From: "Gene Smith" <SmithFrow@worldnet.att.net>
To: <baidarka@lists.intelenet.net>
Subject: Re: [baidarka] Paddles
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1998 10:59:01 -0000
In response to my question about paddle efficiency Stefano responded:
->What you describe has much more to do with increase of friction and wave
>resistance. Take any issue of sea kayaker and read the numbers in kayak
>essays, and you will see that resistance increases geometrically with
>speed.
Yes, I had assumed this. Let me be more specific. While canoeing in Canada
recently, it seemed to me that (in smooth water) a stroke that was as gentle
as possible and added a just perceptible amount of push to the canoe
required minimum effort produced maximum results. On the other hand, every
time I essayed more "manly" paddling (the sort of thing that causes
onlookers to comment something like, "They're really going!") seemed to
contribute more to fatigue than forward motion. I just assumed, erroneously
apparently, that with a multi-zillion dollar canoe and kayak industry packed
full of tech-types that the hydrodynamics of paddle form and stroke would
have had all sorts of high tech studies done on it. I am genuinely
surprised.
In response to my query about the paddle designs of indigenous peoples
Stefano responded:
>paddles in many cultures were not seen as mere propulsion, but also had
>to serve different needs (silence of operation when hunting or
>approaching the enemy for example). In the western coast of Africa I've
>seen many paddles shaped like pointed hart shaped leaves. Very pointed,
>and the extremities were often let dragging in the water to avoid noise
>from dripping water. Pointed enough to be quite offensive tool.
Very interesting. I was looking at a Micmac paddle design from Shaw & Tenny
and it had the same pointed leaf shape, but long and slender. Its handpiece
was also a flattened circle, instead of the usual squarish flat oval. Any
references on the variety of aboriginal paddle design?
Gene Smith