wing no rudder

How many of you wing paddlers use boats without a rudder?

me

Me.
But I just started using one.

I do.

I did
I put many 1000s of kilometers on a QCC Q600 with a skeg using and Epic Mid Wing before I started paddling surfskis and k1s.

handling qualities
I have a Q700 with rudder, and a Seda Ikkuma without. It seemed to me that my wing just seemed to go better with the Q700 and rudder, but recently I gave the Ikkuma/wing another chance. I still don’t feel as comfortable in rougher water with the wing in either boat as I do with my Eruo or my GP in either boat. But the gps indicates I get another few tenths of a kt in either boat, and I feel less fatigue with the wing, even in the Ikkuma at moderate effort.



What non ruddered boats are you all using, and how do you feel about boat control in conditions with the wing?

Used in Epic Touring Cruiser 16 w/o
the rudder deployed. I don’t deploy rudders much with the smallish lakes I usually paddle on.



I’ve only used the Epic Small Mid Wing a few times, but find it feels more efficient than my Epic Relaxed Tour and I’m less tired after using it and my joints feel better.



The forward stroke feels pretty natural, but it’d definitely noisier than the Relaxed Tour or any of my other euro paddles and the maneuvering strokes are certainly a bit more awkward - especially reverse.



I haven’t been in any of my kayaks for over a month and a half - been playing in new-to-me solo canoes.

sweep strokes
In anyone’s non ruddered boats have you had a problem with directional control, using the wing, in stronger winds, say 20 to 30 kts?

No

It is easier with a wing

sucks
For me, i found it a pain to sweep or make other correctional strokes with a wing in my non-rudder boat (Impex Force 5 using CD Wing).



I was rarely able to really groove on my wing stroke in winds around 15 knots and so i found my euro to actually be faster in those conditions.



I’ll continue to try though as it is nice to spice up the daily paddles with something different now and then.

I do!
I’ve raced with my skeg boat using a wingblade. It was too much driving to go pick up a club boat with a rudder then drive to the race. It works fine, but I much prefer using the wingblade with a ruddered boat.



One of the things I love about paddling with a wingblade is the feeling of getting into a steady rhythm, feeling the water flow by as I swing my torso side to side. Having to make adjustment strokes interrupts that, and is slower than having a rudder.



That’s not to say I prefer rudders in all situations, just if I’m going for a fitness paddle.

How to do it
Edge your boat away from the turn. Position the paddle blade to give you some support in addition to force for turning (about 60 degrees or less). Just like it gives you more support for the sweep roll the wing allows you to have the paddle more vertical than would be the case with a Euro.

Yes, and the wing is very good

– Last Updated: Apr-18-12 9:35 AM EST –

if you need to pick-up speed to catch or stay on a wave - the power and solid catch help you max your speed in cases you need to do that. Having a rudder would help a lot there too. The wing is fine for steering corrections, but obviously not as smooth as a flat blade.

I also like the wing paddle for general king of paddling too even if I'm not putting full power down - it just feels light and efficient.

When I paddle with a GP or a WW paddle after I've paddled with the wing, I always notice how much more "slippage" there is with the non-wing paddles compared to the wing. With the GP there is a huge pivoting going on, with the euro-style it is just slippage (with less pivoting). Almost none of these happens with the wing - it gets planted in a strong position and exits in a strong position with very little wasted along the way while it is in the water.

It is just that feeling of an efficient power delivery that I like with the wing, regardless of the boat (my boats are under 22" and some are quite narrow at the catch, so that helps with wing efficiency, regardless of the speed of the boat).

I have not done more than a few hours at a time paddling though - not sure if I would want to maintain the wing stroke all day or over multiple days. Others can perhaps talk about it from experience. But for short outings, even when I'm very tired, the wing seems to give an edge: when I'm tired then it's the worst time to waste that little energy I have left on an inefficient stroke -;)

I've also timed myself in rough water in a slow boat going upwind against serious wind chop. Again, the GPS tells me the wing adds a couple of tenths of a mile per hour for a given effort (and that few thenths of a mile per hour is a lot actually, provided that my speed there is under 3mph due to the head wind and waves)

When paddling in a group at speeds well below "brisk", then it does not really matter what paddle is used - the boat just glides leisurely through the water, so one can use just about any paddle or paddling style they like, whatever makes them relax and not think of it...