Shorter paddle?
Tommy, your ZRE paddle was 54 inches, right? I think the fast guys use really short paddles… like 48 inches or something like that. Also, at the end of your strokes you were putting a little bit of a J on as the paddle was coming out of the water. Perhaps it’s better to lift straight out with the blade perpendicular to the boat? You also might want to have the paddle shaft as vertical as possible?
You should get a GPS and use it to set your pace. Push yourself to hold the top end speed for a period of time then take a rest, then do it again. Or set a moderate pace and try to hold it for an hour or two. The GPS will tell you if you are falling off pace.
Get a va’a
If you’re fit and under 60 you can go 6 mph with mediocre form and without switching sides.
As an added benefit, it will go down wind on Maine lakes much better than an Osprey.
I also think a ZRE for someone your height in a Magic or va’a should be in the 47-50 inch range.
shorter paddle does help
I’m running a 48.25 inch ZRE 12 degree bent, and my speed and wear and tear on me is much better than when I was using my BB 52 inch. Lighter weight might be part of it too.
Even an imperceptable current
will probably subtract 2 mph from your average speed on an up and down run. You really need to measure your speed over flat water with a GPS. Going by charts and time is a rough approximation at best. Your speed over water surface might be five, but if pushing current maybe only 3 over ground. GPS will measure progress overground. Running against current will really kill your overground speed. But you get a great workout. It really kills your average too. Because you spend maybe three quarters time pushing current and only one quarter time working with it.
Tom, is the Magic a fast boat?
My guess is you are doing very well in that boat.
Look
at the video of the guy in the C-1 j boat.
http://www.fbcanoeracing.org/
He beat the usca champion Seakayaker (masters class)
And keep in mind the Magic is not very fast boat, otherwise more racers would paddle them.
Magic seems like a fast boat to me
– Last Updated: May-13-10 6:25 AM EST –
I think its faster than the J-200 that I got from Tommy. That's why it amazes me how fast racers can drive those racing boats. Then again, I'm not a particularly good sit and switch paddler, so what do I know.
Is the Magic a Fast Boat?
Um well gee ???
Compared to some boat’s I paddle the Magic is a race horse. Compared to the Voyager maybe not.
I was not able to push the J-200 any faster either. I suspect that has to do with the very rough condition of that boats skin AND the extra surface area of a long boat.
As I said I don’t expect to get up into the 6-7 mph range but I hope I can get her up into the 5’s consistantly.
Not fare !
He was fourth in the Barcelona Olympics, (on the USA team) in the Slalome (sp)
JackL
I’ll gladly take that J-200
off your hands for a nominal price!
Both my wife and daughter are looking for one
You are definately doing something wrong if you can’t make it go faster then the Magic.
Jack L
I watched the 5 min version
Despite these folks probably all would kick my butt, I was seeing a lot of bad form in there. Quite a few of them could actually do better by keeping that paddle shaft vertical. Another classic example where I can spot their incorrect technique as they disappear before my eyes.
Sorry Jack
I gave that boat to Eric after I’d had it long enough to decide that marathon canoes are not my idea of worthwhile craft.
IIRC Eric had it out one day and thought about a rock on an entirly different river at which point the hull shattered and sank out of sight, leaving poor Eric to swim home. Did I mention that it was in tough shape? Very rough surface. Very brittle skin.
Too funny – sad, and almost true
Jack – you’re welcome to have the boat, but I’m a long way from NC. I take it out every once in a while, but like Tommy I’ve pretty much decided that marathon canoes aren’t for me. It is in pretty bad shape. Last time I took it out I punched a small hole in it just putting it down on the ground – it hit a small rock I didn’t see. I’m happy to hold on to it and use it occasionally, but the boat would definitely be happier in a home where it saw more regular use.
Not exactly sure what you mean, but…
it should only be vertical on the plant
jack L
Wow sorry to hear the boat is so brittle
It started out with me. In a fit of impulsiveness, I picked it on the recommendation of a well-known paddler here. I took it home, hung it up, and never paddled it because I also bought a got a Shockwave. And that boat looked a lot more friendly to paddle. So I traded Tommy for an ME. The ME is working out great for me, I paddled it last night. It bums me out that the J boat didn’t work out as well.
Don’t get me wrong, I wish I had one
Heck I paddle a much slower boat and have wanted a Magic since seeing one. I just don’t think of it to be what I would call fast. It’s seems as though it’s designed for comfort and ease of paddling with a weeks worth of gear. 4mph sounds good to me.
Many I saw had
the paddle shaft about a 45 degree angle. Top of paddle at their chin, blade off to the side. Those hands should be stacked. But they probably all get trophies every week, so who am I to speak? 
Hand position?
What effect does hand position have to do with paddling speed? In my experience the lower my “non-t-grip” hand is the more power I have, but the higher it is the more speed I get - kind of like low gear / high gear on a bike.
So when starting out you keep it low then once up to speed you move it up a bit.
Canton Canoe
Go to YouTube search Canton Canoe 2010. Watch some of the top marathon paddlers go fast.
Interesting
that in the stock classes I did not see any Magics.
I enjoyed a Magic when I paddled it but felt there were faster boats out there. Guess the NYS racers feel the same.