I joined to learn about boats to find recommendations for fater lighter boats. I decided that what I learned about padfling efficiency was more important. I know the boat is slow, but its comfortable. My goal turned to more with less effort. So far I keep improving. Thats my goal. Thanks.
nobody needs 5000 for a fast boat or 900 for a fast paddle. You can have both for 1100 dollars.
people who buy a 300 rec kayak are not interested in speed. Just a whole different purpose.
Sorry not getting what you are saying.
From your other post
Speed is important to me becsuse I donāt have many kayaking skills. When I encounter harsh conditions, I run for home.
6-8 hours on a lake is a waste of time for me too. That time on a river, marsh, or swamp is an entirely different experience.
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different strokes for different folks.
The best use of speed is to have enough of it to get out of the way of the drunk power boater that ignored your flashing paddle, whistle, and boat horn.
Anything else is an aesthetic value that does not translate into dollars, just turns you on.
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I can explain why I bought an expensive paddle without knowing anything. We participate in a lot of activities and weāve learned how to not accumulate junk since we move a lot. If Iām not going to extensively research something at the time I buy it, I usually buy something with the best resale value. Itās not to impress others unless you mean the target for resale. My sweet spot is to find a top shelf item in the used market but there isnāt always time on an accessory.
If one has a homestead and doesnāt move a lot they have the time to buy and sell and grow in to the best gear.
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@PaddleDog52 You did get my point and expressed it precisely.
@string my goal has nothing to do with how you or anyone else spend time in a kayak or canoe.
Iām recovering from a physical hit that came close to killing me. I thought it robbed me of the ability to kayak and return to the level of performance that I enjoyed previously. I joined the forum looking for advice on how to recover and improve.
My frustration is the irony of being on a thread entitled āFastest Kayaker in the Worldā and needing to defend the concept of improving speed . . . Hey, Iām recovering satisfactorily and have no shame in exceeding the expectations I had three years ago. The further irony is that I credit the forum with directly and indirectly contributing to my recovery. The degree of success is measured by how much time it takes me to go from point A to B and by how far I can paddle. I still have no inclination to roll or surf. I measure my recovery a different way.
Frankly, one reason I paddle solo is because itās hard to find kayakers who have a desire to paddle faster. Now I get it, speed isnāt everything. Fortunately, I havenāt deteriorating yet. I still think I can outrun a few storms.
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Outrunning storms is really important, thanks for pointing that out.
Youāve done a great job rehabbing yourself! People that have skin in the game and a belief system always do so much better.
You have me interested in speed now, Iām going to work on that technique.
I had a separated rotator cuff after my first pool class (I feel strongly I was taught the wrong way but I donāt blame them) My husband calls them āthose boobsā
They had us swimming dragging the canoes behind us and exercises like that. Once we had a great teacher and a GP we both rolled the first time.
Recovery from a shoulder injury is a very long and painful process and the sleep deprivation can make one depressed. Itās real mental game to recover IMO.
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Fitness?
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Speed is great thing!
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That the value of forums.
great video, thanks for sharing.
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Lock the blade!
didnāt think it was possible to lock the blade, and at 172 strokes a minute 
Jyak???
Sorry, ālocking the bladeā is nonsense. The junction of the shaft and paddle blade does maintain itās location relative to the water, more or less. However, the paddle blade itself moves back relative to the water, i.e. the paddle is rotating about the point where it intersects the water surface. That means the upper part of the paddle is moving forward relative to that point, while the blade is moving backwards. This is absolutely necessary for the blade to exert any propulsive force. If the blade isnāt moving relative to the water, there cannot be a force exerted.
PS Looking through the video (and listening to that creepy voice over), I see that the ellipsoidal path of the blade descibed shows it is definitely moving back relative to the water. They mention some forward-directed āliftā during the plant and catch, which seems reasonable. Also, the method of removing the blade by pulling forward appears geared to not lifting much water, also a good idea to save energy. They did not really address the lateral motion of the wing paddle, which generates additional forward-facing lift. In any case, creation of the lifting forces also requires relative motion between the blade face and the water.
I guess the issue is really the terminology - the only thing ālockedā in this method is the location of where the paddle blade and shaft intersect the water surface. Otherwise the blade is definitely moving relative to the water, as it must. Unfortunately the term propagates an incorrect idea, quoted in the video, that paddle blade āslipā represents an inefficiency, which is not the case. āSlipā, or to be more exact, a relative velocity differential, is necessary to generate propulsive forces between any solid object and a fluid medium.
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What?
I donāt mid saying, after 10 miles it gets hard maintaining that form, and I start falling back into bad habits