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Paddle weight

drahcir

Paddler
Joined
Mar 26, 2010
Messages
689
Location
North Idaho (Sandpoint)
I did not have an even semi-accurate method for weighing my kayak paddles until my wife received a new kitchen scale. I know everyone will find this incredibly exciting, so I'll report a few results:
paddle weight (oz.) length (cm.)
Aleutian 34.0 230
GP 25.0 215
Werner Shuna 26.7 220
Nimbus Chinook 22.0 220

I hope you will be able to calm down.
 
640 g 218 cm GP - Novorca 86B
680 g 224 cm GP - Gram 9000T 3 piece
720 g 229 cm Aleutian - Novorca Aleutian
740 g 215 cm Euro - Nimbus Kiska 2 piece
880 g 195 cm Euro - Nimbus 1 piece ww blade for Surge Narrows
1180 g 220 cm GP - OBlenis laminated GP, heavy duty for Surge, armoured tips
 
640 g 218 cm GP - Novorca 86B
680 g 224 cm GP - Gram 9000T 3 piece
720 g 229 cm Aleutian - Novorca Aleutian
740 g 215 cm Euro - Nimbus Kiska 2 piece
880 g 195 cm Euro - Nimbus 1 piece ww blade for Surge Narrows
1180 g 220 cm GP - OBlenis laminated GP, heavy duty for Surge, armoured tips
Nootka reports his 'weight' in grams, which is actually 'mass'. I report mine in ounces, which is a 'weight'. The advantage Nootka has is that if he visits some other planet (or the moon), the grams would still be accurate. However, I would need to revise my ounces for each of those other places. I better go back to bed.
 
The relationship between mass and weight is, in its most simplified form,
weight = mass * local gravity
The weight changes if local gravity changes e.g. moving to the moon. But the mass stays the same.
'grams' are a unit of mass.

So if you take a ~454 gram object on earth, it will weigh close to 16 avoirdupois ounces. If you take it (this will be expensive) and the scale to the moon, it will still be ~454 grams but weigh about 1/6 as much.

The scale itself can be a problem on the moon. It measures weight (force) not mass. But many scales will read out ounces (weight) or grams (mass), so the grams will be wrong on the moon albeit correct on earth.

Given we live on earth, confusion between mass and weight is common. Beginning physics texts get it right.
 
I believe that definitions of 'weight' have been all linked to the kilogram, which was also relatively recently redefined to no longer use the mass of an physical object as a definition.

So to be really pedantic, both the measurements that your scale reads are mass, one expressed in grams and one in ounces. The once is still using the same base unit (grams) but a rather messy conversion. Just like how a yard is three feet, an ounce is 28.349523125 grams. It's just a rather messy conversion.

Both numbers represented by the scale are in fact NOT mass, but the weight generated by the mass as acted upon by local gravity (which varies from place place on earth, akin to our recent discussion of magnetic field).

Which is all to say that all measurements derived from a kitchen scale may be used interchangeably as they are all expressed and converted from grams.

I don't recommend going to the moon, I hear the paddling is pretty dire, though the golf is alright.
 
Perhaps the engineering minds here can develop a new (non-destructive :) ) measurement for paddles which reflects the 'swing weight' of the blades?

It's interesting that glass shafts + carbon blades seem to be pretty common in wing paddles which can be offered with different shaft stiffnesses. The extra shaft weight doesn't seem to be an issue there.
 
I believe that definitions of 'weight' have been all linked to the kilogram, which was also relatively recently redefined to no longer use the mass of an physical object as a definition.
......

Which is all to say that all measurements derived from a kitchen scale may be used interchangeably as they are all expressed and converted from grams.
All correct, but readers should not be misled into thinking that the gram is the earlier measurement and that ounces are just a different way of expressing gram measurements.
The ounce has been in use since 'Roman times' and the Avoirdupois system predates the gram and the metric system.

Aside: Even the most 'enlightened' kayakers I meet seem to expect answers in feet and inches when asking about kayak dimensions, so we are typically Canadian about that! (Advertised meat prices per pound (or per 100g !) but the package lists the weight in kg, etc...) :)
 
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Back to paddles, here's the weight of some I have kicking around the house.

Werner Cyprus, carbon 210cm - 647g
Blackwater Stave, Carbon 210-220cm - 651g
Carlisle S-2000 wing, graphite shaft 220-230cm - 1047g

Swing weight, or the amount of weight carried at the ends, seems to be the more important metric than overall weight. At least in my experience.
The wing bladed paddle I have is heavy overall, I'd love to try identical geometry but 50% lighter and see what kind of difference it makes.
 
Carlisle S-2000 wing, graphite shaft 220-230cm - 1047g
...The wing bladed paddle I have is heavy overall, I'd love to try identical geometry but 50% lighter and see what kind of difference it makes.
That is pretty heavy (and long, so that's part of the weight) for a wing paddle.
More data points; (NB All my paddles have some sort of grip 'treatment - foam or silicone tape, O-rings or heatshrink)
Wings: 205-215 cm
Epic Small Mid Wing 723 g
Orka Inner Pro Wing Full carbon 703 g
Orka Minni Pro Wing Glass shaft/carbon baldes 715 g

Werner Cyprus Bent Shaft Full carbon 205 cm 773g
 
Yeah, it's a cudgel. But it was free, so I won't complain. Haven't used it in ages. Closed it in my car door and it didn't explode, so there's that.

Had the opportunity to handle some Stellar wing bladed paddles today. Didn't have the scale handy, but they did seem much lighter.

I'm thinking about picking up a small wing blade at some point.
 
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