I have a Aqua-Bound Stingray Carbon Shaft Paddle. I noticed the flutter this weekend. Is this typical of all paddles? Would a Werner be a better choice?
based on what I gather in another thread
and from personal experience flutter is more a result of stroke mechanics than paddle brand.
Try paddling with a loose grip and ‘loose’ arms and ‘follow’ the paddle through the stroke.
the flutter may be in your paddling
I noticed flutter when I first started learning how to use my Werner Camano. It disappeared as I got used to using the new paddle and improved the parts of my stoke.
I would give it more time and enjoy the process.
Invest in some forward stroke coaching
and it will be a rewarding experience. The flutter will go away. We often look to equipment, rather than ourselves. Most often it’s US… Werner is an excellent product, and I know not much about your paddle, but I say get good coaching.
it’s a fine paddle…
I have one of those as a spare and I never noticed any flutter. Spend some more time with the paddle, work on your forward stroke (or better yet take a class), and your paddle will be fine.
Flutter
Flutter is generally a function of technique. A little time spent with the paddle should take care of the problem. Just paddle the flutter out of it.
It is reasonble
to assume that everyone else knows a lot more than me about this. But I had been paddling for several years before getting this same paddle. After a month of working with it I swapped it for a Swift paddle because I did not like the flutter with the Aqua Bound Stingray. I would never argue that my technique could not be improved but the problem went away with the Swift.
David
Which Swift? The Sea Swift is larger and
thus your flutter could be made worse by over powering the blade on your old paddle. When I encounter fluter (usually with a GP) I increase the forward angle of the blade. FWIW Swift paddles are fantastic, I own four of them and think they are the cats ***.
flutter-bye
I’ve got to agree with the majority here. Flutter goes back to technique rather than paddle. Try using more finesse and less power. Believe it or not you’ll get more glide with better technique than you will with more muscle.
or
get a wing, they dont flutter.
Forward Stroke coaching is invaluable
I’m strongly seconding Salty.
We use our forward stroke more than all others combined. Too often people seem to think it isn’t sexy taking forward stroke classes.
A few years ago talking with Tom Bergh about how much he had just learned from a three day forward stroke class (this was long after Tom had done the Antartic expedition with Nigel Dennis, attained L4 Sea Coach in the BCU, etc…) I realized that if HE felt he had that much to learn about forward stroke, I certainly needed to learn a ton.
Last year I did 1.5 days with Ben Lawry on forward stroke. It made an enormous difference in my paddling.
yes they do
if you don’t use good technique ;).
More than technique
I think flutter issues can be associated with a paddle; perhaps it’s blade size. I have a camano, mid-swift and a onno. I get flutter with the mid-swift to the point I stopped using it. Flutter is a rarity with the camano; usually a misstroke. I get zero flutter with the Onno full tour.
technique…
– Last Updated: Apr-09-08 7:55 PM EST –
many talk about technique and offer nothing to help. I'm not gonna go on about your technique with a kayak paddle but a canoe paddle will flutter when you "pull" with the lower arm instead of using it to "guide" the paddle and getting power from the upper arm and torso. Maybe try not to pull with your lower arm, hopefully this helps.
I like paddles that flutter
the paddles that are designed with lots of dihedral aren’t as fun
I have an ONNO
I don’t understand this flutter problem.
L
I call that “feed back” not flutter… L you actually have to work really hard to make a wing flutter, matter of fact after switching from my wing to my euro, my euro will flutter slightly.
neither do I, but I don’t own an ONNO.
I have paddled with one, and I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express, so I definitely know what I am talking about!
Does size matter?
Actually, it’s the difference in blade shape that makes the difference a lot of times. Werner paddles are dihedral, which covers up deficiencies in technique, and cancel out flutter. As a general rule, I don’t prefer dihedral paddles for that very reason. My WW paddle is dihedral, though, because I don’t paddle WW all that often, and my stroke mechanics can be iffy for the first rapid or two.
On the rare occasion that I use an EP in my sea kayaks, I use a Lightning, which has a flat, curved blade. Very easy to make flutter if you don’t use it right, but wonderful to use once you get the stroke down. It usually takes me a few minutes to adjust to it.
You can propel a boat with just about anything, including a 2X4, if you adjust your stroke to what you’re using.
I have an Onno
and prefer paddles like the Lightning or Epic that have less spoon. To each his own.