Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1998 19:03:03 +0200
From: Stefano Moretti <S.Moretti@agora.stm.it>
To: baidarka@lists.intelenet.net
Subject: [baidarka] Paddle efficiency
Gene Smith wrote:
>
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.
when you got moving and are close to hull speed - for kayaks in my
experience approx 1.38 times the square root of lwl expressed in feet
(constant for other hulls is 1.34), maintaining speed requires only
minimum energy (but this is true with your car or any other vehicle
really).
All you add will be put in excess creating a big wave system in a hull
that is not obviously meant for planing. Furthermore, the added strength
affects production of lactic acid (muscle), strains articulations
tendons etc.
The slender arctic paddle at this point just digs in the water acting as
a "differential". This is my paddling choice now, very efficient for
average high speeds over a long time (4 knots in flat water is my
cruising pace in a 16 ft kayak).
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.
Much has gone on in olimpic paddles. I once paddled with a shortish
carbon wing paddle. I was very impressed by its performance, namely the
easiness of extraction. At the same time trying a high brace with one
of these was frustrating: the top lip is reversed and shaped as a half
tube.
The paddle serves one purpose: go fast over a strait line and a short
distance (mile or less). Not my needs.
Much of the high tech discussion is contained in a swedish or norwegian
paddle maker web site. I cannot recall who, but it should not be
difficult to find.
> 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.
Can you expand on this ?
> references on the variety of aboriginal paddle design?
Aboriginal from where ??
Sorry, no references, but the paddles I've seen were in Guinea Bissau
and Casamance, Senegal, and similar in lake Kivu, Zaire, propelling
dugouts or large planked canoes.