k.pearson wrote:
This is the URL for the short article that Greg wrote in the Epic
Kayaks Oct 2004 newsletter.
http://www.epickayaks.com/newsletter...ctober2004.htm
Thanks Karl! These are cogent comments, so I'll reproduce them here
so they will be findable inside Google Groups and won't go offline.
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Straight Shaft vs. Bent Shaft Paddles
by Greg Barton
I always look to racers to evaluate new innovations. For them, a fraction
of a percentage can make a big difference in their results, so they quickly
find what works and what doesn't.
Bent shaft, or crank shaft, paddles were first used by Richard Fox of
Great Britain in winning the 1989 K-1 Slalom World Championships. The
following year, a number of sprint kayak racers tried crank shaft wing
paddles. Most notable was Martin Hunter, the 1989 K-1 500 meter World
Champion from Australia. He finished 3rd in the K-1 500 event at the
1990 World Championships using a bent shaft paddle. He then switched
back to a straight shaft paddle the following year. No world class
sprint paddlers have used crank shafts since 1991.
Bent shafts are more popular with whitewater paddlers. In 1996, about
half of the World's top Slalom racers used bent shaft paddles, while
the other half continued to use straight shafts. That has since changed
to about 33% using bent shafts and 67% straight. Bent shafts are very
popular with whitewater rodeo competitors - probably making up 75% or
more among the top paddlers.
Bent shafts flopped in sprint racing (as well as marathon and open water
racing) for the following reasons:
1. There is no gain in forward speed using bent shafts. While it may put
the wrist in a slightly easier gripping position at the start of the stroke,
experienced paddlers can accomplish the same reach with relaxed grip on a
straight shaft. Top racers rarely have wrist problems with straight shafts.
2. The shape of a bent shaft makes it inherently weaker. Therefore a
heavier shaft is needed to achieve the same strength.
3. If you paddle with a feathered paddle (as all top sprint racers do),
a bent shaft makes the stroke asymmetrical. While the pushing (top hand)
position of the control hand is in a favorable position, the pushing
position of the off-control hand must turn in the opposite direction -
resulting in a more awkward push on the off control side.
4. Bent shafts do not allow the paddler to adjust the spacing between
the hands - they must hold the paddle only in one place.
Bent shafts have continued to remain popular with whitewater enthusiasts
for the following reasons:
1. They allow more control over the inclination of the paddle blade -
making turning strokes easier.
2. They give more indication of the blade orientation - making it easier to
position the paddle properly in heavy whitewater, when upside down, etc.
It still remains to be seen if bent shaft paddles are beneficial to touring
or sea kayakers. In this light, Epic Kayaks currently does not offer a bent
shaft version and has no plans to introduce one. We continue to monitor
our customer feedback and we will introduce innovations that work for us
as top paddlers.
In closing, I did use a bent shaft paddle in 1990 and it didn't work so
I never used it again. If something works for Oscar and myself, you,
the everyday paddler, will have it as soon as it is physically possible.