For over forty years all of my paddling be it white water, flat water, ocean paddling has been done with a flat blade paddle. I always wondered about the wing blades being used by Olympic paddlers and Surf paddlers alike but never tried one.
When I started training for this event and started to focus on my speed across the water I realised I was slower than I wanted to be – I paddled harder with the flat blade and of course sped up but fatigued quickly. I decided to try the wing blade.
Measured with my GPS unit I immediately noticed an increase in speed – one kmph with the same effort touring stroke and consistently 2kms faster with solid effort. It took some time to get use to as you paddle a lot closer to the boat with this blade, it is also a bit of a pain at rest as it catches the wind and water, it doesn’t sit evenly on the water surface like the flat but over the past few months I have become very comfortable with it.
I understand the paddle catches more water as it only allows the water to spill off one side of the blade.
Where speed across the water is needed I cannot imagine using anything else now. When exploring and cruising I will stick with the flat blade.
Macca and I are half way to Brooklyn – four days until the event…. My right shoulder just pinged thinking about it.
Something fun – we saw an Emu in a sugar cane paddock as we drive through McLean, yep bird watching at 100kmph can be done – so good to see one in the wild.
DT
redwinekayaks 