Subject: Re: baidarka drip rings for narrow blade
From: Jonathan Stehn (stehn@cgspouses.net)
Date: Mon Jan 01 2001 - 22:38:05 EST
James Mitchell wrote:
> Ya know, if I used drip rings as you describe and found them effective, it
> would suggest that I am not getting enough rotation into my stroke. This is
> most true with the Aleut paddle, but even with Euro style blades I think
> this is a valuable thing to notice.
>
> When I am paddling properly with a Euro style blade, my "uphill" hand is
> across the centerline of the hull on every stroke. If I am stroking on the
> left side, my RIGHT hand is across the centerline. If that is not true, then
> I am "windmilling" the paddle, keeping my hands over their respective
> gunwales and "pedaling" with the paddle as if on a bicycle. That is
> wasteful, uses lots of arm energy and nothing else. The body rotation I
> described at first powers the stroke from my abs and my legs, more than with
> my arms.
>
> That rotation will carry the blade over the deck, where water can easily
> drip down on the hull. The problem is more extreme with the Aleut paddles,
> because a proper stroke involves having BOTH hands over the same gunwale.
> You will be sweeping the paddle clear across the deck on each stroke, so
> drip rings are useless.
>
> I suppose drip rings set at the throat of short blades on a long loom might
> be far enough away to not drip on the spray skirt, but that will certainly
> not be the case with the Aleut blades we have been discussing.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <dldecker@se.mediaone.net>
> > I don't like gloves so this
> > morning I got two rubber bands, the 1/4 in wide kind and tripled looped
> > them one on each side on the loom and blade transition. it worked great.
> > Keep 75% of the water off my skirt and my hands dry till I dug to deep and
> > put them in the water with the blade.
Mr. Mitchell,
I understand by your description that if the proper stroke was used for either
paddle type that the skirt should be puddle free. I can appreciate Mr.
Decker's dislike of gloves, and I don't think that pogies would be a good idea
if you need to be able to make a big shift that required you to grab blade for a
brace.
Would the "rings", as Mr. Decker described them, help with the cold and wet
hands thing, or does proper technique with a sliding grip rule these out. And
another question would be - Did the original paddles have any sort of
modification to encourage the water to drip off before running over the hands?
-- Jon Stehn jstehn@uscg.net- Baidarka Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside Baidarka or Baidarka archives without author's permission Submissions: baidarka@lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: baidarka-request@lists.intelenet.net Searchable archive: http://rtpnet.org/robroy/baidarka
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