BLOG. Buying Bent
By Cliff Jacobson
Cliff: Standing on a "lump of coal". Teddy Roosevelt National Park, Little Missouri River. Fifty-four inch, 12-degree, Zaveral, carbon-fiber paddle.
I resisted the temptation to buy a bent-shaft paddle long
after they were in vogue. For one
thing, I thought they looked goofy; for another, they lacked control when
maneuvering. And in whitewater,
you couldn’t brace on the off side.
Then, friends and I canoed the Steel River in Ontario with our
solo canoes. I trudged along with
a 54 inch straight paddle, switching to a 58-incher in the rapids. By day four I had developed some
serious problems with my upper hand.
Continuous “C-stroking” had numbed the nerves so that I couldn’t paddle. A day of rest helped enough to keep me
going—that is, if I abandoned the “C” and switched sides to keep the
course. When I got home I tried a
bent shaft paddle. I’ve been
hooked ever since. Now, the only time I use a straight paddle is when I paddle
rapids; for this, a straight-shaft has no peer.
For paddling rapids, a straight paddle has no peer. Cliff: Latiseino River, Norway. Fourteen foot Pakboat™ (folding canoe)
I’ve always preached that skills are more important than things,
and bent-paddles are no exception.
Many people choose paddles that, in my opinion, are much too short;
others select badly balanced paddles or ones with noisy splines. Angled blades vary from near zero
degrees to about fifteen. What is
best and why? And are paddles with double bends superior to those with single
bends. In all, it can be quite
mystifying.
PADDLE BENDS
For years, I used a paddle with a 14-degree bend and I was
quite happy with it. Then I
noticed that many of the racers had changed to 12-degree bends. I tried it and have been hooked ever
since. You wouldn’t think just two
degrees would make much difference, but it does. You seem to sit up a little straighter and are more in
control with the shallower bend.
Try it, I think you’ll like it.
Also, try this interesting comparison: heft a 14 or 15 degree paddle and
take a few strokes through the air.
Notice that the paddle feels awkward at the start, then later the
awkwardness subsides. Now, try the
same test with a 12-degree paddle.
It feels good right from the start. What about paddles with lesser (two to eleven degree)
bends. Frankly, I can’t tell the
difference between them and straight.
We’ve been experimenting with different bends for decades. For some time now, 12 degrees has been
the bend to beat.
SINGLE OR DOUBLE BEND
Some people who have shoulder problems say that the
double-bend is kinder to their body than the single bend. Perhaps. But most serous paddlers and virtually
all racers, prefer a single bend. Racers power straight ahead (no J-stroke)
then jointly switch sides on command.
Switching is almost instantaneous with a single bend; slow and awkward
with a double bend--the double bend slows the paddle as the shaft drops through
your hands. In racing, every second
counts! If you have shoulder
problems or just prefer to stroke along mostly on one side, seldom changing
sides, you may like a paddle with a double bend. Otherwise, I think you’ll like a single-bend better.
LENGTH
Paddle length is like women’s skirts—they go up and down on
whim. There’s a formula for
paddle length which in practice is often inaccurate. For example: to fit you
with a paddle you generally sit on a stool of a given height and a measurement
is taken from the floor. The assumption is that the stool is about the same
height as your canoe seat, which it may not be. The formula also doesn’t take into account how the canoe is
loaded—i.e., how deep it sits in the water. Add more weight, the canoe rides
deeper, remove weight and it rises.
In theory then, you should change paddles (length) as you change the
load. Finally, there’s the matter
of control. A long paddle provides
more reach and control than a short paddle—braces provide more stability,
cross-draws are more powerful, and steering, via J, C or pitch strokes are
more effortless. Try the J-stroke
with a 50 inch bent-shaft, then switch to a 54. BIG difference!
A long paddle covers more distance in the water than a short paddle so
less “angle correction” (less “pitch”) is needed to keep the canoe on course.
MY PREFERENCE
You should match your paddle length to the canoe you’re
paddling and how you prefer to paddle.
If you exclusively paddle lakes in a quick, shallow cruiser, often
switching sides, a relatively short
(50-52 inch) paddle is right for you. For river tripping in a moderate
to high volume canoe where maneuvering among obstacles is the rule, a longer
paddle (54-56 inches) is
better. And for big Royalex canoes
and Canadian river trips, longer is better. I might add that heavily loaded big water tripping canoes
respond better to a slower, longer paddle stroke than do lightweight, lightly
loaded cruisers. A longer paddle
works best here. Finally, if you raise the seat in your canoe you'll need a longer paddle; if you lower it, you'll need a shorter paddle.
The bottom line: some canoeists have a shedful of paddles,
each with different lengths and bends to suit their needs. But good paddles are pricey and if you
can afford just one or two top shelf sticks, my preference would be a 54 inch,
12-degree carbon-fiber model (10-12 ounces) and a 56 inch straight paddle. These will get you around the pond efficiently and with a smile. An ambidextrous T-grip provides the
best control on a straight paddle you’ll use in rapids.
Cliff Jacobson
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