On Fri, 13 May 2005 05:48:06 GMT, "Michael Daly"
wrote:


On 12-May-2005, k.pearson wrote:

I've always been one to follow the lead of the top competive athletes
when it comes to new equipment.

Given that competitive athletes can be driven by things like superstition
and imitation rather than intelligence or science, following them is
something that has to be done with care.

If bent shaft was really beneficial
in sea kayaks, I think we'd be seeing them in racing use.

Racing and sea kayaking are two different sports. I don't know that
a feature that's good for one is necessarily good for the other.

Mike

Both true. However, what I look for is those things that cause the
least harm. Top athletes spent a lot more time doing a lot harder
paddling than I do. They are also willing to try anything to give
them an edge. So - I look at what's being used by most of the
winners and how they are using it. Good technique is one of the best
things you can learn from racers. Dead quiet catches, loose grip, use
of the body more than the arms, posture, an all that.

After trying a bent shaft I found that it has limits under some
conditions that make it less desirable than a straight shaft overall.

Karl