Is the Euro Paddle the power of the Dark Side?

I am going to try using a euro paddle for some of my day trips and maybe even longer trips to see how I do. Is this the power of the darkside at work? I am not going to make any grand predictions. My experience with the towing demonstration at the WMCKA Symposium 2008 has shaken my belief that the two paddles are really equal in all things. I love using a Greenland style paddle. I love the simplicity, the natural ergonomic weight of it, the symmetry, and of course the natural buoyancy. I really enjoy working on the rolls, and all of my strokes with the traditional blade. But after three years kayak surfing, and using a white water blade, first a Double torque Lendal XTI 194cm, and now a Werner Sidekick 194cm straight shaft, I am finding I like the quick application of power the really big spoons provide. The Iggy and the Stooges Raw Power.

I will share one anecdote about one tight spot I was in about 3 years ago in a sea kayak that might demonstrate what the key differences are between the paddles. Jason Roon and I were out kayak surfing in long boats on Lake Michigan in summer in 2005. It was a rip roaring day with steep vertical faces. Wind was around 15-20 knots. Waves were 3-5 feet. I was surfing my Nigel Foster Silhouette using a home made western red cedar traditional paddle. Jason was in a P&H Sirius with a Lendal Kinetic Crank Shaft 210cm paddle. Near Deer Lick south of South Haven there is a small cove built out of truck tires and concrete pilings, rebar and a bunch of other lake refuse. As nasty as it sounds, this is an excellent place to surf because of the depth and the reflection waves. It’s a good play area. The only danger is getting caught on the inside because if you swim or get surfed in you are on the rebar and concrete.


Jason and I surfed in on the same wave but spread out by at least 50 yards. I surfed about twenty yards and pitchpoled my sea kayak. (There were no board surfers in sight and Jason was 50-60 yards away). I surfed in upside down the rest of the way, and then rolled up. I edged my kayak and turned around. In this process I managed to capsize again. I rolled up again. Now that I was pointed the right way. I tried to break out. The reflection waves and the pounding that cove was taking kept knocking me sideways and back. I was coming dangerously close to the concrete and rebar sticking into Lake Michigan. Each time I was ready to punch through I’d get knocked back and over again. I’d roll up each time and be forced to start over. Jason had already broken out, and was contemplating coming in to tow me out. Finally I started using a sliding stroke and used every ounce of strength I possessed to punch out.

In summary Jason and I are fairly equal in paddling skill and strength, but he managed to break out, where I was struggling. I think a bigger spoon blade might have allowed me to break out at least on the second try.

I have not really used a Euro blade to do any serious distances since about 2001. So I might be in for a real eye opener there. The traditional paddle is something I have likened to granny gear on a bicycle, high cadence, or high rotation of strokes with continual movement. The paddler does not have to lift their arms very high, and can sink the blade deep with minimal effort repeatedly. I think this is really the benefit of the paddle. You can go all day at high repetition with minimal effort.

I’ve been using a 85” Superior Carbon Fiber for about three years now. I think it is a really excellent paddle. It is scary light, super stiff, and very buoyant. My only complaint is the sound of loose foam rattling around inside from my abuse of the paddle over three years on Lake Michigan and Superior.

I’ve selected a 205 cm Carbon Crank shaft Werner Ikelos for a trial run, it is the big spoon of Werner’s Touring Line and I hope to give it a spin in the near future to see if I can put it through it’s paces. I think the real test will be over distances if the higher angle stroke with more catch can be sustained.

I have not fallen out of love with traditional paddling by any means. But I have had more experience using both now that I have been surfing with one and touring with the other. I would like to give the euro paddle a try again on some longer trips and see which is right for me. Curiosity and continuous discovery are important. Questioning what you know, and what you believe are always good things. These questions lead you somewhere, and for me I think these questions like a lot of searches may only lead to more questions, but that’s ok. Being able to teach effectively with both I think is also crucial. Not having a bias may provide some of my guinea pigs with a little perspective.

Also I’ve been practicing all of my Greenland competition rolls with my surf paddle and I think it works pretty well. Storm rolls, reverse low brace, shotgun, and even spine rolls do work with the modern blade. Zero feather angle is really important.

tags: euro paddle   greenland paddle   lendal   Nigel Foster   Nigel Foster Silhouette   P&H   sea kayaking   Towing a sea kayak   werner  

Had my first sub twenties commute of the year. I felt much warmer than last year. Ninjaclava from Outdoor Research was a plus, as were the Cyclone Booties from Pearl Izumi.

However as I had some new gear on that seems to be working out, I thought I would point out a few losers from last year that I thought would work out well but ended up failing miserably.

The Bad and the Ugly

1. The EKG Base layer from Pearl Izumi
I bought two of these as base layers. They were comfy and next to skin good for about two days. Both of them developed holes in the armpits that grew in size. Either I have acid in my sweat like a Geiger alien, or Pearl Izumi needs some QC/QA.
2. Thermafleece Tights Pearl Izumi discontinued. These started out warm, snug, and terrific. They now have developed a hole in the arse and in the crotch. Again is it acid eating sweat, or poor QC/QA? Do the people that rave about Pearl Izumi all the time actually use their gear at all? For the price, almost double HIND or Sugoi gear; they better last more than a season.
3. Louis Garneau Cycling Gloves-these things suck as cycling gloves. They do not block wind in anything below 45 degrees, and they are not water resistant.

1. Lendal Paddle Kinetic XTI White Water paddle-Previously posted

   Editorial note, they are shipping me a new paddle that has as of yet not arrived.

   The Good

2. CW-X Lite-fit Top
I bought two of these to replace the Pearl Izumi tops. One year on, they are still taking the abuse of my acidic alien armpit sweat. I’ve worn them under drysuits, ski jackets, and cycling jerseys. No rips no runs, still like new.
3. NRS Toaster Mitts

Great 30 dollar investment.

1. Mega Maverick

Great carving machine, many many fun rides in this downwave maniac. I can’t say enough good things about Mega’s surf boats. More fun than I am legally allowed to have.

1. IR Custom Drydeck

Great heavy duty rubber randed sprayskirt custom made to my kayak. No more cold water ejections. No Tag

For two short weeks I was the proud owner of an 8 Gig iPod Nano third generation. I loaded music on it, and merrily listened to it through an FM tuner adapter in my old volvo. Dec 26th, while carrying my sleeping seven year old daughter into the house, I stupidly forgot to go back and lock my car. Some lucky fool trolling through my parents posh suburban Clarkston neighborhood spotted the gold bomber from the street went up, found the car unlocked and removed the ipod, part of my dashboard (wholly unneccessary), and the adapter. I guess this is why I shouldn’t have nice stuff…

There are flesh eating microbes awaiting someone’s testicles in hell.

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There are a lot of choices out there for hand-wear: Gloves, mitts, pogies. I’ve had at least three different types of gloves since I started paddling. My Salamander gloves are pretty great most of the time. But gloves for warmth have never been the best option. The inuit knew this, the Norse knew this too. Your fingers go numb pretty quickly in cold water and you have to paddle hard for sometimes as much as fifteen minutes to force circulation back into your painfully numb fingers. The Inuit used a sealskin mittens also known as: maattaalit or in East Greenland it is known as: aaqqatit .

Obviously one big wrapper for your hands with a good insulating layer and a weatherproofing layer would protect the hand better than a glove. For more information on sealskin mitts, visit the British Museum Exhibit on Greenlandic Clothing .

I decided to give the NRS Toaster Mitts a try yesterday on a nice sea kayak paddle on Lake Michigan. The air was in the thirties, and the water is in the mid forties. My hands were nice and toasty the entire time. The mittens obviously limit your manual dexterity somewhat. I was still able to use my camera and scratch my nose. I also discovered that wearing a watch with gloves is a problem. Seven plus years of paddling and I just figured that out yesterday. I will have to try the toaster mitts out on a textured water day to see how good the grip is under duress. But I performed a few rolls including a palms up handroll flawlessly, I like the additional buoyancy. Maybe the forward-forward handroll will finally become easy!

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Some days you can’t get a break, and then you do…

I seem to be on a run of bad luck that won’t quit. I’ve finally gotten all the right gear, the right craft, and enough skill to surf big fall storm waves. But now I just can’t seem to get some good luck. I went on a Saturday afternoon, (unheard of in the realms of storm surfing) and suited up. I had a nice northerly break where I could get out easily. Off the pier were some monsters. I caught a couple of ok rides where I had to paddle hard to get on. And then I caught some scary ones where I intentionally capsized to let a monster ten foot wave break over me. I more often than not found myself accidentally righted and then surfing in anyway. I caught one absolutely beautiful ride where a good seven or eight foot wave came up, and I was finally in the right spot at the right time, so I carved down the face diagonally toward the pier, and then saw more green water to my right so I cut back away from the wall and kept surfing all the way to the beach.

When I broke back out I was out maybe 30 yards off the pier. A huge steep dumper took me by surprise. I capsized intentionally to let it go over me, but it took me and threw me from the top to the bottom, it felt like I was thrown a full ten feet in the air and I hit hard, I was knocked into the cockpit luckily but I think the tunnel on my drysuit let in some water. I was sinking hard to stern when I rolled up. I thought for sure the boat was cracked somewhere at the stern. I paddled the flooded boat all the way in, but I took the skirt off to level it out.

I got it dumped out and inspected the boat. No damage. So I looked out there and thought ok, I can’t let it beat me. So I got back in and headed out. I kept thinking about the one sweet ride. I was in exactly the right spot when another huge wave broke where it shouldn’t have been breaking. I capsized intentionally again. The turbulence was incredible. I held onto the paddle for dear life thinking, “hold on, hold on, it’ll pass.” And then my right paddle blade snapped off from my Lendal four piece. After my experience with hand rolling up to find myself presented with a no-win situation, I just got pissed and wet exited.

I swam the boat in again, and a boardie collected my wreckage of foam outfitting shook loose from the boat.

After all my experiences surfing, I’ve sort of gotten it into my head, perhaps erroneously that if I held onto my paddle and could roll up I’d be safe. To have my paddle snapped off by a wave sort of weakens my confidence in that particular piece of equipment. Lendal paddlok’s are supposed to be sort of indestructible aren’t they?

Am I out of my element chasing storms and 10 foot waves in a small kayak? Are my dreams for a perfect ride at my home break a fools errand? Is it really just beyond me and my skill to do it?

I hope not. I hope it’s just some bad mojo that will pass.

Some Days-U2
Some days are dry, some days are leaky
Some days come clean, other days are sneaky
Some days take less, but most days take more
Some slip through your fingers and onto the floor
Some days you’re quick, but most days you’re speedy
Some days you use more force than is necessary
Some days just drop in on us
Some days are better than others
Some days it all adds up
And what you got is not enough
Some days are better than others
Some days are slippy, other days sloppy
Some days you can’t stand the sight of a puppy
Your skin is white but you think you’re a brother
Some days are better than others
Some days you wake up with her complaining
Some sunny days you wish it was raining
Some days are sulky, some days have a grin
And some days have bouncers and won’t let you in
Some days you hear a voice
Taking you to another place
Some days are better than others
Some days are honest, some days are not
Some days you’re thankful for what you’ve got
Some days you wake up in the army
And some days it’s the enemy
Some days are work, most days you’re lazy
Some days you feel like a bit of a baby
Lookin’ for Jesus and His mother
Some days are better than others
Some days you feel ahead
You’re making sense of what she said
Some days are better than others
Some days you hear a voice
Taking you to another place

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I picked up a new bike on Thursday from Loose Spokes.
The Bianchi San Jose is technically a cyclocross bike. It is a steel frame bike with top tube routed brakes. The bike is excellent, it is crisp and smooth on the pedal and seems to be very tough. I wanted a single speed steel bike for my daily Michigan commute in the off-season. I essentially went through every drive train component on my Felt F1X last winter. And while Ultegra is not Campagnolo it wasn’t cheap either. So I decided to go all out and buy a complete bike. The idea of a Surly single speed was very appealing, but a frame plus all the components I needed would be almost double what I paid for the San Jose.

I swapped out the stock drop bars for the Nitto moustache bars. I dug in and figured out how the brake levers come off, and then how to apply handlebar tape. Not really that hard. But I think I could’ve done a better job.

I think the bars are pretty sweet. Nice hand position. I just need to get my lights on it and maybe a new saddle.

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Surfing hydraulics are indeed the stuff of legends. Once the waves start to top out at 8 feet or so they can do some pretty impressive things. When the waves spill the forces within are quite strong. This is an understatement of Olympian proportions.

The forecast was for 8-10 foot waves with wind at 30 knots, gusting to 35 knots out of the northwest. It was every bit the forecast for once. Rain came down in cool, but painfully side ways sheets. It was so wet it was hard to tell up from down at times. The path on the south side of the pier looked like a runway. Flat with a bit of occasional white water. The rocks that are pushed up against the pier were uncovered in the troughs of waves, meaning a serious amount of water was being displaced during each wave period. I broke out with ease for once.

The wave period appeared to be about 5 seconds. People on the west coast will laugh at this, but it is what we get. I caught some decent, (quick rides) Steep waves where I was able to carve a little before riding onto the back of the next wave. I typically saw something big coming paddled like hell and tried to grab onto green water by high brace ruddering to slow myself down to hang in the power pocket. A couple times I was unceremoniously spat out of the green water by a mountain of hissing white water. But for the most part it seemed pretty benign.

After catching some fun rides I got caught at the bottom of a big wave without any hull speed. As I tried to get up to speed I was drawn to the top and then dumped to the bottom by the wave as it curled and collapsed. Funny but I remember the sensation as I was sucked up, and then dropped down in it’s distinct pieces like I was watching someone else. Then when I rolled up I was surfing backwards, “woohoo!!!!”-I thought, but another wave broke on me, and in the ensuing dynamics I was promptly sucked completely out of the kayak, skirt and all.

I took my paddle and began to swim to my swamped kayak. I got in and paddled it for a few minutes and got it close. Then I got out and swam with my paddle all the way in until I could stand.

Luckily I hadn’t been out further than the pier. Or I could have been in for a long confused swim. Also again, I had a lifejacket, helmet, and drysuit. But my skirt did not hold very well. I’ve been using a touring deck that is neoprene from mountain surf. It’s pretty decent, but not as good as a pure white water skirt obviously. Although I’m not sure any skirt would have held me in.
It was an interesting experience that maybe I can ward off next time with a tougher rand on the skirt. But I’m not sure I’m ready for the seat belt! In my three years of small boat, or surf boat surfing this is the first time it’s happened. And it never happened while sea kayaking other than when I had a crappy nylon skirt when I first started out.

But float bags are on the list too. I’ve delayed on common sense for too long on those.

No Tag

Jason Roon and I headed out to South Haven with the wind roaring in the treetops like an angry lion wanted them to fall over.

We arrived on South Haven north beach to see that the wind had died out almost entirely from the south west. We drove back to the south beach side and found some nice, chest high spillers. Slow peaky waves with a nice frequency. Jason took some nice photos for me, excusing the speedo shot.

I had the Maverick out with increased outfitting. The backband is still not right. Will give it another go tomorrow probably with a new backband.

Check out my End of Summer Gallery at Picasa.

On a usability note, the gallery software is excellent for those with a PC. If you are looking for a good free way to share photos, give it a whirl.

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My Mega Maverick finally saw the sort of conditions it needed to properly surf our fresh water seas. Off Point Betsie Lighthouse near Frankfort Michigan this Sunday, 3-6 foot waves were pushing in from the southwest. It was a steady slug fest into the wind to get out. I caught a few outside rides, but most of the steeper rides were closer to shore. After two hours slugging it out with the wind. I risked heading over to the north side of the breakwall. Much to my satisfaction I found clean steep faces out of the wind whipping around the wall. I caught steady rides with nice diagonal runs towards shore on greenwater the whole way in. I broke back out several times and kept surfing until I couldn’t move.

The Maverick surfs steep waves really well and carves like a dream. It has great turning off the bottom and allowed me to hold my line well. I find I am able to hold a line better than I did in my Boogie due primarily to the sharper rail. The outfitting from the factory for lack of a better word is abysmal. I’ve made some decent foot braces, but I need to make some more hip pads, a custom backband to really get comfortable. A drain plug wouldn’t kill Malcom either…

Checkout the Mega Kayaks for sale at Grand Mere Sports

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Courtesy of Grand Mere Sports

Mega Surf Kayaks are now for sale.

Mega Maverick and the Mega Neutron are both available for demo and for sale.

Both polyethylene kayaks are: $1150.00

The Maverick

Following on from the great success of the X-Ray ,Mega are delighted to introduce the “Maverick” polyethylene surf kayak. Based upon the amazing Intruder and Mustang the Mavericks performance is astounding. Fast, tight carving turns with great dive back up the face of the wave.
Designed very much along the lines of modern wave ski hulls the Maverick turns very much “Off the Tail” making incredibly tight cut backs and lip turns. Down the line speed is awesome!

Theres plenty of room and floatation for bigger guys 6’3” is no problem! Recent test pilot weighed in at 230lbs, (100kgs)
Outfitting includes Three fin boxes, triple laminate foam pillars, molded seat with foam butt pad insert, adjustable back strap, adjustable thigh braces toggle ties and footblocks.

 

The Neutron

Mega’s latest surf kayak the “NEUTRON” is now in production. A 100% performance orientated barnstormer, strong emphasis has be put on power and how the kayak can generate more from the wave. When we finished with the power we took away the resistance – the result… With the flat hull low rails and power pocket rear end you will send this boat into orbit. Ski type Ariels, slides,360’s and floaters are here!
It offers the smoothest flowing ride on mellow waves, the ability to grip a wave like mad when things get bigger, speed that will alter your perception on life and carving ability sooo tight and soo smooth you will feel like your surfing …..a super grippy smooth thing!!
The Neutron is taking the Kayak surfing world to new limits – places that others can only dream of. Get a life, get a Neutron!

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