Ballasted Boo
Probably a bad idea, and I wouldn’t really recommend it, I just couldn’t resist as a subject line.
Anyone besides me use a 13’ 6"
or longer wooden pole? I’m 6’3" and at my height anything shorter when poling flats, shallow creeks and swamps feels like I’m working with a ski pole. I do use two 6 footers (one for each hand) but I use them only in mangrove tunnels.
Twelve seems about right
I have enough trouble keeping my 12 footer clear of overhead branches and can’t imagine a longer pole. I think Wickerbutt or one of the other northeast polers uses a 14’, but I can’t see it for the places where I pole. If I was to carry another pole, it would be a shorter one, not longer.
I’m not too concerned about reaching bottom in deep water because if the water is more than five feet deep, I think polling loses its effectiveness. I’m also 6’3. I’ll paddle with the pole for short distances, but if I’m going to constantly be in deep water I’ll usually sit down and grab a paddle.
12’ seems about right.
~~Chip
sometimes
– Last Updated: Nov-29-07 7:36 PM EST –
attaining a rapid or chute I wish for another foot or two, to get me into the next eddy instead of the cross current below it ;-), but all in all 12' is right for me. I've got one pole, now Aarons backup, that's 10.5 and good for steady shallow rapids or snubbing.Man Chip, If I had 5' of water, I'd be out in the Encore!!
Several Poles
I have two aluminum poles, both 12’ for open wider rivers, I can use them as a pole or as a makeshift kayak paddle swinging it from side to side and you would not believe how much control I have and how much speed I can gain.
For the smaller streams I have a 10’ pole which works great for keeping under the trees and can get a good purchase on the rocky bottoms of these NE rivers. Ness now owns that pole! 
I’ve often thought about a two part pole just to cheap to buy one. My idea is to make it like a screw together pool cue but have doubts about the strength and interigty of it. There’s so much stress on any type of joint with a pole that one has to wonder when it will fail. Just food for thought.
dougd
14 footer for kayak stroke!
Perhaps me being a six footer plays into this, but when I try the kayak stroke I do wish for a longer pole. I’ve sort of stopped using that stroke and just use the pole like it is a really long canoe paddle. I get pretty good power, but its not as fast as using a paddle. Seems like when I kayak-style, there just isn’t much pole going in the water.
Additionally, over the last year or so, I quit double-ending. That is, I pretty much keep one end of the pole dry. I used to use either end of the pole, and if I was polling on the right and needed a push from the left, I’d just slide the pole through my hands and the end that was the top on the right became the bottom on the left. I guess I like dry hands, because I rarely switch ends anymore. And that kayaking stroke dumps a lot of water on your hands (and in your boat).
Not to get off the pole-length question, but I also heavily favor polling on my right side. I force myself to use the left side sometimes, but I’m really not as comfortable, and it feels weak. I don’t understand why. Do you other polers favor a dominant side?
~~Chip
Left…
To date I seem to favor poling on the port side, but that may have more to do with geography than with left/right preference.
-Rob
I try
– Last Updated: Nov-30-07 4:59 AM EST –
to do both sides for several reasons, main reason is I find up-rapid poling a great workout and I want to try to stay physically balanced to make up for any mental imbalances I may have. I mean guys, we are standing in a canoe now aren't we. Other thing is, sometimes sitting in an eddy planning my next move, I find end over end short push moves are going to be required, dodging rocks and getting thru the current. As far as dripping water goes, I have a 2'x2.5' packing sponge in the floor of my canoe, about an inch thick. I use this to kneel on when paddling. It soaks up the dripping water; occasionally I just squeeze it out and the canoes clean and dry. As far as the "kayak paddling" with a pole, Aaron and I use 1.5" diameter poles (wood and aluminum) which can get us throwing a bow wake. Think my next poles I make will be 1.125" just to see what normal people use.
Mental imbalance you may have?
Cast aside any doubts Matt.
You must not paddle the same …
mangrove tunnels that I know.
A pole would be the last thing in the world you could use, unless it was only three feet long.
I usually have to take apart my paddle and use it like a canoe paddle if I am in my kayak.
Ever do the Turner River ??
Cheers,
JackL
no Mangroves
– Last Updated: Nov-30-07 9:34 AM EST –
we substitute granite for the Mangroves Jack. Low water we pole up and back, high water the playboats and shuttle comes into action. farmington river, 20 minutes from home. Couple other poling folders in here, but this about sums it up.
http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/561316982gTzTXu
Oh, and Mint,can't wait for the winter madness with you to begin again. Pray for rain, snow, sleet or whatever will bring our runs up to snuff, willya' huh. :-)
I was replying to Gulfcoaster’s post
not yours, but with this Global warming, you never know,; you just might have some mangroves in the future!
Cheers,
JackL
with this lack of rain
maybe cactus. I’d love to see others poling pix. It’s a big country out there.
Yes, I’ve ventured through Turner River
– Last Updated: Nov-30-07 4:29 PM EST –
Weedon Is., and many other locations here in Florida with mangrove tunnels.
I use the short poles as a cross-country skier would use ski poles, I just duck low and with the poles more horizontal than vertical (roughly 30*) push aft and and away I go! I expend far less energy with my method and I maneuver better than trying to use a paddle.
BTW... All this talk of global warming is all political BS to raise our taxes through "carbon credit offsets" from my point of view. Even if there is a slight warming solar cycles have far more to do with it than anything we humans do. You think the politicians are going to recall that tax (or any tax for that matter. It ain't happened yet and never will) even after we slip into a mini-ice age within 20 years? It's been recognized that there have been slight rises in Earth's temps within a few decades before every ice age. Pay that tax all you want if it makes you feel better, but when the next ice age hits won't you feel a little foolish paying that stupid, politically-induced scare tactic called "Global Warming"?".
That sounds pretty cool
Its an interesting mental picture, gulfcoaster.
Mike McCrae has some “Jesus shoes” in the rafters of his shop…hmmm, maybe not, not sure he still has rafters in that “so clean you could eat off it” shop… These were like little baby kayaks that were to be worn like shoes, one on each foot. They had little flaps on the bottom that I suppose were supposed to act like cross-country ski “skins”, fold flat to glide forward, fold out to grip the water and propel forward. In practice, I’m thinking these things would be pretty useless, but a fun idea. But let’s pair them with your “ski poles” and watch gulfcoaster go!
xtreme cross-water skiing…a new sport is born
~~Chip
Ah ha, I am glad to see we are down …
from that 6 feet that you stated above.
cheers,
JackL
The 30* I mention is 30 degrees,
not 30 inches. Sorry about the confusion, Jack.
I seldom use the big pole in water over 24" deep.
The reason for a longer pole is another hand over hand forward thrust before pulling the pole forward again for the next thrust, thereby saving energy and wasted motion.
When it comes to overhead overhangs and entanglements I just duck a little bit and angle to pole a little lower to the water.
If the overhead brush is too low for the 13.5’ pole then I sit or kneel and break out the 6 footers. I can see using 4 footers if I ever had to work from the bow to prevent weather-cocking but I have as of yet to deal with that situation since I move my heavy gear forward to make my canoe just a little bow-heavy before tackling headwinds.
You sure are not talking about the…
the same Turner river Mangrove tunnels that I know!
cheers,
JackL
W. Everglades? 10,000 Islands area?
Halfway Creek? I believe we’re talkin’ the same river.
Found a 14 foot…,
– Last Updated: Dec-14-07 9:21 PM EST –
closet pole at HomeCrappo today! Got some copper end caps an' gonna git a 12' canoo pole done dis here weekend - after me' Festivus pole, dat is. Thanks fer all de advice, Pilgrims.
Fat Elmo