a winged paddle for so long but they are overpriced imo. The small wing by epic I may get at some point if I find a good used one. But making one myself would be more fun
I was thinking more along the lines of 3D printing just a plastic mold and then I would lay some kevlar over it to make the paddleI blade. I guess a generic fiberglass tube would work fine for the shaft.
I tried a winged paddle on a surfski once, but I was so distracted trying to not tip on the surf ski that I couldnât pay attention to the paddle. I tried a winged paddle at a pool session recently and it was fun to use for rolling. Iâve heard about them being bad for rolling/sculling but I didnât think it was that much different.
The best comparison Iâve heard is that you push water past the hull with a flat paddle; you pull the boat to the paddle with a wing paddle.
It is easy to try to overpower a wing paddle, especially since newer models only work in skinny boats. There is a twist in the blade that causes them to pull at about a 45 degree angle from the entry point. That makes it hard for any boat over about 22 inches.
I havenât seen any 3-d images, but Oscar Chalumpsky told me that they changed their (Epic) blade a little to renew the patent, so be careful.
Doing a direct âŚexact copy of someone elseâs paddle? Hmmmm⌠might want to think about this. If it was one of mineâŚ
Write your own program and do your own work , then itâs a moot point.
Yea probably not a good idea. Although I wonât feel bad about it if I only make one and end up buying a real one when I get the chance anyway, not like they would be loosing a sale one me. Really the basic design of it has been ripped from Stephen Lyndberg.
If you donât have the epoxy, fabric , tubes, etc around it might be more economical to purchase a paddle.
Next time youâre home just give a holler and you can borrow my Stellar Mid-Wing for the day.
See you on the water,
Marshall Seddon
The River Connection, Inc.
9 W. Market St.
Hyde Park, NY. 12538
845-229-0595 main
845-242-4731 mobile
Main: www.the-river-connection.com
Store: www.the-river-connection.us
Email: marshall@the-river-connection.com
Facebook: fb.me/theriverconnection
Instagram: www.instagram.com/marshall.seddon
2 Likes
Awesome! thank you!
A fair amount of people I know have wing paddles, although few of them really paddle them with the correct technique. Most people say that torso rotation and a high angle style are critical to get the most out of a wing paddle. Differing from a high angle style with a Euro paddle, with a wing paddle the paddle does not stay alongside the boat but naturally moves outward at about a 45° angle. There are a number of YouTube videos for wing paddle technique and arguments about the finer points are common.
They are excellent for speed and efficiency, but most people find them not as good as a Euro or Greenland paddle for bracing and rolling.
âCourse I might have to put you aboard a Stellar Surf Ski at the same time so youâve got something with a higher top speed than your AA.
See you on the water,
Marshall Seddon
The River Connection, Inc.
9 W. Market St.
Hyde Park, NY. 12538
845-229-0595 main
845-242-4731 mobile
Main: [www.the-river-connection.com]
Store: [www.the-river-connection.us]
Email: marshall@the-river-connection.com
Facebook: [fb.me/theriverconnection]
Instagram: Instagram.com/marshall.seddon
we saw a wing in use a few years back. From a distance it looked like the paddler had no idea how to paddle. Then we noticed that he was just flying along. Met up with him at the launch, yup, a wing. Very different stroke.
Rather than going through the trouble of âliftingâ a blade design, I suggest unless you are very familiar with working with carbon fiber you just buy an affordable one first and then if you love it upgrade to a more expensive wing paddle. You can get a decent one on Amazon right now for ~$230. Once you learn how to use one you will be ~15% more efficient. And as one commenter noted, these assume narrow boats where you can plunge the blade into the water very close to the boat without leaning. I have a long, cheap wing paddle for when I rent or borrow rec boats, but most of the advantages are lost on wider boats.
They take a while to learn and if you paddle one like a tradition paddle it will want to dive under your boat at the end of the stroke and flip you over so take some time to study and learn proper technique.