Demo everyday. I get to put the sign on the door “Gone Kayaking!”
I’m not sure what oversized equals. I can make some measurements tomorrow when I’m in the Store, if you like.
See you on the water,
Marshall
The River Connection, Inc.
9 W. Market St.
Hyde Park, NY
845-229-0595 main
845-242-4731 mobile
Main: www.the-river-connection.com
Store: www.the-river-connection.us
Facebook: fb.me/theriverconnection
They do describe that model as having an “oversized oval loom” and they must mean circumference since the loom width is a modest 17".
Interesting dimensions on that paddle…
I have a Mitchell Horizon, a beautiful piece of laminated woodwork. Mine had the narrow loom which I widened with hand plane, sanding and refinishing. It has thin blades that provide plenty of purchase in the water. Mine is the 90 inch model which for me is too long. Go try it out and see if it works for you.
Doggy,
Too late on that blemished Mitchell Horizon. It’s gone, but this loom thing got me to thinking so I applied some calipers to the loom and it measures 30mm x 35mm. The shoulders measure 5.5" transitioning to the blades. Yes, I’m mixing metric and imperial.
Not being a GP adept I’ll leave it to the forum experts as to where that falls on the sizing spectrum.
See you on the water,
Marshall
The River Connection, Inc.
9 W. Market St.
Hyde Park, NY
845-229-0595 main
845-242-4731 mobile
Main: www.the-river-connection.com
Store: www.the-river-connection.us
Facebook: fb.me/theriverconnection
Just did the same thing (now I can justify having kept my late father’s calipers.) Turns out that my 10 year old Friday Harbor cedar/fir laminated GP is the same 30mm x 35 mm oval loom as the Horizon that Marshall gauged. David, the paddle maker, used actual measurement of my grip and other body metrics to custom dimension that wood GP.
The Gearlab Akiak I bought last winter measures 30mm round, not oval, in the loom.
I’m glad that my first GP was oval because I believe it helped me to develop good form by “indexing” the blade orientation with my grip. But honestly it had not occurred to me until measuring just now that the Akiak was not oval. In use this year the Akiak had felt much the same to me as the wooden oval shaft – the two paddles are the same length, weight and design otherwise (210 cm, same blade and loom widths, round tips, no shoulders). But thinking back, I feel like I was more often subconsciously adjusting the position of my grip due to feedback from how the blades felt in the water, something I have never done with the oval. I have to LOOK at the Gearlab paddle blades when I first grasp it to know I have the blades oriented right whereas the oval on the wood GP just falls into place. I could grab it in the dark and know where the blades were before feeling their interaction with the water. I tend to think that had I not been long accustomed to having the oval grip always put my hands in the same position, I might not have developed that sense of the blade in the water so well. I’ll be interested to hear what other more experienced GP users may weigh in on regarding that theory.
To add another aspect to the mix, I briefly owned a Northern Lights carbon paddle (sold it to a guy in Europe last year). It had an oval loom but the cross section was slightly squared rather than the more smoothly transitioned oval of the old wood paddle. I never liked it, I think because it really locked my grip into one position wrapped around the shaft and any slight variation was uncomfortable. It’s an exaggeration of course, but imagine if your bicycle handlebars, or even a broom handle, were shaped like square Thule roof rack bars rather than round Yakimas. Perhaps I might have gotten used to it in time, but I also did not care for the shoulders or the square blade tips on that paddle so it went to a more appreciative home.
Thanks for all the interesting info. So many variables tells me that hands on paddle in boat in water is the way to go. But if I happen on a good cheap candidate I can snag it and trade up later.
A cheap X? Define X and I’ll keep my radar attuned.
See you on the water,
Marshall Seddon
The River Connection, Inc.
9 W. Market St.
Hyde Park, NY
845-229-0595 main
845-242-4731 mobile
Main: www.the-river-connection.com
Store: www.the-river-connection.us
Facebook: fb.me/theriverconnection
@Doggy Paddler said:
Thanks for all the interesting info. So many variables tells me that hands on paddle in boat in water is the way to go. But if I happen on a good cheap candidate I can snag it and trade up later.
I’m a little leery of commenting on grip area and loom lengths etc because of some of what over 10 or 15 years of experimenting with them has shown me. To talk a little about the Mitchel Horizon paddle. 17 inch loom with a 3 1/2 inch blade, no shoulder…a transition area of 5.5 inches. This paddle is not meant to have the hands on the loom at all. To have a hand large enough to grasp a 3 1/2 inch blade {3 1/2 inches for the entire blade length instead of any taper where there are smaller areas to hold}
Generally the thumb and index finger would be the only fingers on the loom {at the root of the shoulder} so actual grasp with a 17 inch loom held that way would be too close together for the size person able to grasp the 3 1/2 inch blade comfortably. {the exception I have found to this hold on the loom has been some paddlers with very small hands , lengthen the loom so that the first 2 fingers and the thumb encompass the loom and the indexing is a combination of loom and shoulder } Since this paddle has a transition area without a shoulder to index, the shape of the transition area is what is indexed on. This would make this paddle made for a large person and not someone at all petite. {at the stated dimensions of this paddle This is a powerful amount of purchase on the water for a daily paddle.
to talk about round looms
I’m not a fan of round looms on any style Greenland paddle. The loom acts for indexing throughout it’s entire length because the paddle is meant to be used extended as well as just in a forward stroke standard grip. Then entire paddle should act for indexing. {and be comfortable to hold} Round shafts are easier to manufacture to transition to a commercial spigot/joiner system . but offer no index{square shafts are not comfortable} Oval is the best answer {IMHO}
some maneuvers with a Greenland paddle rely on the indexing being done with the loom section.
When doing a bow rudder, the paddle lends itself to putting the blade in the armpit on the paddle in the water side and holding the paddle forward, in one hand {working side} this works very nice in caves and leaves the other hand free. Control of the working blade is sweet and can also incorporate a skull motion to steer. This kind of control rely s on a comfortable indexing shape loom. Although the non-working paddle is held in the armpit, the blade angle is controlled with the working hand.
A one handed roll is also of use and being able to control the paddle and skull using the grip in the center,{while under water} of the paddle requires a non-round loom. The paddle shouldn’t limit the paddler and the paddlers options. The Greenland paddle is meant to be used in all facets for control with finesse.
There are guys on Etsy who sell GP’s for what you would pay for the more modestly priced glass and semi-carbon standard blade paddles. Like this guy in Michigan who makes laminated ones in standard lengths for $130 or will do a custom for $150. He describes his looms as “aspen-shaped” which is odd and suggests a sort of fat teardrop design.
EDIT: among the customer comments on those Michigan made GP’s was one that describe the loom as “oblong”, which is essentially oval.
Paddles and underwear are a lot alike. There is no one size, or style that fits all. It’s a personal thing.
Sure, but that doesn’t stop me from asking strangers what kind of underwear they think I oughta wear. 
Think of this sunken level of thread next time you swap paddles on a trip to try it out.
One of the pleasures of paddling (for me) is going commando…
@willowleaf said:
One of the pleasures of paddling (for me) is going commando…
Got a photo? KIDDING!
Photo wouldn’t prove much. Just sayin’, no panty lines on my hydroskins…
Thanks for amusing me!
Update: I bought a barely used Werner Cyprus 210 for a great price, good enough so that if I end up not liking it I feel confident I can easily re-sell it for what I paid. I borrowed one just like it before and it felt great to me, though admittedly I haven’t been able to compare it to other very light paddles. However, having it to use for a season (or longer if it ends up working well for me) is much better than sticking with my old paddle.
Buying used and re-selling when I’ve figured out more what I want has been good to me. It’s gotten me in the game faster, and given me the chance to try things out for a while to see what works best. And I’ve been able consistently to trade up without much cash.
Looking forward to the paddling season!