Finally tracked down a solo sized suitably enough for a smaller-framed person such as myself. Will take possession of the thing next week.
Have been reading up on paddling techniques. Seems corrective stroke, single-side paddling is always referred to in the context of kneeling, while sitting is either being referenced from the perspective of hit-and-switch with a bent shaft, or double-blade.
Is sitting whilst using corrective strokes on one side so incredibly bio-mechanically inefficient as to be useless? Maybe I'm just an incompetent googler and it's actually a pretty commonplace practice?
EDIT: I should have made a more general inquiry about sitting and using corrective strokes on one side, without regard to shaft type. Doesn't seem like I can change the title of the thread, but I have updated the body to reflect this.
no problem for me
Sitting and paddling on one side isn’t a problem for me. Sometimes I kneel, but I paddle the same way whether I am sitting or kneeling.
Technically bents
Have a better attack angle for sitters. That is they don’t pull water up at the end of a stroke
But it’s a minor detail in the big picture. Just keep your power stroke short and end by your knees. Resist the temptation to carry the power phase in back of you which results in a sweep
There is only you to undo the yaw resulting from that
If you are Racing
If you are racing and want the fastest method then you will sit and switch with bent shafts in long skinny hulls or kneel and use forwards and cross forwards in slalom boats.
If you are just going paddling you will do what works for you in your boat(s).
I sit and kneel and switch and do corrections and forwards and cross forwards in a variety of hulls and conditions.
The rec paddlers think I’m pretty fast but the racers leave me in the dust.
I like where this is going…
Okay, so if one were so incline to sit and single blade with correction strokes on one side:
Generally speaking, bent or straight shaft?
That is up to you.
Try them both out and see which type you like best. I have always used straights.
No! It’s Just A Dying Skill Or Art
That’s no longer being taught or practiced very much anymore. It’s a shame, for experiencing the kinesthetic motion of your canoe through the whirling swirling strokes of your paddle in the water is just marvelous. Watching a canoeist paddle with grace, only on one side (sitting or kneeling), is a wonderful sight compared to all the tossing around of the paddle like a baton that I observe today.
Practice, practice, practice.
Single blade technique
Either straight or bent paddle will work with corrective strokes when sitting and paddling on a single side. Bent will be somewhat more effective regarding power and speed. Straight will allow a wider variety of different linked strokes, although many can still be done with bent. Either way, you need a canoe with a seat up off the bottom. I use a Placidboat Rapidfire with single blade for recreation and to train for racing, but I have installed a seat higher than the factory standard offered "high" drop-in seat. I do race, a lot, but not in the RF.
But when not with my team in larger boats, when I train solo in the RF I much prefer to use rapid correction strokes on one side rather than to paddle in race mode hit-and-switch. I save hit-and-swich paddling exclusively for racing. That canoe does not take much of a correction stroke to go fast and straight, or it will easily spin to turn quickly when you want.
When paddling for pleasure and not training for races, I'll more often use a straight wood thin blade paddle in the RF and in other canoes as well. I stay paddling on one side or the other for long periods of time before switching.
either or both
There is no law that says you can't have two paddles in the canoe.
Unless you have to do a good bit of tight maneuvering you will be somewhat faster and/or more efficient paddling with a bent shaft paddle. As has been said, many correction strokes such as Js and Canadian strokes can be done perfectly well with a bent shaft. A bent shaft does give up something when it comes to draws, and especially stern pries, unless you roll your grip hand. So for tight streams many will prefer having a straight shaft paddle along.
it depends on your style
The standard corrective strokes work with bents. Palm rolls and inwater recoveries do not. Slices are awkward.
Bow jams and pries are more awkward with the bent. You may well ask what the heck are they…they are turning placements using boat momentum.
There is a huge repertoire of strokes and placements that you can learn with a single blade.
You know that saying up sh…creek without a paddle? Sooner or later you will drop one. It may jam under your boat and you have to let it go lest you engage in fish counting underwater or you just drop it.
You need a spare
So that makes 2 paddles needed. One bent and one straight fills the bill
Where are you
Not sure where you are, but single blade single side paddle strokes are very alive and being taught where I am in and near the Adirondacks. As a matter of fact we just had a clinic a short time ago, sponsored by the Northern Forest Canoe Trail organization with a training session on exactly that. There are other clinics in basic single blade paddling skill, and advanced freestyle paddling held throughout the season as well. I've staffed for 25 years an annual 8-day wilderness guide training program that teaches a variety of single blade strokes.
I think he might be in Hawaii
A little short of lakes
I’d invite him to the Adirondack Canoe Symposium to study advanced single blade but I fear the logistics are a big hurdle
ACS is next week
Thanks for all the replies. Very helpful
I’m located in Mid Michigan for the time being.
Any suggestions for single blade gurus in the area who’d be willing to give me some pointers are appreciated. Symposiums and the like as well
I was addressing Clyde…lol
Midwest Canoe Symposium in Peninsula Ohio the second week of September
Its about three hours from Detroit and has a couple of instructor types from Michigan
Michigan is a big state though. If you live in Marquette I have a couple of leads.
http://www.freestylecanoeing.com/midwest.html
There is an event in Wisconsin in June but that is done.