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South Australian Curlew has another outing


labrat

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The actual first launch of my Curlew was posted before this section was created so this trip report is to present the finished boat here as well as in the main forum.

Some discussion about Greenland paddles on another forum prompted me to take my Curlew out on our local river to try my stick out again. Past attempts at using it were dismal failures, causing soreness that other people say a GP prevents and leaving me frustrated with the lack of progress for the effort put in.

This trip started out in a similar way and having tried a number of strokes – high, low, short, long, different body rotations etc – without any appreciable improvement I then changed the grip. Previous advice was to grip the paddle so the blades are angled forward just a little and this is quite a natural way to hold it but I have always found the wing effect creates downward thrust this way and it is very destabilising.

So the blades were rotated back to vertical and by using a medium low style stroke with some in to out side sweep (a bit like a wing paddle stroke) the paddle started to generate some power. I need to go out again soon and see if this works twice in a row but I think I have it nailed.

On the way back there was a reach that ran directly into the wind which was whipping up little wavelets up to around 6 inches high with some losing the tops in the wind. Wind speed was around 15 knots and for the first time I could feel the hull really flexing and my feet being pushed up and down by the water action on the skin. Despite being very unfit at present it was not a struggle and I think for the speeds I do that Curlew is a nice easy paddling hull. It also has sufficient stability to cast from if you like fishing or for taking photos. I threw a soft plastic around for a while on this trip and also photographed a group of 40 - 50 pelicans lurking on the bank.
 

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  I've always been doubtful of their performance compared to a euro paddle.

 

Performance is a word like quality.  Without specification it means nothing.  Ability to perform what?  Accelerate from a stand still?  No, the Greenland won't accelerate like a Euro paddle in the hands of a strong person.  But when it comes to maintaining a lively cruising speed for periods of time while minimizing impact on the body it performs really well.  If you learn the slide stroke you gain the advantage of a longer paddle without having to handle a longer paddle.  The Greenland style paddle may not be for everyone, but it sure does perform.

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I'm beginning to suspect that GPs are staying less popular because there are less experienced people around to give instruction on how best to use them. I don't know of anyone else in my area who uses one and I have been trying to work it out from info posted on the net. Unfortunately a lot of the posts contradict each other and some look like just plain rubbish.

 

On the other hand euro paddles are well entrenched with what seems like an experienced instructor on every corner and a wide range in every shop.

 

A lot of people argue about which is better but I'm prepared to accept that they both have their uses.

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A lot of people argue about which is better but I'm prepared to accept that they both have their uses.

 

A lot of people argue about better in a lot of things.  Unless they are specific and use evidence they are just pretending to know something.  All designs of anything are a compromise.  The key in all activities is to find the tools that do what you want of them the best and learn to use them well.  If kayaking is just a casual excursion then it may not matter what you use.  I came to the conclusion long ago that what many, or even most people do or think is pretty meaningless to me.  I need evidence.  As a 60+ year old casual day trip kayaker who likes to keep up a reasonable speed for minimal effort while going no where in particular, I find the Greenland style paddle performs best at meeting my objectives.  I can keep up a cruising  speed for fairly long periods of time and not end up flat on my back at the end of the day.  It stores on the foredeck more easily as well.

 

For all who are considering this paddle choice dilemma I would like to mention that you can own both.   :P

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......Previous advice was to grip the paddle so the blades are angled forward just a little and this is quite a natural way to hold it but I have always found the wing effect creates downward thrust this way and it is very destabilising.

 

I know nothing about wing paddles and I think trying to compare them is probably apples and oranges. You have to approach a GP as a new paddle and not as a Wing or a Euro paddle. They are different!  

 

What I have found and I give this advise to anyone trying one for the first time.  If you have a shouldered paddle, the proper grip is the index fingers should be on the round shaft. The rest of you fingers should be on the raised shoulder with the edge falling naturally in the bend of your fingers. This will naturally give the blade a slight angle in the water that the paddle needs. You WILL experience some fluttering of the paddle at first, everyone does till they get a little time in with it. 

 

I think the grip is very important  to proper use and that requires a paddle that fits you. I space my hands closer together than most people so most GPs would have a to wide spaced shoulder for me to use properly. I also like a beefy shaft instead of small short most people use. When I make myself a none shouldered paddle I leave the shaft square with rounded edges so I can feel the orientation in my hand. If your using a paddle that doesn't really fit you it can lead to a lot of frustration. So can over thinking how to use it.

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Everything I read that is backed up by reason says that a Greenland style paddle loom should be oval and the length of your shoulder width.  This is what orients the blades to the water when held properly and both the oval shape and that the blades are felt by several fingers provides the info your brain needs to perform the stroke.  The lack of a proper sized paddle is one reason why so many have trouble as Jeff points out.   Everyone (all those I have read) seems to agree that the loom length should be totally dependent on the person's stature.  Where best parameters are not so clear is total paddle length, which also means blade length as that is all there is that extends beyond the loom.  One article I read says that the beam of your kakak will effect that as well as your stature.  This makes sense to me as wider kayaks require more reach to the side.  But I will argue that this is a reason to get a narrower kayak, not a longer paddle  :P

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Greenland paddle is all technique and practice.

Nowhere anybody is going to paddle a Kudzu boat is as gnarly as the waters surrounding Greenland.

A big part of the appeal to me is the reduced windage of the exposed blade. When I started using one, I was into rolling around in the ocean, and definitely preferred it to the big bladed paddles I had used in the past.

I've been stuck on the Greenland paddle for the last 20 or so years...

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The more advise I read, the more intrigued I become to the GP. I decided to make my own and there is much info and direction to do so here and out there. But, as it has been pointed out, the wrong paddle will give wrong results. So, a poorly shaped paddle that appears correct dooms one to a incorrect opinion. Perhaps, I will buy one from a builder that asks all the right questions. Then I can hopefully make a rational conclusion.

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  • 8 months later...

So, a poorly shaped paddle that appears correct dooms one to a incorrect opinion.

 

My current paddle is an Adanac, GP made for me by Jill Ellis. Recently I paddled with a couple of my old GP's that I made a few years back and had my eyes opened to how lacking my first attempts were. Of course I paddle with them for years not knowing and perfectly happy.

 

Keep in mind that I can 'feel' differences a new paddler probably would not notice. But I was surprised at how much difference there was in the bite or grip the paddle has in the water.  I now realize there is a lot more difference from blade to blade than I first thought. I don't like my old ones any more but they served me well.

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