Subject: Re: baidarka Making a storm paddle
From: Keith Attenborough (kattenbo@greennet.net)
Date: Thu Apr 05 2001 - 07:57:28 EDT
Michael Daly wrote:
> <snip>
>
> I guess that I have a problem understanding the actual mechanics of the
> sliding stroke. Your article, Chuck, makes it sound like the hands practically
> touch at the middle of the paddle when sliding from one side to the other
> (i.e. sliding past the shoulder) Jed's and Keith's comments suggest that one
> should stop at the shoulder and use the lower hand as one would with a regular
> Greenland style paddle.
<snip>
>
> It's this multitude of mental images of how the stroke works that leads me to wonder
> about all this.
>
> Mike
Mike;
Chuck's, Jed's and my comments actually mostly line up depending on the loom length.
With a two-fist-length loom, the hands do "practically touch at the middle of the paddle
when sliding from one side to the other" and do not really end up "sliding past the
shoulder". The lower hand does end up pretty well positioned as it would for a regular
Greenland style paddle. The exercise I described where the hands vigorously bang into
each other is just that -- an exercise I found useful to get the rhythm of the stoke
down.
Keep in mind that, as best I can tell, the purpose of the storm paddle's design was not
primarily to get more paddle into the water, since the blade length is essentially the
same as a cruising paddle, but to reduce the amount opposite blade projecting into the
winds, etc. So maintaining a lower hand position similar to that on a cruising paddle
works. And it doesn't bury 2/3rds of the paddle (and your elbow) in the water.
Greg Stamer reports that on his trip to Greenland this past summer he noticed a number
of storm paddles that were more like 3 fists long. The lower hand position remains the
same as the cruising paddle, so the users do not focus as much on bringing the hands
together as part of the stroke. The Cricket loom is along this design.
Incidentally, I notice that when I "overslide" (not all that unusual given that my
natural coordination level scales about one point above that of a plant) and get my low
hand fully on the loom I have less paddle control. Which is why I'm carving my personal
storm with a shorter loom.
Like a lot of things Greenland, it's a lot more "what works for you" than strict
measurements -- good design is measured by the number of safe returns, not by a
micrometer.
Side note -- Greg also reports, as do others, that a number of Greenlanders combine a
somewhat shorter cruising paddle length with a short or diminished sliding stroke for
everyday paddling. This is plainly illustrated by John Peterson (2 time Greenland
National Champion) in the "Amphibious Man" video tape.
Keith
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