paddle blade shapes

[aft paddle]

Hi All--I was wondering if any of you use the longer narrower canoe paddle blades some say are the best for lake or deep water paddling. I usually use a 6 1/2" beavertail. I am experimenting with trimming and thinning an old paddle. I would like to know which shapes are favorites and the relative advantages and disadvantages found under different circumstances. I'd also like to know if you've found any shape to be relatively "useless". Bob

[Wldrns]

Hi All--I was wondering if any of you use the longer narrower canoe paddle blades some say are the best for lake or deep water paddling. I usually use a 6 1/2" beavertail. I am experimenting with trimming and thinning an old paddle. I would like to know which shapes are favorites and the relative advantages and disadvantages found under different circumstances. I'd also like to know if you've found any shape to be relatively "useless". Bob

It really depends on what you are doing. For racing I use a graphite bent shaft tear drop shape paddle. But it is primarily a marathon cruising power paddle I use in a war canoe during the 90 Miiler. Although I can use it in the stern of a tandem canoe and "J" pretty well with it, the options of efficiently performing any more of the advanced strokes (for fun, variety and maneuverability) are very limited with a bent shaft in comparison with a well balanced straight blade. Most people would best use the bent shaft in the bow of a tandem canoe, though plenty use one in the stern. Don't even talk to me about "hit and switch" strokes for recreational paddling (racers only).

By far my favorite paddle when I'm not racing is a slim cherry wood handcrafted ottertail. It was given to me by Caleb Davis, a master paddle maker and instructor. The long narrow blade edges are thin and sharp, useful for slicing the water with almost no resistance or gurgling when doing the advanced strokes in Traditional Flatwater Canoeing. The long thin design allows you to control where the water pressure is applied during the stroke, giving you absolute fine detail control of your boat. These types of paddles are always used in the "American Freestyle" method of fancy show paddling, but certainly are useful in normal cruising and maneuvering in and out along tight shorelines as well. It's kind of like riding a bike... you don't have to think yourself through the mechanics during a maneuver or how to link one turn to another, you just do it. Same thing with paddling when you get the hang of it with a good paddle, you link different types of strokes together as needed without even thinking about it. Note that you size a paddle to yourself by shaft length, not blade length. In extreme shallows a long blade paddle is at a disadvantage, but it still works.

This type of paddle may not be quite as fast (not by much) or efficient when cruising straight courses, but it is a lot more enjoyable to use under any conditions, and it will improve your paddling skills the more you use it. The Canadian stroke is used for efficient cruising, which is essentially a gracefully extended but hardly noticeable "J", done without hesitation of movement (no ruddering). It naturally falls out from using a long thin paddle. As Caleb says, to enjoy canoeing you need to consider the water, canoe, paddle, and yourself as one unit.... he says "get your head in the water".

I highly dislike heavy thick edge blade paddles (can't slice the water smoothly), short fat blades (few options for maneuverability), straight cutoff bottom blades (ala Camp models - there is control in rounded tips), or blades with the shaft extending into the blade (gurgle when sliced).

[Hobbitling]

wow! I am constantly amazed at the expertise of the people on this forum! very educational post wldrns.

[charlie wilson]

Paddle shapes

We need to preface this by agreeing that damn few of us make a living by paddling, so personal preference is just fine. No-one ever died using an inefficient paddle they loved.

That said, the traditional northwoods paddle with ~ 5 X27" blade was developed by native americans and perhaps, perfected by voyageurs for a simple reason. They made their own sticks in the wilderness with and axe and a crooked knife. Smaller spruce trees were easier to work down, and attempts with wider blades warpped anyway.

All that changed with the advent of waterproof glue. Most better paddles are 8-8.5" wide now because that size works better. Wider blades flutter, bang the canoe's chine and are difficult to extract for cross strokes or when switching sides. Narrower ones don't catch as much water.

It is interesting that the voyageurs were always in a hurry and used blades ~ 110 inches square. Modern marathon racers are also in a hurry and use blades of about the same surface area; ~8X19". Both use[d] high cadences.

Whitewater paddlers and FreeStyle folks need more bite per single stroke, so blade size increases - same 8+" width but length increases to ~ 23", increasing bite when you need to put the hull into an eddy above a waterfall.

All paddles should have rounded tips - the river will round them if the manufacturer didn't; and sloped or relieved shoulders to keep from banging on the chine.

A key consideration is shaft and top grip sizing. Both need fit your hand without contraction or expansion, as either increases fatigue.

Bents paddles move the power phase of the forward stroke, where blade is square to the stroke, aft on the paddlers body, from in front of the knee to mid thigh. This allows paddlers to sit, which makes sense of you're going to be paddling for long periods.

Kneeling paddlers use straight sticks almost exclusively, and the power phase ends at the knee. The main difference in the two strokes is the greater reach and torso rotation available to the kneeling paddler

Bent paddles do not increase forward speed - remember Olympic sprint paddlers hign kneel because it works, but they inprove endurance by allowing a more relaxed position/stance in the boat. Unfortunately, bents compromise draws; maneuvering strokes.

Most of us who still paddle single blade sticks carry both. It's a wonderful break of pace to switch stances and paddles a few times during a long paddle.

Tandem, that marriage breaking interaction, pertty much requires that both bow and stern paddle with the same configuration stick. Above all, we want to stay in cadence, and the different power pulses of a bent and a straight are almost impossible to figure out.

On the other hand, this has mostly been about paddle shape and efficiency. If you enjoy a traditional work of art, that's fine too.

charlie

[Adirondack_hunter]

I don't use a longer narrow bladed paddle. To me it is just odd. I don't like a paddle blade deep.
I have a trad. wide blade that I use when by myself or in the stern that dates back to the mid 1970s. I use a wide bent shaft for the bow.
When I stand and fish from one of my two canoes, and yes, walking from one end to the other is done quite frequently I use a very long shaft narrower trad. paddle. This comes in real handy when standing on the seats for the "Bass boat" feel.

Wldrns, thanks for the links.
Charlie Wilson, I know I guy that used to make spruce paddles, lives on Oxbow Lake and I loved them. Just last year I asked him if he would make me one and he unfortunately told me he stopped several years ago. Great lightweight paddles they were and talk about tough!!! I will be making some in the near future.
I'd much rather paddle with his paddle than the ones I currently own.