Another consideration From these illustrations, you can see how grain can affect construction when shaping a paddle in wood milled from a slightly bent tree (illustrations on right), compared to shaping a paddle in wood sawn from a straight tree (illustration at left).

The tree at left would produce a well shaped paddle in terms of grain while the tree at right would produce a paddle in grain that might easily result in warping.

Yet another consideration Often cutting a paddle in the plank results in a bit of surplus material too small to fit a second paddle inside.

It's possible to cheat a bit and angle the template, fitting a padde in the top part and fitting another paddle in the bottom part. This may produce warping with the paddle in the shaft area and cause the shaft to break when the using the paddle in situations requiring a lot of force. Choosing a paddle in solid wood Paddle in various hand positions for leverage Store your paddle in optimum conditions.

Getting the most out of your paddle in the water Illustration A Holding the paddle near the bottom of the shaft makes paddling a bit easier. You're using leverage to gain mechanical advantage. Note the distance the load (the green box) moves when the top of the lever is pushed down. Compare this to the illustration below to see what happens when you slide the bottom hand up the shaft a bit.

Illustration B By holding the paddle in a "choked up" position higher up the shaft, you can move a lot more water for the same amount of movement with your arms. This means more work, but your ability to move water is often critical when paddling rapids. By holding the paddle in this position, its possible to make one effective stroke compared to two or three less effective ones in the illustration above. This is the best grip to use when you paddle in white water, but it's also very effective for most conditions you might paddle in. See the chart for comparison

What's the most effective position for your paddling style?

The Purple bar represents the distance that the hands move on the paddle. The Green bar represnts the distance moved by the paddle in the water. In Ilustration A, the paddle movement isn't as much as in Illustration B Hand position A is easier on the arms, but not as effective in the water as hand position B Illustration A Illustration B  Choosing a paddle in solid wood Paddle in various hand positions for leverage Store your paddle in optimum conditions.                                     To keep your paddle in top notch condition, proper storage is essential. Ideally, keep the paddle in a cool dry environment when it's not in use. The temperature shouldn't vary a lot and there should be no direct sunshine on the paddle. It's also a good idea to suspend the paddle in a vertical position by tying a string on the grip and hanging it in a position that doesn't contact anything. Keep water from penetrating the wood by touching up any bare spots with linseed oil. Before storing the paddle for the winter, sand and varnish it if required. Be careful about leaving your paddle laying on the ground. A paddle in direct sunlight on cool, damp ground can easily warp because of the difference in temperature between the top and the bottom. Wooden paddles should last a lifetime when cared for properly.  Choosing a paddle in solid wood Paddle in various hand positions for leverage Store your paddle in optimum conditions. -back to Blazing Paddles web site -