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Re: Length of Ancient paddles vs the Modern counterparts
By:Nolan Penney
Date: 10/5/1998, 6:37 am
In Response To: Re: Length of Ancient paddles vs the Modern counterparts (Mark Kanzler)

> If you take a modern paddle, make the shaft longer and the blade area
> smaller, wouldn't it perform like a Greenland paddle (i.e. allow paddling
> w/ a sense of less fatigue)?

Not really. The fatigue is more a matter of improper paddling. With a slipping paddle you tend to have a much higher cadence because the force you exert against the paddle is rather low. With a low slip paddle, you use a lower cadence to achieve the same propulsion results because the force you exert against the paddle is higher. You have to adjust, yet many people will not do so, trying their best to flail a wide blade paddle around as fast as they can, getting thoroughly exhausted in nothing flat.

It's something like playing with the gears of a 10 speed bike. A lot of folks like the lower gears because there's very little strain with each revolution of the pedals, and they don't mind moving their legs very rapidly. If they shift to a higher gear, they still try to peddle just as rapidly as in a lower gear, instead of properly slowing down the pedal action for the same bicycle speed.

Nick has a very interesting link to a guy who studied this a bit, playing with widening and shortening his paddle blades, as well changing the overall length. Interesting reading.

Messages In This Thread

Greenland paddle links
Timothy - Toronto, Ontario -- 10/2/1998, 10:27 am
Length of Ancient paddles vs the Modern counterparts
Brian C. -- 10/2/1998, 11:01 am
I'll build one :)
Brian C. -- 10/5/1998, 6:39 pm
Re: you should
Nick Schade -- 10/6/1998, 2:42 pm
practice for when I get stuck on an Island
Brian C. -- 10/6/1998, 3:01 pm
Re: practice for when I get stuck on an Island
Jerry Weinraub -- 10/6/1998, 7:12 pm
Re: Laminated shaft
Don Beale -- 10/6/1998, 12:46 pm
Re: Laminated shaft
Timothy - Toronto, Ontario -- 10/6/1998, 1:34 pm
is a ferrule worth it on a greenland?
Brian C. -- 10/6/1998, 10:22 am
Re: is a ferrule worth it on a greenland?
Don Beale -- 10/6/1998, 5:36 pm
reinforcing paddle tips
Paul Jacobson -- 10/4/1998, 9:11 pm
Re: Length of Ancient paddles vs the Modern counterparts
Paul Stomski -- 10/2/1998, 8:54 pm
Re: Length of Ancient paddles vs the Modern counterparts
Timothy - Toronto, Ontario -- 10/2/1998, 2:23 pm
Where I got the picture
Brian C. -- 10/2/1998, 4:04 pm
Re: Where I got the picture
Roger Tulk -- 10/5/1998, 12:44 am
Mr. Hitchinson's book has photos
Brian C. -- 10/5/1998, 11:02 am
Re: Mr. Hitchinson's book has photos
Roger Tulk -- 10/7/1998, 12:23 am
I guess we could contact a museum...
Brian C. -- 10/6/1998, 1:51 pm
OK, I did!
Roger Tulk -- 10/12/1998, 9:17 pm
Re: OK, I did!
Mark Kanzler -- 10/14/1998, 3:44 pm
Re: Mr. Hitchinson's book has photos
Mark Kanzler -- 10/5/1998, 11:53 am
Sorry, that's Derek Hutchinson
Brian C. -- 10/6/1998, 12:31 am
Don't know
Brian C. -- 10/6/1998, 12:25 am
Found the book
Brian C. -- 10/6/1998, 12:38 am
Re: Length of Ancient paddles vs the Modern counterparts
Mark Kanzler -- 10/2/1998, 3:10 pm
Re: Length of Ancient paddles vs the Modern counterparts
Nick Schade -- 10/2/1998, 2:12 pm
Mystical Greenland paddle
Jay Babina -- 10/5/1998, 10:10 am
Re: Mystical Greenland paddle
Nick Schade -- 10/5/1998, 6:30 pm
Re: Use what works for you.
Mark Kanzler -- 10/5/1998, 6:59 pm
Re: Use what works for you.
Nick Schade -- 10/6/1998, 2:28 pm
Re: Length of Ancient paddles vs the Modern counterparts
Timothy - Toronto, Ontario -- 10/2/1998, 2:47 pm
Wide vs. Skinny paddle blades
David Dick -- 10/6/1998, 9:14 pm
Re: Length of Ancient paddles vs the Modern counterparts
Nick Schade -- 10/2/1998, 7:53 pm
length vs sprint/endurance
Brian C. -- 10/7/1998, 3:20 pm
Re: Length of Ancient paddles vs the Modern counterparts
Mark Kanzler -- 10/4/1998, 11:15 am
Re: Length of Ancient paddles vs the Modern counterparts
Nolan Penney -- 10/5/1998, 6:37 am
Re: Length of Ancient paddles vs the Modern counterparts
Nick Schade -- 10/6/1998, 6:25 pm
Re: Length of Ancient paddles vs the Modern counterparts
Nolan Penney -- 10/7/1998, 6:53 am
Re: Length of Ancient paddles vs the Modern counterparts
Nick Schade -- 10/7/1998, 2:09 pm
Re: Length of Ancient paddles vs the Modern counterparts
Nolan Penney -- 10/7/1998, 3:21 pm
Re: Paddle flutter
Timothy - Toronto, Ontario -- 10/7/1998, 2:47 pm
Re: Paddle flutter
Nick Schade -- 10/7/1998, 3:49 pm
Re: Length of Ancient paddles vs the Modern counterparts
Mark Kanzler -- 10/8/1998, 12:55 am
Re: Length of Ancient paddles vs the Modern counterparts
Nolan Penney -- 10/7/1998, 3:17 pm
Re: Cadence
Mark Kanzler -- 10/7/1998, 3:29 pm
Re: Punchline
Timothy - Toronto, Ontario -- 10/8/1998, 8:33 am
Re: Cadence
Nolan Penney -- 10/8/1998, 6:57 am