I’ve never used a double bladed paddle with a canoe before. Does anyone have any input regarding an ideal size canoe for using a double bladed paddle? - length, beam width etc.
thanks
I’m not an expert but
I would think that any solo boat should be fine with the double blade paddle. I have used one in a wenonah soloplus, my sawyer, and in the new native watercraft and they paddle great with a double. You might have a problem with some of the larger beamed boats however…
at the least a 240 CM. The rest…
…is optional.
I’ve used an 8’ double blade with a
15 foot whitewater boat, highly rockered. I think the focus should be on getting a QUALITY double blade. rroberts is right (for a change) that 240 cm is likely to be a minimum, and for paddling a full sized tandem, a longer paddle may be needed.
I use a 260cm
in my Mad River Freedom Solo. Seems a good length.
I tried a 260 cm once, in a MR Adventure 16 and even with the wider boat it felt long. But NT uses a 230 cm in his Magic and swears by it.
Go figure.
Jim
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Oh, yeah. …
…grumpy old fart.
I use my 240 on the lake with my touring kayak on
calm days.
It’s great.
You can’t use the the “f” word on peenet
length of paddle depends on boat
A Merlin II paddled kneeling does fine with a 240… A 230 works too but some drips in the boat. Dont remember the beam width.
A Lost Pond paddled sitting requires longer.
Alot depends on your stroke angle and height as well as boat beam at the gunwale.
Aside from getting a thousand different opinions, get in your boat, steal an adjustable curtain rod from your wife and find the length where when you paddle the rod just meets the water on both sides. Then add paddle blade length.
where did you get a 260?
I gave my 230 to a friend but he still finds it a little too short for his Souris River (sorry, I don’t know the model). The paddle I gave him is an Aquabound Flaire but I don’t think they make extensions for it. He’d be interested in a 260 but none of the shops sell them where we live. IF you know of an online shop that has them, please let me know. thanks
Mine came from BMO
Blue Moountain Outfitters.
It is a Bending Branches …something-or-other…check their website for double blades for canoes. Any dealer could order one.
Jim
thanks!
/\
The ideal sized canoe for a double
Hmm… I think Adirondack pack canoes, designed for double blading are narrow say less than 30" and 10’ to 15’ long.
Check out http://www.placidboatworks.com/ and http://www.hornbeckboats.com/
Other than that I’d say what ever canoe you have might be paddled with a double.
As you may have gathered a wider boat and/ or higher seat may call for a longer paddle.
I’ve driven my Mad River Explorer (36" beam)with a 270 cm paddle and thought the length was OK.
I’ve driven my Swift Osprey (30" beam) with a 230 cm paddle and found it a bit short.
YMMV,
Tommy
Ideal canoe …
– Last Updated: Jul-19-07 6:15 PM EST –
An ideal canoe for using a kayak paddle?
I don't know that there is an "ideal" canoe.
However, it is my personal opinion that canoes with narrower beams are closer to "ideal", than those monsters with 36 to 40 inch beams.
I don't use a kayak paddle in any of my canoes.
My wife uses a kayak paddle (240 cm) in her Wenonah Vagabond. She has also done quite a bit of paddling in the Mohawk Solo 14, Mohawk Odyssey 14, and Mad River Guide, using a (240 cm) kayak paddle.
I have a couple of canoes, which in my opinion might do well with the paddler using a kayak paddle; Bell Merlin, Bell Wildfire/Yellowstone, and Dagger Sojourn. The Merlin & the Sojourn would be fairly difficult to find. I'll bet a Sojourn would "haul ass" with a proficient paddler, using a kayak paddle.
BOB
P.S. Hard to believe I even off-handedly suggested paddling a canoe with a kayak paddle.
Sacriledge! I must be mellowing. NOT!
Pulled from last double blade thread.
Misc. parts of a write up I am working for the website on for the double blades.
These longer lengths are really where a carbon shaft is going to be at its competitive best.
Yep, a little flex is good, but a LOT of your energy is now getting lost with these super long wood, glass or aluminum shafts … not to mention the weight of holding up and swinging that long thing up in front of you all day. If there were ever a place for carbon, it would be here.
Lots of opinions on length but I humbly submit that folks should try a ‘long’ 230 - 240 kayak paddle before purchasing one of those really long ones.
Same goes for blade size, lots of ‘depends ons’ here too. Like slow motion, quiet water cruising ? Looking to cover some long distances ? Poleing in skinny water ? Since the blades are way out there, the lever arm is longer and blade-in-water duration is up too. Factor in the surface area of the shaft and now the square inches are adding up quicker than one might be able to turn the paddle over or spin it with any ergonomic efficiency.
A nice way to go is a three piece paddle.
A center piece to bump the paddle out to full length for poleing, skinny water work, etc. Pop it out for deep water point A to B solo paddling.
O.K. Realistic options from one paddle.
Start at 225 two piece with a 15 cm adjustable length extension. This runs up to 240 which would be great for tandem positioning / fine tuneing for syncronicity. Now have a third piece, say 20 cm long with another 15 cm ferule on it for 260 - 275 super range and now you can have two paddles in one.
Hope some of this is food for thought.
The entry angle of the blade is in the same range of kayak paddles and nothing particularly special has to be done to the blades themselves … at least with mine … LOL
Seriously, my paddles really are very stable and know what to do when they hit the water … the longer the shaft, the worse a blade which flutters will amplify back up to you …
Some thought to entry angle can be considered though because waters paddled ( super shallow water for example) and intended use could factor in hard with these things …not to mention personal preferences and expectations.
I am about 50 / 50 on sales between the 250 - 270 range vs. 230 - 240 for canoes. Waiting for someone to order a 225 - 275 Touring Wing in the three piece configuration … THAT would be the hottest paddle out there.
Guys, with the shafts I have here now I can do up to a 363 cm two piece if you want … thats before the extensions or middle section as above. Weight on the 363cm would be < 31 oz. in my Signature layup.
thanks for the feedback