Specializing in
Custom Canoe Paddles
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Double Angle Paddles
How to stroke
The essense of proper stroking is a short, efficient plant, combined with intense downward pressure and an exit that does not take the blade past your waist. You don't want the blade travelling back beyond your waist -- as this is a waste! You don't have to incorporate inordinate twist in your torso. Keep it to a minimum. Keep all your upper body movement to a minimum. You want to reach, get the blade out there, as far as is effectively possible. Don't stretch way out. You want to be able to drive that blade down with the full force of your torso. Drive the shaft down. This is where your maximum effort should be. Now release. Don't keep on the blade. Exit the water smoothly, with a little slip of the wrist. Back to the plant now, without wasting time.
Don't lilly dip. It might work for some, but it won't work well for many. By lilly dip I mean just tapping the water at 80spm. Little splashes come off the end of the blade but no real work is done.
Driving with your upper arm a foot or so above your head is also a waste of energy and very ineffective. What sort of leverage do you get when your hand is a foot above your head? You are supposed to be driving down on the shaft, not stretching yourself out just to reach the grip. There should not be a huge gap between your upper and lower hand. They should be comfortably situated on the paddle shaft and grip so that maximim leverage possible. This is not possible when the lower hand is on the top of the shaft, or very near to it. There must be some distance between the lower hand and the top of the blade. This allows the blade to be leveraged by the lower hand. Imagine gripping a snow shovel ( I say imagine, since most of you hot weather folks probably never actually grip one!) and grabbing it right above the blade. You are all stretched out. It's not comfortable, and you cannot actually throw the snow away. You must dump it away instead. For me, the distance between my lower hand and the top of the blade is at least 7". I don't use a very wide blade either. 8"..........
Some thoughts on OC1 sizing: I don't get the short paddle deal. Personally, I use a little longer paddle when I'm on an OC1. This could be due to my not really ever paddling OC6! But from what I can tell, the taller guys use short paddles -- say 6'2"ers using 50" paddles. Wow! That's short, and I can't see why. Do they sit in the hull, or on top of it? This could have drastic affect on the paddle length. I sit on top (Challenger) so it's a ways to the water. I'm 5'8", and a paddle that is 51" long really isn't long enuf. I need a 52" at least. I have to lean down with the 51"er, and this shouldn't be necessary.
T very best marathon paddlers use blades that are nor more than 8", perhaps 8&1/4" wide. The way they make themselves go faster is not with larger blades. They absolutely don't want large blades. They don't want the blade to be a hindrance to efficient paddling. If the blade is too large, it will hamper the immediate anchoring of the blade, and it's resistance will quickly overwhelm the paddler. What I see the top marathoners doing is going to longer shafts. The added shaft length provides a longer sweep, or stroke. It allows the paddler to reach out a little father and put more power in front of him/herself, which is where you want the power to be. You don't want it behind you. YOu are not a boat being propelled thru the water.
What follows is some information for those who are curious about angles, length and blade
design. This page might be particularly interesting to those who are just getting into
outrigger racing.
What angle? Angles are not really all that complicated. Most outriggers like the l0 degree.
This angle goes fairly well with outriggers, and doesn't lend itself to a real high cadence.
When you go to a higher angle, say a l4 degree, you actually don't have to reach quite as far,
and can up the cadence somewhat. The extra angle also allows you to pull the paddle a little
further back.
What length?
Length is pretty crucial. The length of the shaft on the canoe paddle
determines how long the blade sweep will be. If the shaft is longer, the sweep is longer. So if
you are using a shaft that is 2" longer, your stroke is going to be longer than your teamates'.
And you will have to squeeze your stroke into the same time frame as they do. So you will
become more tired, if you are in about the same condition as the rest of the crew. A shorter
shaft shortens this sweep. It's like lowering gears in a car. You have more torque, but less
leverage. Generally, you must be a strong paddler to be able to really use a longer shaft
effectively for much distance.
What size blade?
A bigger blade on your canoe paddle naturally means more resistance. If
you go with a bigger blade, you may wish to go with a shorter shaft. Most paddlers find that
a 9" blade is adequate, especially for calmer waters. I personally find that narrower blades, if
used properly, are more efficient than wider blades. By proper useage, I mean if the blade is
anchored quickly without dragging a lot of air behind the tip. You want a solid entry, so the
water envelopes the blade, surrounds it, and seals it so that little slippage occurs. Your task
is to vault by this blade as it anchors itself.
Double or l0 degree?
I was the person who originally created the double angle, and I don't
think it makes a lot of difference which you use. A lot of paddlers seem to really like the
comfort of the double angle. It doesn't make them go faster. But the main thing about a
canoe paddle is it's feel and comfort while it is doing it's work. So if a double angle canoe
paddle feels better, that is a darned good reason to use it. The double angle canoe paddle is
a little easier on your lower gripping wrist.
Lighter or heavier?
Having a heavy blade is a drag. They are stiff and cumbersome. A good
wood canoe paddle can weigh in around 21-22 oz. and be perfectly comfortable in the weight
category.
More flex, or stiffer?
Some paddlers preach the gospel of stiffness, like if the paddle gives
a little during the stroke you are loosing all that energy! Well hogwash. It comes back during
the stroke, and a blade with a soft flex is a lot nicer to paddle with than a really stiff blade. It
also is kinder to your joints.
What's the lip do?
It facilitates entry into the water. .
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T or Palm? Grips. Not a biggie. It's a personal choice. T's are more exact in confusing
situations. Palms are a bit more comfy to the natural contours of the hands ( at least mine
are. The flatfish things milled by the hundreds out of laminated planks aren't.......)
What's a good stroke like?
First, you have to define what you want to accomplish. You you
want to pull the canoe to the paddle. So you might imagine the paddle is fixed, or planted in
the water. You want this plant to occur very quickly, so you drive the blade down into the
water. You want the water to embrace, or even grasp, the blade. So a blade must be designed
so there is the least amount of interference with this process. Clean edges, no funny cavities,
no horrid spines all contribute to this process. A well made lip will also -- a lip that occurs
suddenly, and somewhat sharply, on the final half inch or so of a blade is not such a
characteristic: it's an afterthought, thrown in by the manufacturer, to appease the paddler's
appetite for lips. Ok, now this is done. Next, you apply as much downward power as possible,
in a short, compacted distance, releasing as the blade nears your knees, and pulling out as
the blade reaches your waist area. Do not exert pressure as the blade reaches your waist. This
wastes energy, and pulls water up.
There is a difference between a double angle and a regular angle, say, of l0 degrees. The
former has two angles, the second one about 2/3 of the way up the shaft. The latter only has
the normal angle at the top of the blade.
What is is that makes one paddle better than another? Mostly, it's the person who
builds it...
Dealers
Oak Orchard canoe -- Albion, NY
Tri Paddle Maui --92 North Market St, Wailuku, Hi 808.243.7235
Island Paddler- 716 Kapahulu Ave. Honolulu 1 808 737 4854
Hilo Bay Paddler - 12 Furneaux Lane at Bayfront, Hilo, Hawai'i - phone/fax: 808 935-0527 hutho@hilobaypaddler.com
Quiksilver KAI KANE 5-5016 Kuhio Highway Hanalei, HI 96714 (North Shore) Tel. (808) 826-55
West Coast Paddles Rohnert Park, CA - 707 793 0198
You can now order and recieve discounts for ordering in quantities. The discounts are as follows: l0% off for 5-9 paddles; and l5% off for 10 or more. The discounts are factored in automatically.
You can order online with your credit card. Visa, MC or Disc. (sorry, no Amex) -- you can also use the Shopping cart that is available on each specific paddle page. If you have any trouble, please feel free to contact me; or if you aren't comfortable online, just give me a call.
You can also order paddles by mail.
Mail your check or money order (made out to Brad Gillespie) to:
Gillespie Paddles
1283 Harris Rd.
Webster, Ny 14580
