Drew Cutter wrote:
Brain how in world do I buy a custom paddle when their aren't any shops
in the area. This sounds as bad as what i had to do a few years ago when
I bought a custom made bicycle. Is their a fit kit (term from my cycling
days) to help the shop determine what paddle design to go with ?
I'm familiar with the Fit kit, as I know the inventor, Bill Farrell.
There isn't anything like that for paddles, nor is it really necessary.
You can determine a good starting point using information in Chuck
Holst's instructions (I go into it in more detail in the book), but it
is literally a starting point. One of the reasons that making GPs is
popular is that you never really know exactly what you want in the
beginning and your needs may change over time. Unlike a bicycle, there's
no adjustability with GPs, unless you want to do some carving and
sanding. As with boats and Euro paddles, your first one will likely not
be your last, so don't get too worked up about trying to get it perfect.
If you're going to buy a paddle, consult with the builder and follow his
advice. In the beginning, you'll be adapting your technique and learning
new skills and minor differences in paddle length and shape really
aren't going to matter. The only advice I'd give you is to stick with
something in the 84-86" range and get a paddle with shouldered blades,
as it helps you to locate your hands and orient the blades properly when
you're learning GP technique. Once you get the technique down and spend
some time paddling, you'll have a better idea of what - if anything -
you want to change. Don't spend a fortune on your first paddle. Don
Beale sells a basic cedar paddle for ~$150 and it's all you need.
FWIW, I've been using GPs for six years and I'm still experimenting. I
used 90" paddles for five years and have just recently switched to 84"
paddles. I've got a couple of 86" paddles - one shouldered and one
shoulderless - under construction. I've tried various other lengths
widths and shapes. While I might prefer one to another, they all work
and I can pick up any of them and at any given time and get where I want
to go.
Brian Nystrom wrote:
Drew Cutter wrote:
I did some more research today on wood vs graphite vs fiberglass.
Apparently the amount of bend (flex ) that a wood paddle does , it
provides stress relieve to your joints , etc.
It certainly can, but it depends on the design of the paddle. If you
build your own wood paddles, you can make them as stiff or flexible as
you like. Personally, I prefer a paddle with a bit of flex and snap to
it, as opposed to a paddle that's really rigid. The other means to
reduce stress on the joints is to make the paddle shorter and/or the
blades narrower and use a higher paddling cadence to move at the same
speed. It's analogous to using lower gearing and a higher cadence on a
bicycle.
What are the different things that you can do to the grip to make if
comfortable , etc ? Since the Greenland paddle is very customized to
the paddler.
First, the cross-section of the loom should be sized to the paddler's
hands. The shoulder size, shape and angle can be modified to suit
one's preferences. Some paddlers prefer a paddle with no shoulders. If
you look in my "Greenland Paddles" album on Webshots, I've just added
a photo of various shoulder and loom configurations.
http://community.webshots.com/user/brian_nystrom-reg
I also cover sizing paddles in detail in the book.
I suppose their is no way to break down (Split) a Greenland paddle to
make to transport easier on the plane or car ?
Feathercraft sells a takedown GP, but it's rather heavy. The problem
is that the only commercially available center ferrules are too small
and the wrong shape (round) for a GP loom. In order to get adequate
strength at the loom-ferrule junctions, you need to use a hardwood or
hardwood-reinforced loom, which makes the paddle heavier than a
typical cedar paddle.
For transportation, a 4" PVC tube with a glued-on cap on one end and a
screw-on cap on the other holds 3 GPs and protects them quite well
when traveling by road, rail or air. It can easily be strapped to a
roof rack.
Brian Nystrom wrote:
Drew Cutter wrote:
Brain ,
I love the tuktu paddles. Question do you carry more than one style
of Greenland paddle . One for bad weather (storm) and another for
more calm condition when you are on open water (like the great
lakes ) ? I kind feel like I'm buying a bamboo fly rod as i look
over the tuktu paddles.
I do carry two paddles, but my "storm" paddle serves primarily as a
conveniently-sized spare that fits nicely on my foredeck. The
"storm" moniker is actually a North American term. In Greenland, it
would be referred to as a "short" paddle for use with a sliding
stroke. They are/were used for all paddling in certain areas of the
country. There are also medium-sized paddles that are used with a
partial sliding stroke. You can see John Petersen using this this
paddle & technique in the video "Amphibious Man". He's so smooth
that you barely even notice that he's sliding the paddle one hand
width on every stroke.