• We apologize for the somewhat convoluted sign-up process. Due to ever-more sophisticated attacks by chatbots, we had to increase our filtering in order to weed out AI while letting humans through. It's a nuisance, but a necessary one in order to keep the level of discourse on the forums authentic and useful. From the actual humans using WCP, thanks for your understanding!

Greenland Storm Paddle

benson

Paddler
Joined
Aug 28, 2011
Messages
120
Location
Sequim, Wa
I recently finished my first Greenland paddle and am in the process of a storm paddle design. My question is...Thoughts on length of the loom? I've read variations of anywhere from 1 to 3 hand widths. Seems like a narrower loom would be more efficient with the slide stroke. I would appreciate input on that aspect and other preferences in a storm paddle.

Thanks,
Jim
 
Thanks Nootka. Your thread provides some info on loom width. Starting narrow to see how that works seems logical to me.
 
I make my looms 2 hands wide, then a shoulder. The blades are about the same as my regular paddles.

I can't see how a one hand wide loom could be used as the hands come together, change over which one is actually holding the paddle, at the end of a stroke/beginning of the next stroke, and the outgoing hand starts out-going.
 
I know some use a slightly open grip with the lower fingers right on the shoulder to give and get strong feathering feedback: then the loom doesn't actually have to be 2 full hands wide, but narrower: approaching one width.
 
I've been paddling GP for quite a while, but don't use the sliding stroke a lot. It seems with a storm paddle that wing span and blade width should be pretty specific to fit the paddler...maybe more so than a standard paddle due to the sliding stroke. I guess the length of loom I end up with will depend on my style. I'm so used to loosely gripping the shoulders a narrow loom made sense. Nice thing about DIY...keep shaving till it feels right.
 
Back
Top