Michael Daly wrote:
On 15-Mar-2006, Bill Tuthill wrote:


Do you have a Werner touring paddle, or something else?


Lendal with both length and feather adjustment. The length adjustment
comes with feather adjustment but I never use it. I haven't found that I
use any length but the shortest.


Right. That makes sense. I believe Brian Nystrom has to post a movie
on the web (or at least still-picture series) before I can comprehend
what he's talking about here.


I know what Brian's talking about. He is correct when he says that you
don't need a control hand with an unfeathered paddle*. However, most
paddlers continue to use the control hand concept regardless of paddle
type. Hence, they are stating a myth that no wrist action is involved
for unfeathered.

No, YOU are starting a myth that one cannot paddle unfeathered without
flexing one's wrists. I agree that people who start out paddling
feathered have a hard time letting go of the control hand concept, but
I've done it and I know a few other people who have, so to claim that it
can't be done or isn't done is nonsense. The problem you describe is a
residual one from feathered paddling, not an innate charactertistic of
unfeathered paddling.

When I teach paddling strokes, I specifically teach paddlers to restrict the
use of a control hand. Use it for a forward stroke as required but never
for bracing, sculling etc. In the latter cases, any control is by the hand
closest to the blade in the water.

As it should be. It's one of the paradoxes of using a feathered paddle.
Maintaining a control hand makes bracing, sculling and rolling far more
difficult than necessary. I'm convinced that the "onside/offside"
concept is largely due to the use of feathered paddle and the
difficulties their asymmetry presents. While it obviously can be
overcome, many people struggle for years to do so.

If you get used to that concept, you don't have
as much of a problem switching between feathered and unfeathered paddles.
I also show them how to set up an adjustable paddle for a forward stroke that
doesn't need any wrist action at all.

That's easy, take the feather out. ;-)

*There are paddles that don't work well with no control hand even if unfeathered.
Those with odd blades and certain bent shafts can get away from you unless
you use a bit of control - they don't tend to line up nicely with the flow over the
blade by themselves. Those would be in the minority.

I don't doubt that at all, though I haven't experienced it personally.
It would seem to indicate a poor paddle design. However, if a paddle
needs control, one can simply control the paddle with both hands
alternately, rather than one. That's what a person who paddles without a
control hand instinctively does in conditions that demand firm control
of the paddle. Again, it eliminates the asymmetry of using a single
control hand.