new h2o paddles and paddle length

[montana c-1]

just tried out the new h2o c1 blade, do not know the name of it but it really nice. Any way the paddle I was trying was a 52 inch paddle bent shaft. I liked the quickness of the paddle from power stroke to power stroke. I am currently using a 54 inch stright shaft is it the shaft the size or the paddle, whoa ! that sounded slightly not appropriate for c boats, anyway any thoughts????

[bearboater]

shaun that is almost unintelligible. there are these things we call grammatical rules.

i go by shaft length if the blade is a different dimension than what i am used to. for isntance, my gala 3m, and te5 are different lengths in the blade, and so i made the shafts the exact same. in the end one is about 1/2 inch longer than the other. but it feels the same.
and then i don't understand what you are trying to ask in the rest of the question.
so i guess my answer is shaft length based off of the blade.
if that didn't help. rewrite the question.
cheers
-isaac

[Sir Adam]

Paddle length is generally just that-the entire length of the paddle fromt the grip to the blade tip.

[ezwater]

Montana, if what you mean by a c-1 is what I mean by a c-1, there must be a big difference in our height, because I use 61 to 62 inch slalom paddles. True slalom paddlers much shorter than me usually do not use racing paddles shorter than 58. I honestly don't know the length range for c-1 playboaters, or creekers.

Bent shaft paddles are almost always used by flatwater paddlers in a sitting position, and are typically under 54 inches in length, with a bend from 10 to 14 degrees. I have a home-made 5 degree I use in a kneeling position, and it is only just long enough for my (extreme) height at 61 degrees. It is great for cruising or WW downriver, but does not handle well for slalom.

My opinion, which many do not share, is that c-1 and oc-1 paddles for whitewater should be on the long side, for leverage and good crossing stroke technique.

[montana c-1]

ez water -
my open boat blade is 59 inches and I like it. But with my new boat ( Flirt) there is no way I could use that long of a paddle.
I know what bent shafts are!! what I should have said is an ergonomic kink in the shaft of the paddle with 0 degree bend.

I was really just kinda wondering if people had used those h20 paddles and if they liked them?

Also, if the "kink" in the shaft allows the paddle to be shorter?

anway can't afford another new paddle, guess I'll just trim down my Galasport

thanks for the beta everyone

[John Coraor]

I must also disagree with EZWater's advice regarding paddle length. A 61 or 62 inch paddle is a fairly long C-1 paddle unless the blade is unusually long.

As Bill Endicott notes in "To Win the Worlds," the average slalom C-1 paddle length (as of the early 80s, and assuming a standard blade length) was 59". I can't find anything definitive in print more recently than that, but it seems to me that the trend has been toward slightly shorter paddles in slalom racing in more recent years.

Here is what Davey Hearn has to say about paddle length:

"Many canoeists are confused about how long the paddle should be. First, you can't determine paddle length from your standing height or any related measures, such as "up to your chin." The factors that determine proper paddle length are the paddler's seated height, from seat to shoulder; the height of the seat in the boat; the draw of the boat in the water; and the length of the paddler's arms (lesser influence). A good rule to follow is that the top hand should not be much above or below the top of the paddler's head during the pull-through. People who have problems with the shoulder of the top (offside) arm should use a shorter paddle. The bottom hand should grip the paddle near the blade, or such that when the paddle is held with shaft centered on top of the head, the elbows are bent at roughly 90 degrees."

John

[ezwater]

Davey used to race with a 59" paddle. I am much taller than he is, and a 61.5 inch paddle is just right. Your trouble is you are a runt.

[bearboater]

my slalom blades are 58 and 5/8ths.
my gala that you paddled was 55.5 inches shaun.
i would guess that the ergo shafts either stay the same, or could go a titch shorter. are you buying one? in the semi-not-so-near future?
cheers
hope you like your flirt more than mine.
-isaac

[John Coraor]

EZwater:

I think you missed the point, looking at only total body height is like looking at only total paddle length without bothering to consider differences in blade length. Jon Lugbill is 5' 9", Davey Hearn is 5' 10", and Rob (Bumbo) Robison is 6' 2", yet they all used a 59" paddle (at least at the time of publication of "To Win the Worlds").

John

[cbcboat]

Paddle length is personal preference and there are no "rules" to sizing paddles other than you use what is comfortable to you. Monkey Business, have fun!!

[montana c-1]

Bear Boater-
Already got my Flirt outfitted and paddled Black foot the other night, too bad we are at flood stage and there were no real rapids, just big waves,
An YES I LOVE MY FLIRT
and to answer the other question I, have a demon galasport paddle cut at 54 inches now after paddling the h20 mat 52 I think I might break the epoxy and chop off another inch and see how she handles
see ya on the river Issac

[ezwater]

John C..... You did not read my original post carefully, or you would not have wasted time disagreeing with it. I specifically allowed that some (shorter) people might use a slalom paddle for slalom as short as 58". I indicated that I am taller than the original poster (and I am probably taller between hip joints and shoulder joints than everyone else on this board) and so it was quite clear that I was not recommending 61+ paddles for everyone. Finally, as you noted, Davey and John never used slalom paddles shorter than 58", and I doubt that any other successful racer did either.

[cbcboat]

Spreaking of the "original post", it had nothing to do with slalom at all so why and how did this post get contorted into a slalom related post?? The subject had to do with if any one had paddled with that paddle and what they thought of it and sizes of it!

[ezwater]

I use the same paddles in all my c-1s and open boats. I would say that, for my personal (and often faulty) paddling mechanics, a paddle long enough in my slalom boat is also long enough when I am cruising with camping gear in my Mad River Synergy. If I knew what to do with a short playboat, I might be using a 58" paddle rather than a 61.5.

I would appreciate a website for the H2O paddle.

[the great gonzo]

2 of my 3 main paddles are H20 (or HO's as my buddies call them, since the 2 on the stickers on both paddles fell off ...).

Both are H2) Team C1 paddles, with a straight shaft, as the bend on the bent shaft ones was in the wrong spot for me.
The shape of the blade is great for creeking, due to the width they have a lot of purchase in shallow water, and the blade has enough flex to absorb the impact when bashing off rocks. It does however not slice through the water quite as nicely as a high end slalom paddle.
They are a great choice for creeking and running shallow rocky rivers as well as for playboating, but maybe a bit less suited to slalom paddling.

http://www.h2opaddles.com/whitewater.php

martin a.k.a. the great gonzo!