First storm paddle

Advice
#1

Just finished up my first storm paddle, however I went with a littl differnt design. After looking in a National Geographic form the 80’s I noticed one Greenlander had a taper before his loom on the blade.



My only guess would be to prevent as much water from running down the loom?



http://awholebunchofings.blogspot.com/2009/12/storm-paddle-properly-named.html



Thanks for the previous tips I got a much lighter paddle, and my lamination is coming along.

#2

native paddles
The Carnegie Museum of Natural History here in Pittsburgh has a great permanent exhibit called “The Polar World.” There are several kayaks and paddles collected from the field, displayed with all the original accessories. Every one of the paddles have strips of what looks like cotton cloth tied or wrapped with rawhide laces around the paddle looms just before the blades, presumably to divert water runoff.



http://www.carnegiemnh.org/exhibitions/graphics/kayak_1.jpg


#3

Thanks
for the link. Must be a great exibit. The civilization museum in ottawa has many online pics of paddles, and many have either something attached (like what your saying) and some look like the wood is carved to make a drip stop much like the euro paddles.


#4

sliding stroke
A storm paddle almost has to be used with a sliding stroke, so your hands are rarely on the loom. It’ll be wet using one regardless since at least one hand will be on the paddle face all the time due to it’s very short length.



Suggest wearing waterproof gloves specially in the winter.



Bill H.

#5

Agreed
It’s just something that was a after thought as I was finishing up. Just to see what would happen before I tried it on a full lenght paddle.