• 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!

quick stow/quick draw Greenland paddle storage?

kayakwriter

Administrator
Joined
Feb 27, 2006
Messages
1,278
So I just started using a Greenland paddle this year. When I've been assisting other paddlers with re-entries or otherwise need to stow my paddle briefly, I'm used to jamming my Euro-blade under the bow decklines on one side or other of the bow. When I do that with my Greenland, it sometimes rotates out of my reach. It's embarrassing to have to ask the person you've just "saved" to save you. So has anyone got a cunning rig that will let me stow and retrieve the Greenland quickly, or do I just need to start developing the habit of holding it under one arm while assisting others?
 
What are your deck lines like?

Could you do something like this, with the end under lines at the bow and just tucked under bungees on the foredeck?

580_P1060419.jpg


Picture borrowed from http://fatpaddler.com/2010/02/first-impressions-adanac-greenland-paddles/
 
I don't use a Greenland paddle, but I've seen standard paddles 'rotate out of reach' when the blade was tucked under the bow shock cord in windy/rough conditions.
I was taught by Leon Somme and Shawna Franklin at BodyBoatBlade to tuck the paddle 'across the tummy' when doing an assisted rescue. The bottom edge of the PFD or (even better) a tow belt bag provides a good place to stick the middle of the paddle shaft.

Combined with arms 'over' the paddle shaft while working with the swimmer's boat, it's pretty secure.

Swimmer holds on to their paddle until actual re-entry phase.

Using a standard paddle, it's easy to clip a pigtail or tether carabiner over the shaft, and then forget about the paddle for a minute. (Drop it in the ocean, etc..).
 
  • Like
Reactions: AM
Another idea is to hang a short 'sail tie' from either side of your pfd expansion webbing belts. Then on rescue or photo or lunch or whatever just wrap the ball up around the shaft and tuck into/below the webbing.
Pull to release.
 
with the deck rigging on the Sisu i stick one end under the deck lines near the bow, the other end goes under a bungie near the aquarium / day hatch
DSCN4801 copy.JPG
, pretty quick to stow, push forward under bow line, pull back under aquarium line - much like CPS shows, leaves room to pull a boat over a T-rescue
 
Last edited:
I was taught by Leon Somme and Shawna Franklin at BodyBoatBlade to tuck the paddle 'across the tummy' when doing an assisted rescue. The bottom edge of the PFD or (even better) a tow belt bag provides a good place to stick the middle of the paddle shaft.

Combined with arms 'over' the paddle shaft while working with the swimmer's boat, it's pretty secure.

Swimmer holds on to their paddle until actual re-entry phase.

Yep, me too. I never stow my paddle under bungies. Leon and Shawna had excellent rescue systems. Their video on the subject is the best, IMHO.
 
pretty quick to stow, push forward under bow line, pull back under aquarium line - much like CPS shows, leaves room to pull a boat over a T-rescue

"aquarium line"? So-called because if it's in use, somebody's getting an underwater view?

And thanks everyone for the suggestions. I'll be out working on my roll with some friends this weekend and try some these ideas to see what works.
 
Another option would be to add a plastic hook to the deck in front of you. Then you pull the bungie that goes across the deck over your paddle shaft and hook it under the deck hook. You could add two hooks so that paddle is more secure and will not rotate. Some have a short sock cord and hook beside the cockpit so paddle is held alongside cockpit.
 
Another option would be to add a plastic hook to the deck in front of you. Then you pull the bungie that goes across the deck over your paddle shaft and hook it under the deck hook. You could add two hooks so that paddle is more secure and will not rotate.
Here's that idea on a Mariner, which has cleats in the side recesses where the deck rolls down over ones thighs:
IMG_0038.JPG


On one of my builds (strip Romany copy) I installed a wood block to do a similar job:

q-mini-IMG_0040.JPG


With those setups it's quick to get the paddle 'back in action' for a quick brace - just grab the paddle and pull it up and towards you.
 
Hi Philip,
All I've done on my kayaks is to thread some bungee through plastic tubing and fasten it to the front deck fittings. You cut the tubing long enough so it sits proud of the deck. Really quick and easy to stow the paddle for rescues as you're able to get the tip of the blade under the tubing. The idea is completely stolen from Cheri and Turner of Kayak Ways.
Doug
IMGP0073.JPG
IMGP0075.JPG
IMGP0076.JPG
 
Hi Philip,
All I've done on my kayaks is to thread some bungee through plastic tubing and fasten it to the front deck fittings. You cut the tubing long enough so it sits proud of the deck. Really quick and easy to stow the paddle for rescues as you're able to get the tip of the blade under the tubing. The idea is completely stolen from Cheri and Turner of Kayak Ways.
Doug
View attachment 9152View attachment 9153View attachment 9154


Thanks Doug. That looks very promising. I'll just have to figure a way to make it work with my existing Paddle Scabbard that holds my spare accessible on my front deck.
P9220168 Etain front hatch cover.JPG
 
Hi Philip,
All I've done on my kayaks is to thread some bungee through plastic tubing and fasten it to the front deck fittings. You cut the tubing long enough so it sits proud of the deck. Really quick and easy to stow the paddle for rescues as you're able to get the tip of the blade under the tubing. The idea is completely stolen from Cheri and Turner of Kayak Ways.
Doug
View attachment 9152View attachment 9153View attachment 9154
Hey Doug. Thanks again to you (and Cheri and Turner) for the idea. I had spare tubing from when I rigged the decklines just in front of my cockpit so they'd be non-cutting handles if someone was steadying my boat for me during an assisted re-entry. So yesterday I did a quick rig of Greenland paddle loops. I may cut them down a little smaller after experimenting with them.
Greenland paddle holder.JPG
 
  • Like
Reactions: CPS
Looks like a great solution!

What are your thoughts on the Kalleq? I’m thinking of picking one up.
 
Looks good Philip! I'm thinking of picking up a set of those scabbards as I find myself using the euro blade quite a bit now. It's all about options right?
Take care, Doug.
 
Looks like a great solution!

Thanks - I'm already scheming on a revised 2.0 version of the paddleholder. I'll do it next time I'm out with my boat.

What are your thoughts on the Kalleq? I’m thinking of picking one up.

Absolutely love it. I got it as a way of reducing the load on my torn shoulder muscles, and I literally haven't used my Euro blade once since I picked it up at the beginning of this season. It makes doing the torso rotation/minimum arm movement stroke far more instinctive, and if you open your hands around it during set-up for a roll, its buoyancy makes it fall naturally in to the correct alignment for a non-sinking sweep.

My fellow guide and mentor, Mike Gilbert at the BC Kayak Centre, can get you supplied with a Kalleq, and you can also take a lesson or two from him on Greenland paddling technique if you want.
 
Absolutely love it. I got it as a way of reducing the load on my torn shoulder muscles, and I literally haven't used my Euro blade once since I picked it up at the beginning of this season. It makes doing the torso rotation/minimum arm movement stroke far more instinctive, and if you open your hands around it during set-up for a roll, its buoyancy makes it fall naturally in to the correct alignment for a non-sinking sweep.

My fellow guide and mentor, Mike Gilbert at the BC Kayak Centre, can get you supplied with a Kalleq, and you can also take a lesson or two from him on Greenland paddling technique if you want.

Awesome, thanks for the review! I have a bad shoulder from a car accident a couple of years back, and have always preferred a GP when I tried them. I’d planned on carving one, but never got around to it and I’ve accepted that it will likely never happen! :p

I was ogling the Kalleq on Mike’s website, along with his lessons. The paddle was actually on sale until yesterday...I should have just bought one, but I’m out of town right now and not 100% sure what length I need (I suspect 230, but don’t have a tape measure handy to do the wingspan test). I want to take some lessons from him as well; I’ll reach out to him when I get home or in the new year.

Thanks again!
 
Just a thought on your bungie/tubing loops at the bow. The loops appear large enough to slide a Euro blade thru if you needed to stash a "rescuee" paddle during a rescue. I typically use a smaller loop for my GP and an attached larger loop to stash the Euro paddle. Your setup could work for both. There are adequate bungies above the cockpit to secure the other end. I can tuck one paddle under my pfd during a rescue, but more than that gets a bit busy for me so I prefer to get both out of the way. One thing to consider is what the rescuee will grab (deck line) if they are reaching for a hold on your foredeck. I have a short tow wrapped across the foredeck around the deck lines to provide a potential solid grab line for a rescue. Deck bungies can make for an interesting rescue attempt.
 
Back
Top