Sea Kayaks Techniques Bulletin Board

Help me out

Posted By: Randy Knauff
Date: Thursday, 7 August 2003, at 12:04 a.m.

In Response To: Re: Why? (Tim Mattson)

: Val,

: I paddle unfeathered Euro and Greenland. And I have to say that I agree with
: you 100%. It has nothing to do with the wind. Especially if you have a
: good forward Euro-stroke where you push with a fixed, bent upper arm.

I paddle a broad bladed euro paddle and it sure seems less effort to feather it when paddling for long periods into strong head winds. I have good arm positions (fixed bent upper)and use torso rotation for almost all the power and movement.

: It has everything to do with biomechanics and what works well with your
: forward stroke.

: By the way, I think the whole issue of feathered vs unfeathered is blown out
: of proportion. While I prefer unfeathered, I can happily paddle with
: almost any reasonable right-hand control feather angle. The adjustment to
: the new feather angle only take a few minutes (if even that).

Agreed, but it doesn't work easily for a lot of people. I like to play with left control too, to challenge my old brain to work hard bilaterally.

: The key is to paddle mindfully and focus on each phase of the stroke. If you
: rotate your elbow (never the wrist) to get the desired plant, the feather
: angle takes care of itself. The only exception is for extreme feather
: angles approaching 90 degrees -- in those cases, I have to play wrist
: games.

This one puzzles me. I just went downstairs and tried what I have tried numerous times before. And I have spent time with some very good down river racers, flat water racers, the official Necky team rep/ocean kayak racer, various other instructors. I can't and no one I have ever met can take my 65 degree paddle, line their right knuckles up with the right blade, put their right elbow in any position possible for them and have the left blade entering the water correctly and also have their right wrist directly in line with the paddle shaft unless they are chicken winged right elbow up above their ears and wrist actually above the paddle shaft line pointing down rather than in line with their forearm/shoulder as one does on a normal stroke for best biomechanical efficiency. One or both hands have to rotate to line feathered blades up for best catch on both sides with all joints in line.
If you don't rotate the wrist (elbow instead), then the right wrist has to be the same number of degrees out of alignment with the left blade as the feather angle of the paddle by definition.
I'd love to learn it or see it, but never have yet by anyone without deformities. Even those who claimed it could be done, admitted it couldn't when we went slow and pointed out misalignments. It just felt correct for them and they assumed all was lined up.
Feathering stills works well and is worth learning and practicing.
Randy

: I wonder if the bad rap for feathered paddling comes from the old days when
: 90 degree offsets were common?

: --Tim

Messages In This Thread

Feathering
Robert Woodard -- Tuesday, 5 August 2003, at 9:18 p.m.

Why?
Randy Knauff -- Wednesday, 6 August 2003, at 2:48 a.m.

Agreed, especially for RSI
Pamela -- Wednesday, 6 August 2003, at 9:33 a.m.

Re: Agreed, especially for RSI
Liz -- Wednesday, 6 August 2003, at 10:48 a.m.

I paddled 940 kms with a feathered paddle...
Robert N Pruden -- Monday, 11 August 2003, at 5:56 a.m.

Re: Agreed, especially for RSI
Pamela -- Tuesday, 12 August 2003, at 5:20 p.m.

Re: Why?
Val Wann -- Wednesday, 6 August 2003, at 11:25 a.m.

Re: Why?
Tim Mattson -- Wednesday, 6 August 2003, at 7:34 p.m.

Help me out
Randy Knauff -- Thursday, 7 August 2003, at 12:04 a.m.

A case for 90 degrees
Val Wann -- Thursday, 7 August 2003, at 12:18 p.m.

Re: A case for 90º
Shawn Baker -- Thursday, 7 August 2003, at 12:29 p.m.

Re: A case for 90º
Val Wann -- Thursday, 7 August 2003, at 1:35 p.m.

Yep
Mick -- Wednesday, 6 August 2003, at 7:48 p.m.

While on this subject
Mick -- Thursday, 7 August 2003, at 1:10 a.m.

I'm begging the question
Shawn Baker -- Thursday, 7 August 2003, at 10:40 a.m.

Don't know
Mick -- Monday, 11 August 2003, at 1:22 a.m.

Could you explain this?
haresfur -- Monday, 11 August 2003, at 8:56 p.m.

Ummm *LINK*
Mick -- Monday, 11 August 2003, at 11:32 p.m.

Heretic !
Jed -- Wednesday, 6 August 2003, at 9:01 a.m.

Or...
Brian Nystrom -- Wednesday, 6 August 2003, at 12:29 p.m.

Re: Heretic !
Robert Woodard -- Thursday, 7 August 2003, at 5:54 a.m.

Euro paddle and BCU stuff
Nelson Labbe -- Thursday, 7 August 2003, at 7:35 a.m.

Re: Euro paddle and BCU stuff
Shawn Baker -- Thursday, 7 August 2003, at 10:44 a.m.

Re: Euro paddle and BCU stuff
Robert Woodard -- Thursday, 7 August 2003, at 11:22 p.m.

Re: Bury the stick
Shawn Baker -- Thursday, 7 August 2003, at 11:40 p.m.

Puzzled??
Randy Knauff -- Wednesday, 6 August 2003, at 11:15 a.m.

Re: Puzzled??
sing -- Wednesday, 6 August 2003, at 11:26 a.m.

Re: Puzzled??
Shawn Baker -- Wednesday, 6 August 2003, at 11:30 a.m.

why feather WW?
Randy Knauff -- Wednesday, 6 August 2003, at 12:20 p.m.

One reason
Shawn Baker -- Wednesday, 6 August 2003, at 1:24 p.m.

Re: why feather WW?
sing -- Wednesday, 6 August 2003, at 4:01 p.m.

Jeeze..
sing -- Wednesday, 6 August 2003, at 4:04 p.m.

cut and glue
Randy Knauff -- Wednesday, 6 August 2003, at 6:48 p.m.

Re: why feather WW?
Ken Ferschweiler -- Thursday, 7 August 2003, at 3:16 p.m.

For what it's worth *LINK*
haresfur -- Friday, 8 August 2003, at 12:24 a.m.

I agree
Brian Nystrom -- Friday, 8 August 2003, at 12:47 p.m.

Re: Puzzled??
Tim Mattson -- Wednesday, 6 August 2003, at 7:37 p.m.

Re: Puzzled??
Ron -- Thursday, 7 August 2003, at 1:16 a.m.

Re: Puzzled??
Shawn Baker -- Thursday, 7 August 2003, at 10:47 a.m.

Well Said...
sing -- Thursday, 7 August 2003, at 11:27 a.m.

Cool drives decision
M. Hamilton -- Thursday, 7 August 2003, at 2:56 p.m.

Re: Cool drives decision
Robert Woodard -- Thursday, 7 August 2003, at 11:18 p.m.

Yeah, my paddles have 360 degree feather!
Brian Nystrom -- Friday, 8 August 2003, at 12:30 p.m.

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