At that point, I became interested in GP and built several for family and friends. This one is pretty so I put it on the wall without using it. I never really used any of them.
Someone on here told me I didn’t know what I was doing.
Today it came off the wall . A paddling buddy who has only used a Euro paddled his Pungo 5 miles with it. Except for a wet lap,he said he couldn’t tell the difference. He was as fast as always.
We traded paddles and he dropped the Euro.
I retrieved it in a very brisk wind and had to fight to get my boat turned . Looks like I need some practice with the GP.
I get a lot of wind here from the mountains and I use the GP a lot. One thing I can tell you that made the use of the Greenland paddle easier is to not stick to holding it in a “standard” position, but feel free to extent it a lot. In winds with big chop I use an extension stroke and feel it’s so much easier to stay stable with my GL paddles then it is with my Euro paddles, and then I get tossed my extension is automatic and I seldom feel tippy anymore.
There is some guy who has a you-tube vid from Australia and owns Pittarak kayak co. and I watched it about 3 years ago. One tip he made was about how the Inuit’s moved their paddles all over, up and down the full length and I started using that type of technique. In a short time it get to feel very natural. For turns in waves I have found the GL types to be the easiest to stay stable and upright with. Not that I can’t do it with my Euro paddles. I can. Just not as effortlessly and quickly as I can with the GL and Aleut paddles.
I don’t think my turns are anything I could coach anyone here on. I am still a babe compared to most members here, but by bracing turns are very aggressive with my GL paddles and the leverage is “way out there” because I extent the so easily and quickly so I can get on edge where the spray skirt is about 4 inches under the surface at my 3:00 or 9:00 and my turns are fast. I can cut back very quickly to the surface with a sculling motion with my GL and Aleut paddles and stay on that extreme edge but when i do that with my euro paddles I feel I am working harder and the return strokes are about 50% slower. I know 2 kayaking instructors that use mostly euro paddles and they are as fast with a euro in those turns as I am with a GL so I think it is less about the gear and more about the person. But to me, the GL are just easier to learn with.
My GL paddles are longer than many I see offered commercially. My paddles are 8 feet and 9 feet long. I do have some that are 7 feet but they do not brace or turn me as easily as my longer paddles. When I extent them I get a TON or leverage for bracing and turning, and the strokes are not hurried because as long as I have pressure against the blade the kayak responds and that longer length gives a wider arc to use.
Here is a picture of one that’s 9’ 1" long.
Aleut paddle by Steve Zihn, on Flickr
All the forgoing may be of value or may be worthless. Only more experienced kayakers can know for sure.
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Thanks Steve. A contributing factor is that I’m paddling a Pungo. A great tracking boat but not real responsive to turning.
My paddle is an Aleut and I find that side to be better for control than the Greenland side. Maybe I really don’t know what I’m doing.
On the ribbed paddles the sides with the ribs are the power faces. I lot of people use them backwards not knowing that detail.
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I didn’t know that but it felt better.
Ribbed blades come in 2 “flavors”, ribbed on 1 side and on 2 sides.
If you have the more common single side ribs use the slick side for sculling and bracing and it works like a charm. If you have ribs on both sides it also works, but you can feel the difference in drag with long sweeps and sculls if you gain some traction from the rib dragging. Obviously the double ribbed type is stronger but I like the slickness of the slick side for some paddle moves and the grab and lack of flutter the ribs give you for power strokes.
As with many things in life, other people like different things.
If making them yourself I recommend making them wide, long and with double ribs. In doing that you can take out the paddle and get a feel for it and remove width, length and in many cases a rib from one side and learn all about the differences in just 1 paddle. The 2nd one you make for yourself is them perfect on the 1st try.
But doing it this way lets you know what you know, instead of just guessing about it.
The one I made has a single rib and I’ll use it some more before I make the next. My paddling partner liked mine and I’m making one for him.
Two ribs sounds interesting.
I have a Lumpy(Bill) paddle that hasn’t got much use…is there any right way to store them?
Wanna sell it?
The real problem is shipping it…
I do have some beautiful paddles that I have hanging, most are canoe paddles…unfortunatly after 2 TKR’s, it’s the end of kayaking for me…I do have a couple nice SOT’s that are my go to stuff now and I can get into a canoe, getting out is aquward…almost embarissising…my Lumpy isn’t nearly as pretty as your paddle, but it’s still a work of art.
True!
I have a OK Scupper Pro TW and a OK Trident 13
Both good boats from what I read.
I guess I should have said Sit inside kayking is over for me…The shame of it is I have 2 Valley kayaks that are both beautiful and exceptional handling for Lake Erie, but I just don’t think I can get in them…and a Maloe Microsport trailer…
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Too bad you are so far away. Such kayaks might be of interest to some of my friends.