Im really doing the diy part for the fun. I have access to 3d scanners, 3d printers, and lots of other stuff at my school. I also have some fiberglass experience and extra materials so lifting a paddle design would be kinda fun. I would also like to see once I have a scan if I can make the paddle a bit narrower. It would make it better for long distance touring while still having a high efficiency. But this would come at the cost of less power for accelerations which I don’t care about anyway.
I use both Greenland paddles and wings and enjoy using / teaching with both types.
The paddle path, flaring outward from the kayak, is more a function of planting the blade and applying leg drive and torso rotation, rather than the specific paddle type ( but a wing makes it easier ). This “flare” happens naturally with spoon, Greenland or wing, so long you don’t apply independent arm movements.
Most wing coaches now teach that the paddle path is more of a “J” shape ( on the left side ), rather than a true “V” shape. My “wing stroke” and “Greenland stroke” have almost the same mechanics, and the paddle path of both is almost identical.
A lot of the efficiency sometimes attributed to a wing paddle is simply using a strong torso rotation stroke with leg drive (no arm paddling), with the feet and knees close together and with solid kayak ergonomics. Among elite paddlers, one study claimed a 4% increase in efficiency. Most recreational paddlers can make much larger gains by working on technique. If you have poor technique and pick up a wing, don’t expect to discover your speed magically transformed.
What I don’t love about wings is that the radically unsymmetrical blade shape complicates a lot of blended / directional / sculling strokes. For example, yes, you can scull with a wing, but a lot of people flip the blade over, as a workaround, etc.
Greg Stamer
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All, but one, of the wing paddles I have had are built on a foam core. That means you could build one yourself, if you know how to vacuum bag and have a shaft you can use.
The one that didn’t have a foam core is an old Carlisle Speed Wing. Picking it up today feels like I could use it for weight training. The other thing about it is that there is no twist in the blade, so it doesn’t have the trajectory of modern wing paddles.
Yes, the back of the blade is better for anything other than a forward stroke. Holding one in the water, where there is a current, causes all kinds of weird things to happen.