Can wing paddle used w surf-ski also be used
to paddle kayak?
I say so…
I use a wing paddle for both. I have an older Flite adjustable and I have to lengthen it a little for the kayak as it sits a little higher and at 21" is a little wider than the surfski. I’ve tried to go back to the paddle I first started with (Aquabound Manta Ray) but it just feels awkward now.
Some say…
… that a wing is a “one trick pony” forward stoke paddle. Others say they can be used for braces, sculls, rolling and rudders effectively.
To me it was a “one trick pony” and I was never comfortable using it with a sea kayak especially without a rudder.
Yes
I have 3 Wing paddles, different blade sizes and lengths. All are two piece and adjustable length. I use wing paddles on my surf ski, sea kayak and solo canoe. All are Onno wings,
perhaps but
on some kayaks it’ll be little more than an expensive way to generate an impressive bow wake.
Yes
I know several people who use exclusively wings on touring kayaks. I too use it occasionally on a kayak, but lately have reverted to Euro or Greenland when not in my surfski. The reason is that when in sea kayak, I seldom go for distance or speed - I go for fun, meaning rough water, currents, or paddling about with friends. So, lots of control strokes, bracing, rolling, etc. Yes, a wing rolls you back-up beautifully and it braces fine. But a flat blade just works better for those things…
If the goal was to go forward and fast mainly, a wing would be my choice. But I don’t do multi-day fast trips, where a more “efficient” paddle like a GP might be an advantage v. the raw power of a wing. Lookup the Vancouver island circumnavigation records - one with wing, beaten by a GP later. But then Freya uses a wing too…
No hard rules, I say, but the wing is best used in ruddered kayaks that allow free leg drive and torso rotation, for the ultimate in forward speed/power.