F 'craft GP
Hi jay …does this paddle have what is called a short " loom" ?? i guess , from what i have read so far , this is the center section where you put your hands. I looked it up but web site doesn’t give specifics in detail. Do you know what the center width is ? thanx
Surface Area
My opinion is since you’re probably going to carry a spare paddle, why not carry a different surface area? Let your body tell you whether it feels like a faster cadence or a slower one.
Another Advantage
A wooden GP doesn’t scratch the hell out of your deck the way (non wooden) Euros do.
I think 19 inch loom
The last time I demoed one it felt like 19"
loom. The paddle was beautifully constructed
and paddled really nice but centre of paddle
down by shoulder was really narrow almost pointy
and needed to be shaved down for comfort.
Hardening your paddle tips
– Last Updated: Feb-08-08 9:50 AM EST –
Rather than using tung oil, coat the last 3" or so of the blade with epoxy. The difference in durability is dramatic. I prefer to seal them with clear epoxy first, then apply a coat or two of white tinted epoxy that acts as a sacrificial layer (the tint is optional, but it makes the paddle more visible to boaters and other paddlers). I abuse the heck out of my paddles and find that I typically need to repair the epoxy only once or twice a year. I can't remember the last time I actually had to sand the wood on a paddle tip.
Hmmm.
The widest boat I own is 22" and most of them are 20" or less. I haven’t gravitated toward bigger blades and have actually switched to a 6" shorter GP than I use to use. Nearly all the skin boat paddlers I know paddle boats that are under 20" wide and sometimes less than 18" wide, yet all of them use GPs.
Apparently, there is no correlation between boat width and paddle blade size.
Blade surface area can be the same
It’s just distributed differently - and can be employed differently.
Low area and low angle…
… are both GP myths.
Blade areas are comparable to euros and GPs work well for any sort of angle a paddler cares to use
Not that you were saying exactly that - but it still needed to be said.
A GP is not just some sort of small bladed euro - and while it may offer some similar effort/stress benefits to a paddler who would benefit from a smaller blade euro - there’s a lot more to them than that.
I went from a big blade (Werner San Juan) to to my first GP (Superior carbon) - and after a short get acquainted period I find it has no less bite/power/speed. Also a lot more reassuring when things get “interesting”, better over distance too. Then there’s the 5% of non-forward paddling where it’s better still.
There are a lot of things that set GPs apart. The range of strokes/techniques that work is part of it, The ability to vary the amount of blade in the water is big too (euros and wings are designed to have blades fully buried and have one gear).
J, you know wings - so try looking at GPs as long skinny wings - with different techniques/grip/etc - and not as underpowered or simple/crude euros - and maybe you’ll start to get it…
Skinny boats are good to (and what both wings and GPs were designed for).
I’m not bashing GPs
I am not bashing GP’s. In fact I mentioned some of their benefitsincluding changing paddling style.
I was just trying to explain the physics a little bit. The effort one feels through their paddle is mostly due to the drag of their kayak. I think most paddlers miss this connection. If the paddling effort is too hard then reducing drag by switching to a lower-drag kayak is a more efficient alternative than going to a lower area paddle.
The higher the kayak’s drag and the lower the paddle’s area, the more wasted energy there is.
After all, you could go out with a broom stick and spin like a mad man. Eventually the kayak might accelerate to a reasonable level, but a high portion of your energy will be wasted to stirring the ocean. While your muscles & joints will not be strained, you’re not likely to get much forward progress for your energy.
As Bynstrom indicates, some paddlers use Greenland paddles AND lower drag kayaks. If someone can handle it, then switching to a lower drag kayak is a more efficient means of reducing paddling loads. That was my point.
Thanks
I’ve seen that done. I haven’t pursued that because I thought that the epoxy might scratch up the deck. I like to stow one end of the GP under a deck line at the bow and the other end near the cockpit under a bungie or two. If I do the epoxy thing will I start scratching the deck finish?
I think we agree on the last bit…
… and said as much above.
FWIW - while were doing the apples/oranges thing - my SOF has overall dimensions quite close to your S-1R (19’8.25" x 18 7/8" vs. 19’11" x 18 3/4"). Sucks with a wing though due to outfitting/fit/position optimized for GP. I don’t even like using my Aleut with it (that paddle likes a bit more leg/twist)- but it lets the GP really do it’s thing, particularly the so called “crunch” style stroke (I though I was doing in the 700 - but it’s a whole different thing in the narrower SOF.
All paddle types I’ve tried so far work pretty well with the QCC - but the 700’s beam does impact the stroke mechanics and limits some of the GP’s performance/benefits as compared to the narrower kayak. My skinnier Aleut seems made for it - as does my hybrid semi-wing paddle.
One last comment - blades that are too small for the motor may slip and windmill as you described - and so not be optimally efficient - but paddles too large for the motor will stall, churn water, over-strain the motor, and so also be less than optimal. The sweet spot can be tough to ID for oneself - and nearly impossible to ID for others. Too many variables (that all change with shifts in fitness level, distances, conditions, kayak, distances… ). A wing paddler needs to choose the right type and size blade for what they want to do. Same for a Euro paddler. Blade sizing matter with GP too, but the GP is sort of like those cheater tennis racquet with the enlarged sweet spot. One paddle can cover a bit wider range of “optimal”.
Most just go with whatever they think (or are told) is best and adapt to it more than picking gear based on best match. People are pretty adaptable and this typicall works out well enough. Then they tell themselves and others how much they like what they use and how great it is for what they do…
I have a lot of different paddles, and try pretty much anything else I can get my hands on. After a while it starts altering any preconceptions on these things. I try to do the same with kayaks - but logistics sort of limits this based on what’s around - and often to short demo paddles that can provide only the simplest level of info - not to mention insufficient skill/ability to really appreciate some. Wish I had time and $ to play with them all…
Feathercraft klatwa
I have one and felt the same way about the loom and sharp shoulders until I got into some pretty strong headwind in the Keys recently and the paddle really really shined. it is a very strong paddle with thin blades that slice through the water very easily. This is the kind of paddle that when you hold it in your hands, especially after holding soft shouldered paddles and such that it appears almost uncomfortable…But again, in some heavier chop and waves, it truly surprised me with its versatility and strength.
Paul
Mitchell Horizon GP
http://www.newfound.com/images/mitchell-paddle-1.jpg
http://www.newfound.com/images/mitchell-greenland-paddles.jpg
http://www.newfound.com/images/mitchell-paddle-2.jpg
A very superb “skinny stick”.
Protect the deck
– Last Updated: Feb-09-08 8:38 AM EST –
Yes, epoxy is hard enough to scratch gelcoat, but I found that the same thing happened with oil finished paddles once they got sand embedded in the wood. It's a pretty simple matter to cover the area under the paddle tip with protective film or tape. You can see the job I did on my red Anas Acuta in my "Deck Rigging" album (page 2) on Webshots at:
http://community.webshots.com/user/brian_nystrom-reg
You don't have to do as much as I did to be effective. I was having fun with the stuff and I liked the look, so I used a lot.
You’re assuming that changing the boat
…is an option or that it’s desirable. We’ve covered this ground many times already and the bottom line is still that the boat must be chosen based on the intended use. For example, when I go out in my widest, slowest boat (a Pintail), it’s because it’s the best boat for the type of paddling I intend to do that day, which is typically rough water, rock garden, surf and coastal play, and/or training where rescues and rough beach landings will be involved. A narrower boat would be a disadvantage. Sure, it might get me home faster at the end of the day, but that’s not the point of the trip.
Moreover, for people who have a boat and don’t intend to buy another, telling them to get a narrower boat to reduce stress on their bodies is pointless.
feathercraft gp
It definitely felt solid & really well balanced.
The V shape down the whole blade made it paddle
really smooth. A first time gp user probably wouldn’t
get any flutter because of paddle shape.
Thanks Again!
– Last Updated: Feb-09-08 11:01 AM EST –
Beautiful! I'll definitely pursue that. What do you use to adhere the protective stuff to the deck?
Plus - same displacement either way…
… so you’re still pushing the same water - and subject to same (and often more) skin friction with the longer narrower hull.
Unless you’re paddling at or above say 80% of hull speed all the time the advantages of the reduced wave making aren’t really coming into play - and the total drag is NOT less.
Some do that a lot, others not so much (I’m sort of right on the line mostly). Takes us right back to the intended use and type of paddling issues.
It’s self-adhesive
It’s designed to be used on bumpers and such, so the adhesive works well in any weather conditions and holds up fine on the water.
Have one custom fitted…
http://www.lumpypaddles.com/
I’ve paddled with one of Bill’s “lumpy paddles” for about 2 years and still love it. Each paddle is custom fitted to its new owner.