I switched to a Greenland paddle a couple of years ago. Since then,I have aquired a few full size GPs. I am now thinking of adding a storm paddle to my collection as a back up paddle.I have played with one a couple of times but not long enough to have a solid opinion. For those that have SPs, how often do you use them? Are they an effective back up?Trying to decide if he will be money well spent or a dust collector. I carry a back up paddle most of the time.
depends
I have been using traditional paddles exclusively for a few years now (Aleut and GPs).
I paddle only with full length and don’t have a short one as backup.
Recently I snapped one of my paddles and had to use my buddy’s short one to paddle a few miles. I was OK on flat water (the sliding stroke doesn’t come natural to me since I had so little practice) but swapped it for a full length one when surf landing and my buddy used the short one.
Moral of the story: if you don’t learn how to use the sort one proficiently maybe it won’t be that great when really needed. While my buddy often paddles with the short one and he can maintain the same speed as the long one, I found the short one not as good.
Obviously practice makes perfect.
I don’t even go in the pool without my
storm. It is as needed, if not more, than any other piece of gear I have. I can maintain the same cruising speed with my storm as I can with my standard length paddle. If you have another back up paddle then it is obviously not necessary. My Storm stows nicely on the foredeck and I reach for it instinctively after having carried it for the time I have. I practice my rolls with it, and I use it to break up the monotony of longer paddles, while the change in muscles used gives my body a break as well. While I could function fine without one, I would never choose to do so. It has become my bankey and woobi. Bill
Storm Paddles
A GP by itself is a “storm paddle”. That is, it better in strong winds than conventional paddles. So for wind conditions that are common you probably don’t need a special paddle. If you want to carry a paddle as a backup in case your GP breaks, then a shorter “storm paddle” is easier to carry on the deck and easier to access than a full length GP. It will give you some advantage in the wind but mostly it will be easy to access on your deck and will get you home almost as easily as your original paddle. Also, if you lose your original full length paddle and need to roll up, the storm paddle is easy to get to and just as easy to roll with.
nice change
I made one that lives on my foredeck. Very easy to roll with. I like it as a “different gear” – the sliding stroke uses different muscles so it’s good to swap off periodically.
I also use it as a single blade for sneaking up on wildlife – I think that not having blade flashing in the air makes a difference.
Mine Would Collect Dust
if I had one. I always take two GPs; one with significantly more bite than the other. Having those two ‘gears’ to choose from works fine for me.
I practice with it once in a while
In Shetland, I found that it’s ideal for use in tight sea-caves. I’ve also had to use it to roll in a couple of cases where my primary paddles was torn from my grasp.
Get one
My wife and I both carry them and they have come in handy on several occasions. Also fun to have just for a change of pace to practice different strokes.
I found it an interesting piece of
Equipment and fun to play with but never felt confidant with it in the conditions that I would need it in. I keep a full length paddle on my foredeck because that’s what I feel most comfortable with in rough conditions where the possibility of needing my spare paddle would arise. I would definitely try one but make sure to use it in the conditions you would need to rely on it.
Make a war club?
I used to paddle with a GP and kept an EP split on the back deck…never used the EP. So, I started carrying a second full size GP on the fore deck…used it once for about a half hour so I could say I used it rather than carrying a couple pounds a hundred miles for nothing, then went back to my ol’ reliable. The foot or so overhang at the bow never bothered me even in forceful waves; rock gardening could be a different story. I’ve been considering carving a storm for the reason others have mentioned (switch off to different muscle groups), but also to save wear and tear on my primary. I can make the storm extra stout for launches and landings (your back-up should be bomb proof anyway) and then my full size will last longer. The only down side I can see to this is the paddle that you NEED to slide your hands on constantly will be garffed up, but mainly on the tips where your hands should not be in the first place. The other idea I had was to carve a King Island type paddle for the same functions (and you never grab the embattled end), but I could see difficulty switching sides quickly to brace in the surf.
Jim
sturdy beater to spare the big GP
Like some of the other respondents, I always carry my storm but am most likely to use it as a utility “beater” to spare my beloved and costly full-sized oil-finish WRC laminated GP. My storm is solid wood (probably carved from a pine stud – can’t say since it came with a used SOF I bought) with a heavy coat of what looks like polyurethane. I figure it is a good backup for windy weather or in the event of a primary paddle loss or breakage, but am apt to use it for poling through gravel bars, paddling in bony shallows or launching in conditions where the paddle is going to be bashing or scraping something. And it tucks neatly under the rigging within the length of the bow with no overhang and is less clutter (and quicker to grab and use) than a split blade paddle.
Figure I could use it to build a signal fire with if stranded on a barren islet. Also gives me something to use when people ask if they can borrow/try out my GP for a few minutes (happens a lot). Found I hated using other folks standard blade paddles while they were testing mine.
Thanks for the feedback.
Thanks for the feedback. I am leaning toward adding a SP to my collection. I have a short GP paddle that I use for a backup on occasion.I never liked it protruding off the deck. The SP may be the ticket.
storm
Full size GP is a find storm paddle. When you lose your primary paddle best replacement is another on the front deck. I carry 86" 3.5" regular paddle and a 88" 2.7" and go back and forth for variety. For surveying, I have a spruce paddle. But always full size.
storm
Full size GP is a find storm paddle. When you lose your primary paddle best replacement is another on the front deck. I carry 86" 3.5" regular paddle and a 88" 2.7" and go back and forth for variety. For surveying, I have a spruce paddle. But always full size.
best 10 bucks you will ever spend
fits on front deck or back deck easily. Great way to break up a long paddle as you will use your torso muscles differently, Easily used canoe style going through mangroves etc, just as easy to roll with a storm as a full sized gp and I actually prefer it for butterfly rolls…most versatile paddle you could ever have.
Make your own. it is not rocket science even though there are those that are masters in making paddles. Has all sorts of uses. I have used it to help raft up when a paddler was tired, used it to shovel sand to hold down edges of a tarp and then used it as the tent pole, definitely prefer it for paddle float-outrigger situations as it does not extend as far and has less tendency to flex as much, beat off wild dogs, etc etc.
while I might hesitate to jam my laminated/wrc/spruce etc full sized paddle against rocks or abuse it any other way, I think nothing of doing that with my storm paddle. That is what it is there for. 
Use it, abuse it, and go paddle some more. when it splits or gets too abused, one afternoon and you have another one.
Paul