DentonDoc wrote on May 31^st, 2011 at 5:17am:


I use a 9ft Mohawk double paddle they advertised as being for canoes.
In a rented SR 16 tandem, paddling backward from the front seat, the paddle is just right. Not sure what a true solo width is, but probably pretty close to the dimensions I'm dealing with. I'd say a 9 ft would be a good place to start. I can do a rolling type cruising stroke that keeps me dry and is a good mix of power and economy of energy.

I'd put on drip rings in any case, can't hurt.

Yep, the C is your friend. 

I also find that an inwater return makes for a nice easy correction.  Instructors I've spoken with often talk about having your paddle in the water.  The paddle's no good if it's not in the water.  You're much more stable this way.

Practice with the bent is key.  I have no problem with a J using my Grey Owl bent. 

Short strokes are more efficient & powerful.  Reach, stab the water, stacked hands, torso rotation, recover/correct as bottom hand passes the knee.

I guess I already c stroke without even knowing that's what it is .

Next up for me is to go somewhere for a whitewater seminar. Right now I'm a chicken..........

mastertangler wrote on Apr 17^th, 2011 at 2:12pm:


Here's a repost of a link from another thread
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I like Bill Mason's instructional vids better than anything I've run across on u-tube, even if they are a bit dated.

J-strokes are harder with a bent shaft because the blade of the paddle is at the wrong angle for the stern pry unless you move it farther out from the boat. So prying off the gunwale (klunk ... klunk ... klunk) will not work, it has to be done with the shoulder muscles. A C stroke (added bow draw) makes things easier by shifting a bit of the course correction work to the start of the stroke from the end.

wally wrote on May 31^st, 2011 at 4:04am:

I suspect something of the 9 foot (270/274cm) persuasion would be about right.  (I also added a second set of drip rings to my rig (one set just above the paddle blade and a second set about a foot further up the shaft.

dd

I found the same drip/wetness issues with a yak paddle in my Prism.  What length is usually sought after for a solo canoe?

I just took my brandy-new, hot off the finishing cradles, cedar strip Merlin on its maiden cruise on a local river this morning.  My first paddle in a purpose built solo.  I have a sliding seat, and took along a 230 cm bent shaft yak paddle (because I have one!), and two bent-shaft paddles (52 and 56 cm).

Now ordinarily I'm a slow cadence deep-dipping, power stroker who uses an occasional light J to keep the pointy end pointed where want to go.  But this morning I learned some hard truths about a center seat solo canoe... particularly one that isn't loaded down with gear:

1)  Yep!  They handle just like tandems in the wind:  bow heavy up wind good, stern heavy bad (and vice versa for downwind)
2)  A standard yak paddle is WAY too short!  I gotta find a nice long one so I don't have to raise it to a steep angle just to reach the water.
3)  Drip rings are worthless when the paddle is so short and the angle so high that the ring comes inside the gunnels on each stroke... they just make sure that rivulet dumps right in your lap!
4)  A comfortable bent shaft used in the conventional sit & switch manner can get you 4-8 good strong strokes on one side before the bow starts swinging too much and a switch is needed.

No news in any of these observations, just confirmation that a new, long 'yak paddle is in my near future... and hopefully Woodland Caribou not long after that!

Quote:



If you use a double paddle, this item will help immeasurably with the drip problem if your paddles stroke lends to water running down the shaft.

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I have these, but a Google search shows many styles. I see one model that's made of silicone. Well worth the minimal cost/weight.

This is a helpful thread, thanks to everyone for their input.  A couple years ago my sister rented a Bell solo with a lot of rocker (I forget the model name). I tried doing the Minnesota Switch but could not get tracking at all.  The C worked best for me, but it was still a learning curve (as it were).

Paddling a tandem is so intuitive for me, getting used to the solo without the offsetting stroke of a bowman on the other side is a challenge, but a fun one.  Double blades wear me out, so I'm going to stick with working on mastering the single blade in the solo.  Besides, to me it feels "right" to have a single blade in a canoe.

db wrote on Apr 22^nd, 2011 at 6:59pm:


If I may add to that.
The better the paddle, the easier it is to feel when you're doing it right (or improving). It's intuitive, so just keep playing with your technique. I say improving, cause paddlers are always seeking a better stroke, nirvana.