Feather Angle VIDEO on Zero Offset

The 15 Degree Feather

– Last Updated: Sep-26-15 10:31 AM EST –

Ceila, I hear some others too say that a small feather angle like 15 to 30 degree feels good to them. It maybe so, but it seems to me it misses on the benefits of a higher feather angle and does not benefit from the full symmetry of 0 feather. I can see a 15-30 degree being great only if two conditions are true at the same time: (1) you want feather because you are used to it, and, at the same time, (2) are paddling mostly at a really low angle, where I think low feather will align the shaft orientation well for the control hand.

But I see a lot of WW paddlers use 15 or 30 degree, they paddle high-angle, and it just can't see how it make sense there. I think it's just habit and availability of feathered paddles that keeps *low* feather alive for most WW paddlers (higher feather can be useful as mentioned in slalom and slicing through waves).

Agree
and I paddle the same way. My only reason for not feathering the paddle are the frequent high winds abeam of my boat.



The paddle I learned with 20+ years ago had only two settings, 90 degrees and unfeathered. Given the two options, I quickly (once I started paddling in heavy weather) adjusted to a straight paddle and have never looked back.



No wrist injuries or other problems in all those years. I see the mechanical advantage of high angle paddling, but I’m somewhere in the middle as far as that goes. I can see where a flat paddle, control hand, and high angle can be just as bad for the wrist as a feathered blade and control hand. Years ago I decided that the control hand was the common denominator and I switch that on each stroke. Seems to work for me and I’ve never understood why anyone even teaches the control hand concept.



I’ve introduced a lot of people to paddling and none of them learned that from me. I’ve never had anyone I introduced to sea kayaking complain of a wrist injury.



Rikc

Not a low angle thing
Granted some of the braces are low, but if there is a way to paddle low angle in a proper WW boat I can’t figure out how. Especially when I am on the upper end of the weight for my boat. It has been a while since I have been in the white stuff, but even then I had to paddle high and short and mark my balance well lest the stern or the bow start to sink. If I ever wanted to do more than class 2 and occasional short 3’s, I probably would have to shed a few pounds or get a slightly larger volume boat.



Already weighed in on another thread about the concept of a single sided control hand. Don’t grasp it once I am on the water and have never been instructed that it is a necessary point of view anyway. My hands loosen/open and close each side as I paddle and whatever has to happen to the paddle shaft happens.

Such discussions here
offer a fabulous classroom for learning fine points. Thanks for creating the thread, Kocho, and the video.

Thanks Greg, but I Prefer
Something like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8H9KEOHjZg



Ed McKeever had more similar videos using the same device, but for some reason or other, they have been removed except for this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7e09kOpb6U



Unfortunately, you can’t alternate sides (left to right) between strokes with this device, but the overall objective of keeping the blade squared in the water is the same, whether with or w/o offset.




Muscle Memory
I remember when I had muscles! But that memory aside, what we call muscle memory is not in the muscle but in a part of the brain that does not communicate with our consciousness. This is why it is so hard to change an ingrained body motion as it becomes sort of hard wired.



There is an interesting example of this phenomena called blind vision which is control of muscle activity not controlled by the conscious mind. A man had 2 different strokes which each happened to damage the vision center on both sides of his conscious brain. He was clinically blind when tested, however his eyes were in no way damaged. However, when the researchers set up a series of obstacles in a hall he had to navigate (but did not tell him about), he was able to walk down the hall without running into any of the obstructions.



When asked how he avoided the obstacles he replied “What Obstacles?”. His eyes still worked and directed him, but his conscious mind had no communications with the part of the brain that directed his muscles as he walked the hall. So he was totally unaware he was avoiding anything.



I thought this might make an interesting sidebar though somewhat of topic.

check this out Castoff
Pretty cool, gets to what you’re saying.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFzDaBzBlL0



Guy made a bike with opposite turning handlebars, and had to re-learn bike riding.

That’s a tough one!
I’ve tried a bike like this and what the guy in the video says is true - could not make it go more than a foot or two before falling off.

Affirmed here
at this link:

http://members.westnet.com.au/dshunter/Good%20Technique.htm





Found it cited by KayakVagabond at his excellent site. http://www.gregstamer.com/2012/02/03/catch-before-unwinding-how



I work on the drills because sometimes I get worried that I’m doing something wrong in my forward stroke and committing it to muscle memory.

Probably The Clue to Stability Issues
And avoiding injuries too. Simply strive to increase the proprioceptive demands on your wonderful body everyday and you’ll enjoy your paddling even more no matter the conditions, boats, paddles and technique.

Thanks for posting that.

– Last Updated: Oct-03-15 8:38 AM EST –

I have seen it before, but it is a good demonstration of muscle memory and how hard it is to rewire our brain.
What I find interesting about blind vision is how he had no conscious awareness that his eyes were still coordinating his movement.