Paddle Design and Sizing

Some random thoughts about paddles and common beliefs
1. Greenland paddle being easier on body- Could it be that because the paddle has less grip on the water that it provides less resistance? In order to keep it gripping instead of slipping you must apply less force. Stiffness is not a positive attribute in this situation.
2.Curve of blade-The spoon of the blade have more impact on the ability to slice than the curve. The curve affects the direction that the pressure is forced toward. More Curve =more pressure=more grip. Slice is more inhibited by the spline on the back of the Shuna than the smooth back of the Ikelos/Cyprus. 3. Shaft Diameter-Although I think Jon's analysis is correct I would suggest that one would do well to consider that concentrating on lightening ones grip on the shaft would coax more force coming from the Torso than the arms and I think this process would benefit the arms/shoulders as well.
4.Paddle sizing-I checked both the Epic and Werner sizing applications and while I appreciate the effort, anytime one uses overall height as a factor I think it should be suspect. There is a more effective way to determine correct paddle length IMHO, that uses your height while in your boat. The considerations of this method are; that there is no reason to put any more of the paddle in the water than is necessary, the higher the angle the more efficient the stroke and that the elbows should not bend more than 90 degrees. The path of the blade then is a diagonal to the boat, thereby gripping the water while keeping the stroke length short. I made a short video that shows the method at http://www.secondwindsports.net/Key%20Elements.htm
5. Paddle weight has more effect on muscle fatigue and connective tissue damage than blade design or shape when the stroke is performed efficiently using torso rotation. Blame your stroke not your paddle.
6.Cranked shaft-I was never a big fan as I always felt that the spacing of the bends was never wide enough, but I found, much to my surprise that the AT shaft was very easy to adjust to.

Effects of wind

A couple of things to consider regarding the effect of the wind on your ability to control the boat. The shorter and wider your boat is, the more effect a tail wind will have on your control. Two things are happening here; short water line and more surface area exposed to the wind. The wind is pushing on the above water surface area at the stern and the this causes the a spinning effect with the short water line. Best solution is the trim the stern heavy and paddle harder.
The other part that wasn't mentioned is the amount of time the wind has been blowing and the resulting waves that have been created. Waves compound control problems as they effect the boat below the waterline.
For all the people that suggest that a particular boat does not need a rudder or a skeg, I would recommend they try to paddle against waves at their stern quarter. In this situation, virtually all boats with turn (actually be pivoted) into the waves and will benefit enormously from a skeg and even more so from a rudder.

Paddle Leash Safety

While I use a leash myself, and find it very helpful in assisted rescues, mine has a quick release in the form of a practice golf ball that is easily released from under the bungee cord. And yet, I am not aware of any commercial leashes availble that have this feature. Most come with a plastic hook that is very difficult, if not impossible to unclip with gloves or cold hands. I would recommend to everyone that they replace this clip with some kind of quick release.

Safety Concerns

I participated in the Sea Kayak Georgia symposium this year and while assisting with a BCU 4* assessment I noticed that one of the students was wearing a mesh muti pocket overvest that was worn over his PFD. He had every pocket filled with items presumably to have easy access to without the need to open a hatch cover. The overall weight was substantial and this student seemed to have noticeably more difficulty in both controlling and rentering his boat. It dawned on me that not only did the added weight compromise his buoyancy, but also contributed to his balance. I have since considered the possibility of the mesh catching on something on the deck and concluded that while the idea of the vest seems good at the onset, I am not sure that I would recommend it to people paddling in challenging conditions.

There was a post on paddling.net that I responded to that I thought might be of interest on this blog. The poster asked for help deciding between a Romany Explorer, Nigel Foster Legend and a Tempest 170. He received a lot of very subjective opinions with very little substance so I offered my 2 cents as follows;
Hi Greg,
Normally, I don't get involved in this type of discussion, but it seems like your inquiry is genuine and the amount of subjectivity on this forum is really a disservice to you.
First of all, I have owned an Explorer and presently paddle a Tempest. I have spent a great deal of time in a Legend as well. All three are good boats, but have distinctly different charactaristics. When you consider "balance" you must consider both above the water and below the water. A boat that is balanced below the water will be less effected by water movement as in current and waves, Whereas a boat that is balanced above the waterline will be less effected by wind.
The way to discover this quality in a boat is to paddle the boat unloaded abeam to the wind. Stop the boat. A boat that is perfectly balanced above the waterline should turn into the wind when you lean forward and away from the wind when you lean back. To test the balance below the waterline paddle the boat in moving water, i.e. current, surf or wind waves. A boat balanced below thw waterline will behave the same way backwards as forwards.
People often mention rough water performance, but fail to distinguish between comfort and performance. You can feel comfortable in rough water while sacrificing the ability to manouver the boat and vice a versa.
So it is important that you seriously consider what conditions you are planning to paddle in before selecting the boat as all of the three are good boats.
My own observations for the three are as follows;
The Romany Explorer feels the most stable and because of the lowered back deck is by far the easiest to roll. This same quality of lowered back deck changes its above water line balance and as a result it has more tendency to turn into the weather in the wind.
The Lengend is a hard chine boat and as a result it carves turns beautifully and predictibly without the tendency to skid like softer chine boats. It is the faster of the three. The hatches are the easiest the use and completely waterproof. The "initial" stability is a result of the rounded keel and is much less pronounced when the boat is loaded. If this initial stability issue is the only barrier to purchasing the Legend then I would recommend considering the Riot Aura which is an almost identical hull and deck shape with a vee keel that almost entirely eliminates this initial stability issue.
The Tempest is the most balanced of the three both above the waterline and below. It performs the best of the three in surf, current and wind. It is slower than the Legend but faster than the Explorer. The seat is by far the most comfortable. The hatches are the least waterproof, however and you must keep cargo in dry bags.
Keep in mind that these are my opinions resulting from many years of paddling primarily on the US west coast.
Good luck in your decision and happy paddling.

hanging draw

The key to the hanging draw is the placement of the blade at the pivot point of the boat. Usually this point is at the thigh just in front of the hip, although this varies from boat to boat. The way to find this point is to start by placing the blade in at the thigh perfectly neutral (no pitch on the blade so it slices cleanly through the water). Then open the blade slightly ( the leading edge or front slightly outward). If you start to turn (yaw)slide the blade towards the stern.

Wind Gauge

Here it Long Beach we keep it fairly simple yet incredibly accurate. I
have a rock on a string hanging outside the window. If the rock is
moving, it is windy, if it is wet then it is raining, if it is warm then
it is sunny and if I can't see it then it is foggy. What else do you need?