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torso rotation

Stroke angle is mostly determined by the paddle length, which is in turn determined by by the required leverage and cadence. Not unlike the gears on a bicycle. There isn't really a fundamental change in technique.

In situations where I want short bursts of power, like in the surf or rock gardens I will use a shorter paddle and a high cadence. When cruising I'll chose a longer paddle for a more relaxed cadence. It is quite common in surfski races to adjust the paddle length mid race, depending on whether it is an upwind or downwind leg.
 
Paddles are far to costly for me to afford to buy several just to try out. That's not to say they are not worth their price, but only that I personally can't afford them. So I am going to try Greenland paddles because I can make them.

I made one already and find it's a "slow mover" for the forward stroke as compared to my spoon bladed paddle, but for bracing and for sculling it is very easy and smooth to use. My GL paddle is 7 feet long, and I believe I made the loom to long and the blades too short and probably a bit of the narrow side. So the next one I make will be longer (8 feet + or - ) and I think I'll make the loom fairly short like some I see the pictures from a museum in Greenland. My idea is to go longer then normal, and a bit wider on the blades (about 4" to 4-1/4") and try it out. My reason is that if it's too wide and/or too long I can always fix that. Taking more off is easy for me. I can't grown any wood back however.

I am also thinking about making an aluminum sleeve and socket to place in the middle of the loom which will allow me to take it apart for transportation and storage. I have a lathe in my gun-shop, so making a lockable sleeve in the center would not be hard for me to do. If I do that I can also make the paddle short and then add a section in the center when I want a longer paddle, turning the 2 piece paddle into a 3 piece paddle. It could be both 7.5 feet and 8.25 feet, all in one package. My idea to to cut precision threads and a locking collar with a set up for a spanner wrench (which I can also make.) By shouldering the socket of the male and female threads at about 25 degrees I can get a very good cinch and perfect alignment, and I can make an adjustable collar to allow for for thread wear, so normal wear can be taken up over time. All working threads will wear over time and aluminum is going to wear faster then steel, but if I used a locking collar I can always tighten the lock and keep the paddle aligned even as the threads wear over time. You simply adjust the collar instead of the sockets, and lock it when the blades are aligned with each other.

The take-down section would be about 7" long overall, and that's only 3.5" side to side of center, which is the part of the paddle shaft you don't place you hands on most of the time anyway.

The rest of the loom I'd make oval so I can feel the angles of the blades and learn how it should feel. I am unsure if the long dimension of the oval is supposed to align with the blades or is it supposed to be perpendicular to them? I read about them on line, yet I have never seen a real one so I am just guessing. Can someone out there tell me?

To start out I think I'll make a GL paddle at about 8 feet, and then if I can find the time I can always cut it and attach a take-down socket later.
 
SZihn: The oval is perpendicular to the blade. If you start out with a loom that is shorter than you think but maintain full thickness into the blades for a while, you can increase the length of the loom as needed. It is also worth it to make a couple of prototypes out of cheap wood, they might break, but it gives you ability to safe the fancy wood for when you have the shape dialed in.

It's really cool to make something out of $25-$50 worth of wood that is in no way sub-par to $400 piece of store bought carbon!

And, oh, don't go to wide on the blades, you want to be able to have a firm and comfortable grip around the end of the blade for extended paddle maneuvers. The speed will come with proper technique and practice. I have mine at about the crook of my thumb to the first joint of my fingers.
 
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Try to see how fast you can padle your kayak using any stroke you want. ( how long canyon maintain say 5mph)
Depending on your physical conditioning you reach max speed. How long you can sustain the speed depends on 2 factors.
The first factor is the stored energy in your muscles (condition)
once you reach thet threshold you body stops using just oxgyen for energy. Most warm blooded animals, including humans can only last 30 seconds in this phase. Bike and horse races are prime examples of this. If the jock lets the horse go full out to soon, that horse will fade before the Pole. Most kayaking is not racing, but if you get caught in a difficult situation you should know tyour VO2 Max limit. Save that last 30 seconds until you have no other choice. It is called VO2 Max or anaerobic threshold.
 
The first of the links JohnA has shows how to use a plank of wood instead of a 4"x2" and throwing half of it away. The loom is rectangular, with rounded corners because your fingers make right angles when bent at the second joint from the finger nail. You hold with the first finger and thumb on the loom and the rest of the fingers over the start of the blade.

You also push (with the other hand) with the base of the fingers against the flat of the rectangle. Notice how your hands are rather open? No cramping no matter how hard the conditions become. Blade width? So you can grasp it anywhere along its length.

Basically the paddle is ergonomic and developed from thousands of years or so of use.
 
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