This is part 2 of a three part video on GearLab. I enjoyed the discussion of Gearlab’s evolving paddle designs and models. (If you are interested in possible Gearlab 3 sectional Greenland style kayak product, see Part 1 video.)
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As much as I really, really enjoy my Gearlab Kalleq for general paddling, I wish GL still makes the Aukaneck surf GP with the 4" wide blades. My short (200 cm) but wider Aukaneck has enough blade surface for faster initial sprint speed to catch a wave but short enough to not get in the way for a diagonal run across a steep wave face. (According to the video above, I probably won’t be able to get a replacement paddle tip, or paddle for that matter, in the future.)
Aukaneck in action:
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3 piece interests me. When I pack my folding kayaks for airline travel the length of the two piece paddles are an issue if I want to stay under the “oversized baggage” extra fees so I have had to take a Cannon 3-piece Euro. I bought a Northern Lights 3 piece carbon GP years ago but hated the sharp shoulders, awkward swing weight and poor match at the connection joints that created an uncomfortable ridge – sold it at a loss after a few outings.
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Sorry for not being clear. Part 1 video shows a prototype 3 sectional Greenland style kayak. Sounds like they are still working on refining and then potentially putting it to market. (Of course, by then, it would be probably “prohibitively” expensive for the majority of the paddlers given the “trade” situation…)
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Another surf session with the Gearlab Aukaneck (surf) paddle. (Hope GL brings this model back, better yet, with a shoulderless option.)
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I make GL and Aleut paddles and I have tried many different lengths and widths for the blades. I also prefer a wider set of blades then most commercial GL paddles are made with. I have made them as slim as 2-7/8" and as wide as 4-5/8". I make them to the liking and the specs of those customers who want them made.
But for my own use I prefer 4" to 4-1/4 on all my GL paddles up to 8 feet long. My largest one is 4-5/8" wide. Over 8 feet I go slimer but never any less then 3-3/4" Others disagree and prefer slimmer paddle blades, but I have used them at both the slim side and the wide side, and I much prefer the wider blades for my own use.
When I used to practice Greenland style, there was only one guy who used 4’ plus wide GPs he made with laminated wood. He also began making Aleut style paddles which tend to be wider as well. I thought it was particular to him as he was a big guy – well over 6’ and 250 lbs plus. The majority of us stuck with 3.5" wide and under. I was actually using 2.8 to 3.25" inches wide blades. I had a faster cadence and was able to transition my grip all the way to the end with ease.
Only with surfing, did I begin to appreciate the wider blade for faster initial speed to catch a wave and more blade area for more aggressive stern ruddering. The trade off for me is that I can’t use fully extended paddle techniques because my small hand grip stops about little past halfway of the blade. But, I don’t rely on fully extended paddle and additional leverage to complete rolls (some folks like/use GPs as a “crutch” to make up for bad rolling technique).
If I were to carve another GP, I would try for a wider blade with a laminate. But, in honesty to myself, I am ok with handiwork but am not an artist/expert (like you) with that. 
So, I would much rather just buy the paddle should I need another…
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I can’t disagree with anything you wrote. But the point is that no manufacturer of GL paddles that I know of makes anything with blades that are much wider then what everyone else makes.
While it is true that doing the work yourself is far less expensive then buying one, what’s not said very often is the amount of time needed to do the work. Some folks have power tool large enough to make the work fairly fast, but if those tools were not purchased for other needs (other then paddle making) the amount of space and the amount of money needed to acquire such tools is going to make many molded GL paddles look cheap.
Because I make muzzleloading rifles in the way they were made in the years from around 1740 to 1820, I have very few power tools. A hand made gun is exactly what it sounds like. I do have a band saw, but other then that, my paddles are makes 100% by hand with hand tools. Looing at the offerings of the carbon fiber paddle makers, we see little difference in the sizing from one company to another and those who like broader blades or even a longer paddle are simply out of luck. While there is nothing wrong with the “standard size” GL paddle being made now days, there are those people that would like one that is longer, shorter or wider, and the cost of molds is very high, so the factories can’t see fit to invest in such molds, not knowing if they can sell enough of them to make any profits.
I started making GL paddles for my own use and in so doing, I ended up with a good bunch of them in different lengths shapes sizes and loom contours as well as a few I made with looms that were made in alignment with the blades instead of the more usual way of making the oval perpendicular to the blades. There were no offering available made in the dimensions I wanted to try and even if there had been, with GL paddles selling for $450 to $575, having 8 to 14 of them is cost prohibitive.
But the down side is time. Even at my level of skill (55 years of making things by hand) it still takes me about 14 hours to make a paddle. So it’s true that out of pocket I can make a paddle for about $40 worth of wood, but I have to count my time as play, not work. Working long weeks (55-60 hours) making a paddle every month or so is all I could hope to do for myself.
But once I had a pretty large batch of them, many of my kayaking friends borrowed them and found they loved the way the work and feel, so I sold off some I had made and replaced them with others, to try the next experiment. Now it’s a small side business, but I never intended to get into the paddle making business at all. It was just a way for a simply man to have enough different paddles to compare one to another.
But now with 5 years of making them behind me I have learned a few things about them and also a lot about what people like and why.
In clothing, kayaks, guns, cars and kayaks the “one size fits all” approach is simply not realistic. Molded paddles can’t fit everyone perfectly because there are hundreds of small differences in how people use them and for what reasons.
That is the only reason a small side business in paddle-making even exists. As I said, I had no intent to be in such a business, but the “market” had other plans, and it’s been fun working with other paddlers and learning about them as I go along.
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I went a different route with my experiments. I made a component system using carbon fiber, This way I was able to keep weight ,edge and shape consistent. All parts are interchangeable. So I can change tip style, or shoulder style or loom length or blade width or blade length independent of any other change.
I made all my own molds from plugs I made.
It was a fun endeavor but it did cost in both time and money.
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RoyM, I have always admired your paddles and the way you do them. Just beautiful.
I’d assume you can swap parts around to get different length and blade widths. Is that correct?
What is the widest blade you make?
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I have made blades up to 4 inch but in the series above 3.5 is the widest. I find that that is sufficient for me. I prefer to change the paddle cut/shape rather than go wider. Better for playing the paddle.
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