How effective is the wing paddle as a sculling device, and does it depend on blade orientation?
I believe the wing can be an effective sculling device when using the non-power blade face only, but I’m not sure all would agree.
Any comments or clarifications are appreciated.
Don’t agree
My experience is that when you are moving the paddle from front to back (as in a sweep roll) it gives great support and does not behave badly. Going from back to front can be tricky. It is easy to catch the leading edge and the paddle will dive. The same is true for a sculling draw but the consequences are less serious. I have not tried turning the paddle upside down for sculling but that does not seem a good solution to me.
terrible
It’s one of the reasons I really dislike them.
Even doing a sweep for a roll is terrible.
Even worse than a Euro Blade
The GP is best for sculling for me. The wing is worst. The Euro is inbetween.
The wing is best for Forward stroke and really not the best for anything else.
For me the Euro style is best for surfing or white water because of the great acceleration and slap bracing as well and being good all around.
The GP is my favorite for tripping, because of the easy maneuvering strokes and great efficiency forward paddling of long distances.
I found the wing paddle to be fastest for sprinting and the Greenland fastest for long days.
what if
What if you use the power face when sculling from front to back, then flip the paddle when sculling back to front using the back of the wing for support? I wonder if anyone does this with a Euro. I might experiment with if.
Go to the 3-minute mark (video)
And see a brief sculling with the power face.
http://youtu.be/AZhbmYZscFQ
I had a quick draw around 2:50 or so on the right, but was not really thinking of filming that…
Granted, the sculling does not work nearly as well, but it works fine.
The barcing component of the forward stroke with a wing paddle can be a lot more solid than either euro or a GP, however. So something to consider.
Sweeps during a roll are also very powerful as are cross-bow rudders.
Usually Done In The Surf Zone
When on a surfski and lining up to catch a wave. The water is pretty unstable, so I find myself using the back side as a brace and fanning the water. You can also do a wet recovery this way too.