Canoe paddle preferences?

Sorry Marc
I though he was paddling a solo John Winters Osprey at abut 27 inches at gunnels not an Olde towne at 39’

Chalrie

Picking a Paddle
You can see from all the replies that picking a paddle is much like picking a husband or wife. The following are all factors to consider:

l. What type of water are using the paddle on?

a. Whitewater River Running

b. Big Lakes Over Long Distances

c. Class 1& 2 Rivers with few obstacles

d. Ocean Paddling

e. Small Lakes, Marshes with little wave

action

2. Your size, strength, and experience paddling

3. The type of canoe you use

4. Solo vs Tandem Paddling

5. Looks vs Utility

6. How much do you have to spend

Most of the paddlers herein have several paddles and use different ones for different types of trips. I own a 16’ Navarro Cedar and Fiberglass Cruising Canoe and solo paddle big lakes, Class 1-2 Rivers, and Small Lakes. I am 6’3" and about 225 pounds. I paddle at a relative fast pace. I cover 30-40 miles per day on rivers and 15 to 20 on lakes. Here are my choices of paddles:

l. Long Distances on smooth waters- 15 oz

We-no-nah Bent Graphite 25 $179.00

2. Long Distance Rivers with manuevering-

22 oz Old Towne Beavertail

Straight 60 $59.00

3. Big Lakes with winds - 30 oz Sawyer Voyager

Standard Straight 60 $79.00

4. Small Lakes - 23 oz Bending Branches Loon

Straight 54 $79.00

5. Big Lakes in high winds and waves - 42 oz

Double Blade Tripper 240L $l05.00

My favorite paddle is my Beavertail. Only drawback is they don’t have guards on the paddle

blade and eventually have to be replaced.

Those that I have paddled with who are very experienced swear that Whiskey Bender is the best non customized paddle available. Many like the Bending Branches Viper Double Bend Paddle but it is a bit heavy at 22 oz vs. a Whiskey Bend at 15 oz. Go out there and try a variety out. One of them is going to say, “Take Me Home!”



Happy Paddling!

Murph

Bents & Straights
Paddles need the blade square to the stroke. 90dg +/- 10dg to be effective.



When we sit in a canoe, we can’t rotate and reach far enough forward to keep a straight in that sweet range. Hence the development of the bent for marathoners and tourers who tend to sit in the same spot/seat all day long.



Kneelers can rotate and reach much farther forward on the boat, so straights work fine for those of us who were raised Catholic. The power portion of the straight paddle stroke ends when the blade travels back to the kneeler’s knee.



There are lots of things that can only be done with a straight blade. Cross forwards and basically cross anything, side slips, running prys, most in water recoveries come to mind.

And, of course, the uncorrected, pure, forward stroke. All these things are impossible or compromised by bending the shaft - once or twice.



Ness is a serious student of the art. She has a bent to use while sitting, she needs a pretty big bladed bent to learn advancing solo technique with.



I’ve always been a fan of Quimby’s, Pat Moore Que Sticks and Marc Ornstein’s Dog Paddles. Only the Dog Paddles are currently available at ~$350. The Grey Owl Freestyle, in carbon seems to be the best shaped, shafted and gripped commercially available stick. ~$200



Most everything else has prominent ribs, sometimes on just the backface, thick edges, squared tips, too small grips, etc. They probably paddle forward just fine, but squared tips catch poorly, the ribs and thick edges do not slice true, and small grips cause fatigue and cost fine blade control.








Probably my error
but it illustrates a point. In order to provide useful answers, the questions need to contain certain necessary information. If not, we’re all guessing.

prove?
[…]

There are lots of things that can only be done with a straight blade.



I happen to have a videotape and some pictures from two very good FreeStyle paddlers (D. Welbes and C. Wilson…) who are proving you wrong :slight_smile:




One comment on Moore Cues
The reason I am looking for a new paddle. I was paddling in calm water and my Moore cue snapped its blade clean. Up until then it was a great paddle…



It doesn’t really matter since Moore is out of business.


repairable?
It’s possible that your Moore Cue is repairable.



I folded the blade on my favorite cue and Ron Sell repaired it for me…he re-cored it and re-vacuum-bagged it. It’s slightly heavier and the balance is off a touch but it’s so nice to have it back in usable shape.



Patrick also recently sold off some leftover paddles that he had and if you e-mail him at his old e-mail address you could find out if he has any left in your size. I got one of the last ones with the smaller blade.






bemnts and luck

– Last Updated: Jan-30-08 5:38 AM EST –

That tape was taken in a world long, long ago and on a planet far, far away.

The Forward Cross Axle and the much more difficult Reverse Cross Axle are basically show maneuvers: cool to do, but maybe not rationale tripping skills.

Ness needs a top end straight that is long enough for cross strokes to continue improving as a paddler.

After sending me a copy, burn those tapes. It depresses me to see color and curl in my hair.

charlie

Thanks Charlie
As I still have most of the color and all of the curl in my hair, I promise to be a good student and learn to paddle properly with a straight shaft.



I’ll be working on it soon as the water here is no longer solid.