Welcome to the world of the Greenland paddle!
So many paddles from which to chose: western red cedar (quarter-sawn – most expensive but extremely strong ), spruce, pine, fir, laminated specialty woods, fiberglass, carbon fibre. Or making one from just about any wood you have on hand. The only drawback is, using hardwoods on their own for paddles, such as walnut, while making a striking looking paddle, it also makes a heavy paddle.
Wooden paddles are only as strong as their weakest point, just like aluminum, steel, plastic, fiberglass and carbon fibre are. Wooden paddles are warmer to touch, thus keeping your hands warmer.
Greenland paddles, as are Greenland kayaks, should be made to fit the kayaker. Anthropometric measurements are used to determine different paddle sizes. Keep in mind that this is only a guide, and that there are exceptions to every rule.
- Storm paddles are a short paddle which has a popular length of one arm span (distance from fingertips to fingertips with arms extended). If you are taller than this measurement, then use your height measurement.
- If you are thinking of getting a general purpose paddle to be used often for rolling maneuvers, a popular length is one arm span plus the distance from the wrist joint to the fingertips.
- Or just a general purpose paddle, a popular choice is one arm span plus the distance from inside the bent elbow to the fingertips, for narrow kayaks.
- Open your arms wide, measure from fingertip to fingertip, then measure your cubit (from your elbow to your fingertips), add these two measurements together for a total.
- Or reach up as high as you can with feet flat on the floor, pretend your fingers are bend over the top of a door, and measure from the floor to the bend in your hand.
There are several ways to measure for the correct length, I take all these measurements into consideration, plus I like to know what type of kayaking the person is going to be doing, what is the make and model of their kayak, and whether they are going to be doing a lot of rolling.
I am always getting asked “why are Greenland paddles so narrow”? The universal assumption is that Greenlanders did not have enough wood to make wider paddles, that they had to use whatever planks from ships washed up on shore.
Hogwash!
The real reason for the narrow paddle is so that it can be gripped firmly at any point along its length. This is confirmed by the anthropometric measurement for the width of the blade. The width of the widest part of the blade is determined by making a “C” with the thumb and forefinger. The width is the distance between the web of the thumb and the second joint of the forefinger, that is, the maximum distance one can comfortably grip.
The loom, or shaft, of the paddle has a circumference that is determined by touching the tip of the index finger to the tip of the thumb. Many kayakers increase this circumference to suit their personal preference. The loom is usually thicker at right angles (oval shaped) to the blades so that it will be strong in the direction that the paddle force is applied. This also allows a kayaker to know which way the paddle is rotated without looking at it. The length of the loom is slightly more that the width of the kayaker’s hips. A good measurement for the loom is the outside width of the cockpit of the kayak you are using. That way the paddle can lie across this cockpit horizontally and be fairly secure in not sliding off.
Shouldered or un-shouldered…this is mostly a preference. Some paddlers prefer shouldered so when they are rolling they know exactly the orientation of the paddle. While others prefer the smooth transition of the loom to the blade of the un-shouldered paddle, which gives them a very similar/familiar feeling to their old Euro paddle. To each, his own.
One should keep the tip and edges of their paddle smooth, not all jagged and raggy looking. If they are frayed, those edges will pick up water at each stroke, which drips and makes noise that any wildlife you are trying to sneak upon to photograph, will hear.
Paddle tips were originally made of whale bone, but nowadays, they can be made of hardwoods, synthetics, plastics, or just left plain. These added tips, take the full brunt of punishment if pushing off rocks etc., saving the paddle itself, thus making it last longer. I’ve hard maple tips on the one I torture test all the time and it is 4 years old and has hardly any damage that a bit of sandpaper can’t fix in a minute.
When a kayaker starts paddling with a Greenland paddle, the paddle tends to flutter during the first few strokes. This fluttering, or side-to-side motion, of the paddle results from the phenomenon known as vortex shedding, caused by alternating loss of the vortex created along each edge as the paddle is drawn through the water. As long as there are equal vortices along each edge, the paddle will draw straight back, but if the blade angle changes enough for one vortex to drop off, or shed, the unequal pressure kicks the blade to one side, making it flutter. The vortices can be seen by standing at the edge of a swimming pool or on a low dock or pier and drawing a paddle through the water.
Once the kayak gets to cruising speed, the narrow paddle is almost effortless to use and does not flutter. The kayaker grips it where the short loom meets the long blades, wrapping the thumb and forefinger around the loom and the other fingers around the blade. Thus the hands grip the paddle about the same distance apart as the hands normally hang at one’s sides. The upper arms hang naturally near the kayaker’s ribs at the sides, so that the elbows are not lifted out to the side, but pass near the ribs with each stoke. The forearms are held low and more or less parallel to the water surface when paddling. As seen from in front or behind, the angle at which the upper blade is lifted above the water does not exceed more than about 30 degrees with the water, hand about shoulder height. The torso twists slightly with each stroke. As long as the speed is kept at three or four knots, a Greenland kayak is very easy to paddle for hours at a time. The narrow blade seems to have just the right amount of slip at cruising speed. This makes it easy to maintain a paddling cadence of about 60 strokes a minute, by counting “one thousand and one, one thousand and two” as each left and right stroke is made.
Another noticeable feature of the Greenland paddle is its buoyancy. This can be demonstrated by holding the paddle vertically in the water, alongside the kayak. You can throw the paddle into the water at an angle of 45 degrees, and it will sink almost out of sight, and then buoyancy will cause it to jump back into your hand. (watch your face if you are trying this).
The Greenland paddle is very effective for ordinary paddling and is unsurpassed in performing capsizing maneuvers. The long narrow blade functions as a hydrofoil, just as the long narrow wings of an albatross or sailplane are very effective airfoils. When a Greenland paddle is swept through the water at a slight angle of attack, it generates lift. The same applies to sculling movements, when the paddle is oscillated back and forth to generate lift.
When paddling against a strong headwind, a Greenlander can shift the paddle lengthwise with every stroke, so that the advancing blade does not create as much wind resistance. This is done by gripping the paddle in the middle with forefingers touching each other as they wrap around the paddle. For a stroke on the left side, the left hand stays fixed on the loom and the right hand slides out the blade. At the end of the stroke, the right hand is brought back to near the middle of the paddle to become the fixed or control hand for a stroke on the right side. Thus the paddle appears to move lengthwise with each stroke toward the side of which the stroke is being made.
The ”storm paddle,” which is specially made for this method of paddling, has a short loom that is only long enough to accommodate the two hands touching each other. Most Greenlanders prefer a regular paddle length and seldom find it necessary to use the shifting stroke described above.
Another difference between a Greenland paddle and a Euro paddle is that the Greenland paddle if properly built has all the weight in your hands, not out at the tips as most Euro paddles do. Having the weight in your hands makes for a very light feeling paddle, with which you can paddle for hours.
If you are a kayaker who has hurt their shoulders or neck, and has had to have surgery, don’t despair – switch paddles. Same as kayakers who have undergone breast surgery, just switch paddles and you can continue to enjoying your paddling.
A Greenland kayak paddle, used with a low angle will take the stress off your shoulders, elbows and wrists, allowing you to continue paddling and enjoying the outdoors.
The same works for kayakers who think they are over the hill and are thinking of hanging up their kayaks. Maybe all you need to do is switch paddles to continue to enjoy many more years of paddling. Give it some thought.
Author: Jill Ellis
Adanac Paddles
Makers of Handcrafted Traditional Greenland Kayak Paddles
http://www.adanacpaddles.com
