Solus wrote on Apr 5
th, 2018 at 5:30am:
Hate to differ with you ST, but.... Given the same rate or cadence in a sit down boat designed for hit and switch paddling a bent will be more efficient. For a number of reasons but mainly because a greater amount of the energy expended in a proper bent stroke is transferred to the forward motion of the hull. A double blade results in sideways movement or yaw, Yaw increases the farther the paddle stroke is executed from the center line of the boat. Another big factor in efficiency/energy expended is the mass of the paddle; consider the amount of work over 1000s of strokes of an 8oz bent versus a 32oz double blade.. I'm not asserting that a double blade doesn't work better for you and your style of paddling but I contend (and physics will back me up on this) that in a center seat solo designed for hit and switch paddling (i.e. Magic, Prism, Northstar, Advantage, Voyageur etc) a properly wielded bent is a more efficient means of propulsion.
You can't argue with physics ALL things being equal.
I do know that I've kept pace with tandem boats down a lake with the double paddle something I could never have done with a single-paddle with MY skills.
I've also had tandem canoes with a good team blow by me like I was standing still. I've never seen a solo/single paddler do that but then again maybe they were like me with a single.
I'd like to hear from someone that uses BOTH on a regular basis on a trip? Which is faster for them over a distance assuming they can physically handle the extra weight of a double plus the negative physics involved?
I see more and more solo, paddlers, using them so they must get something out of it?
Maybe I wouldn't feel this way IF my canoe was a true solo and not a tandem?
Maybe when TomT gets his new ride and you can match each other load wise, you could do a single/double match race over a set distance?
Videotape it for sure. I'd love to watch that.