If racing a rudderless or skegless kayak (12-15 ft), where you must make varied strokes to track straight or turn slightly, does it make sense to use a wing paddle?
Depends on how the boat tracks and your skill in edging.
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Not really, 12-15 foot boats tend to be pretty wide.
The current design of wing paddles includes a twist in them. That design is to make the wing paddle move away from the boat at a 45 degree angle as you pull it back.
On a wide boat it can cause a few problems in you shoulders.
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From another site:
Racers as well as recreational paddlers often think that wing paddles are “better” than other types of paddles. Let me correct this misconception right away. Wing blades are only better at doing a forward stroke, and only if the forward stroke is done with good technique. For all the other strokes one can do with a paddle (bow rudder, stern rudder, draw, low brace, high brace, boof, etc) the wing blade is pretty useless.
This means that wing paddles should only be used in conditions and with craft that allow you to make full use of the benefits of a wing paddle, and where other paddling strokes are not really required. Forget about using wing paddles with a whitewater kayak or with a wide, stable recreational kayak or sit-on-top. If your kayak is made for speed in a straight line, like a racing kayak, surfski or touring kayak, and if it is used primarily on flat water or on the open ocean, a wing paddle might be the right choice.
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Late to this topic, but will weigh in. I used my wing with a 15 ft delphin and it worked well.
Main thing with wing is not whether it’s good with your boat but wheather you are good with it. Its a paddle with a tricky non-symmetrical nature and a long learning curve.
If you just grab it and go you are likely to be leery of it and restraned in your corrections. You pretty much have to commit to it as your main for a good long while and make an effort to learn it. Given that it will become pretty great, otherwise will be a hindrance likely.
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Given practice most, of not all, if these things can be done with a wing. The problem is that wing few are motivated to learn. Wing is usually used by sprint kayakers and surfskiers where corrective strokes are irrelevant as well as heavy bracing. In sea kayaking few folks ever touch a wing.
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Using a wing paddle with a rudderless kayak in races offers efficiency and control, especially for precise tracking and maneuvering.
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I haven’t checked in on this forum for some time, but this is a topic where I can offer my expertise.
Cutting to the end, using a wing paddle with boats described will not be a disadvantage. Not at all.
Whether or not it is an advantage may be marginal gains, but the variables are such that it may be worth experimenting.
Advantages - a wing paddle is extraordinarily stable during a forward stroke. No manipulation of the hand torque on the shaft is necessary, you can hold on with just fingertips and a very relaxed grip during full power. A wing paddle eliminates alternate vortex shedding (aka, “flutter”).
There is less backwards movement and more translation of power into the forward movement of the boat, but keep in mind that this means that this can arguably mean a wing paddle is more tiring. Arguably…
Some strokes are not possible, such as a bow draw or bow rudder, but a cross bow rudder is very powerful and effective (canoeists know this very well). Stern draws are effective but not as efficient as a flat blade.
When I coach newbies in flatwater sprint kayaks, they’re started out in rudderless sprint trainer boats. Why? So they don’t abuse the rudder and not use garbage forward strokes. Going straight and fast isn’t a rudder thing it is a kayaker skill thing.
Of note is that in addition to coaching race kayaking I coached sea kayak expedition skills for decades, and IMO the two most important skills for expeditioning is navigation/seamanship, and forward stroke efficiency. I’ve found it amusing that many of my pupils have adopted using wing paddles for use in multi-day paddling, even in rudderless boats. They seem to like them!
Oddly enough, I never used a wing paddle in any of my multi day trips.
Besides that anecdote, here’s a couple more that might shake the opinions I’ve read here that may have come from those not familiar with a wing paddle -
An acquaintance of mine that was on the US Wildwater Team (racing class III and IV, and of course using wing paddles!) would use his wing paddle on play days running rivers in a non-race whitewater boat. Never a problem.
And when I’ve coached paddler learning to roll, being believer in the application of learning methods that employ Contextual Interference (making use of variability to improve skill retention), I make learners use different paddles. Overwhelming paddle choice for making a sweep roll effortless? A wing.
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Right on.
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