put the gp on the front deck and used the storm gp for a 6 mile jaunt today. Really concentrated on getting the sliding stroke down and boy what a sweet paddlin stroke it is!
Did not have the gps with me but would guess that my speed was more than reasonable. diferent muscle groups though so am a little sore in the torso and shoulders…but a good sore…great workout.
Paul
Good work
I don’t use my short paddles enough.
Was the stroke like this video?
http://video.search.yahoo.com/video/view?&h=105&w=140&type=mpeg&rurl=www.qajaqusa.org%2Fcgi-bin%2FGreenlandTechniqueForum_config.pl%2Fnoframes%2Fread%2F5467&vurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.qajaqusa.org%2Fcommon_images%2Fld_an_mp7.m1v&back=p%3Dsliding%2Bstroke%26fr%3DFP-tab-vid-t%26toggle%3D1%26cop%3D%26ei%3DUTF-8&turl=scd.mm-so.yimg.com%2Fimage%2F1849119474&name=ld_an_mp7.m1v&no=2&tt=2&p=sliding+stroke&oid=94c9b4fae189a06e&size=995.6kB&dur=5
the most elegant stroke in kayaking…
I love how fluid and natural the sliding stroke looks. I like using the sliding stroke once in a while to mix up my paddling cadence and to vary the muscles I’m using during a long paddle. I still have to carve a storm one of these days so that I can get better at it.
If you really want
a good workout do the sliding stroke with a full length greenland paddle. It’s impressive how it can lift the kayak and really move. I can’t imagine a more powerful paddle stroke.
slip-sliding
I also like to pull out the storm and use it as a change-up to the regular GP. Isn’t that stroke amazingly strong? With the slower cadance of the storm, you’d think it would cut your speed a lot, but it’s not so.
I find the storm paddle a great fit for the back deck, making it the perfect backup paddle. At $20 for a piece of cedar, the price is right, too!
Alan
cooldoctor yes
If I remember correctly you got a storm paddle from the same guy I did on E-bay. I have since gottten a single piece smooth one with a much narrower loom. I took the one from E-bay and used a sander on it to try and smooth out the transition between the blades and loom and if I ever break mine, I could always use it in a pinch. Actually I use it for roll practice as i don’t care if I beat it up too much.
Not sure if youcould get a good smooth stroke with the paddle you have as the transition is too abrupt between the blade and the loom.
Paul
Yes, you sure are right, BB.
That loom transition is indeed too abrupt on our eBay storms. I use it as a decorative item in my wife’s Hawaii themed bathroom (no kidding!). I envy you for getting a good storm and learning that stroke.
good workout
All I know is that it fits perfectly on the back deck, and is a good way to vary the rythm and paddle in general. Great workout, good for conditions, and all around great paddle. Can’t imagine needing anything else as a spare unless I was going to cary a euro blade for someone else.
Paul
…can’t wait…
to get my storm paddle from Tuktu Paddles now after reading this thread. I had done limited sliding stroke paddling with my full length paddle but found it was a pretty long “slide” - so am guessing the 72 inch length now will make it easier to manage.
But, just how do you hold the paddle to do a standard roll, or can you?
C’mon Paul - I know you can teach me…
Scott
Roll with storm
I guess I just hold the paddle like I would a standard GP - one hand across the blade near the end and hand tight to the shoulder; other hand on the loom. This means you have a foot or so less blade hanging out there on the far end (6" loom vs. an 18" or 20" one). With decent technique, this shorter bit of paddle leverage should not be a problem. Practice your windowshade or angel roll and you’ll depend less on leverage of the paddle. Check out the second one on this list: http://www.wisconsinpaddlers.org/videos.htm
Alan
And another BB question:
– Last Updated: Apr-04-06 9:12 PM EST –
the slide stroke in the video is clearly with unequal spacing of hands... his right goes to end blade, his left goes to close blade (loom)... see vid link above. For someone who has never done the stroke, is this just him? Are his arms differnt lengths from birth? Or is this directional control with a strm paddle, sort of like taking a stronger stroke with a GP on the away side from where one wants to trun?
You can answer the rolling question of aamapess first though.
Yup - same
Same grip rolling - same ability to vary extension - just less extra paddle inboard.
A foot less loom is no liability. Quite the opposite.
Storm is actually easier for rolling - particularly if you switch sides/hands and such while inverted. The shorter paddle is just that much easier (full GP is pretty darn easy) to maneuver around underwater - which makes it that much better as a spare.
actually
he is varying his strokes according to the conditions he is in. I found myself doing this at times when I was turning or leaning into the wind. You would see the same sort of differences with any paddle. You adapt to the conditions you are in, whether it be Euro, GP, or even canoing.
Paul
I’m confused…
It just looks to me like he’s aggressively paddling. I know he’s shifting his hands…is that the sweep stroke?
Bryan
yep
– Last Updated: Apr-04-06 10:54 PM EST –
That is a sliding stroke. not a sweep stroke.
the paddle is a lot shorter than a standard greenland paddle with the intent ot present as little wind resistance as possible. Concurrently, you can use the paddle to vary your strokes and in this case he is adjusting somewhat for a probable current or wind. I was sliding the paddle all the way, grasping the blade in one hand and the other on the loom and then reversing the process by sliding the paddle to the exact same position on the other side. You are not going to get it perfect every time unless you are well versed with it which I am not. Everyone uses their paddles differently. If you saw the videos "Rolling with Maligiaq" and "The Amphibious Man" you would see that while both won the greenland championships, their strokes are markedly different.
what is perfect is what works for the situation at hand...nothing else.
paul
A video of…
… both the full and partial sliding strokes - with a Storm paddle/short GP instead of a long one - would go a long way to clarify.
I find no need to slide a full length GP. Yes, it’s fun for variety - but GPS speed readings show that regular grip and more power/faster cadence is superior to sliding stroke for speed with the long paddle.
With the short paddle - you have to slide it.
Grip on pull side with Storm is identical to regular paddle - as is feel in the water. With either - you have the blade buried and hand on shoulders/blade root on the pulling hand. Same amount of blade in the water as regular stroke with full GP. Push hand is out on the blade - and nothing sticking out much past to catch wind.
The sliding motion essentially turns the opposite blade into the loom - alternating this on each side. Full length paddles have full looms - and proper grip spacing - so no reason to slide unless you want more than the blade in the water for extra leverage. Might simply call that an extended stroke.
With either paddle it’s the same motion - but with different function/result.
Duh…
I don’t know why I said sweep stroke. I was very sleep deprived when I typed it I guess. So it looks to me like the ‘slide’ stroke is just sliding your grip from one end of the paddle to the other. Since I don’t paddle large open water (yet) it doesn’t make much sense to me. Is it just a way to get some power into your stroke?
Bryan
reason
the reason for the sliding stroke stems from needing to minimize surface area that could be affected by wind. Hence the name Storm paddle. In windy situations, paddle blades, either euro of gp are affected and can add resistance to your paddling. the storm paddle with it’s short loom allows you to have the blade in the water and nothing presented to the wind.
Paul
Another aspect of the storm
paddle is the reduced amount of spray one takes on while paddling in stormy wind driven waters.
A standard paddle and even a full size GP will deliver more spray to the face than an abbreviated storm paddle.
I’m still new to the GP thing but the benefits are making themselves rather apparent.
I’m listening to our first thunderstorm as I post this. It’s my time of year!
Pleasant waters to ya.
Holmes