: I am going to make a greenland storm paddle but I am unsure about how long to
: make the loom. Some web sources list one fist wide while others list two.
: It seems to me that a one fist wide paddle would make it difficult to
: switch hands on the sliding stroke but I would like the paddle to be as
: short as possible without sacrificing leverage. I would appreciate any
: info- especially if you use a greenland storm paddle. Thanks, John

John,

John Heath has said that the loom of the Greenland storm paddle is two fists wide. Kaleraq Bech, president of the Greenland Kayak Club, told me that three fists was the measurement used in Sisimiut, Greenland. In "Skinboats of Greenland", H.C. Petersen mentions a loom width of 25cm for a particular specimen in Kangaamiut. This dimension just happens to work out to three fists for me. I don't think the exact dimension is critical, I have used paddles based on both two and three fist-width looms and don't have a clear preference for either. Also the length of the paddles differ -- paddles tended to be shorter in windy locations. The one-arm span measurement works fine for me, however.

Don't expect to find perfect agreement on your sources. Greenland paddles are tailored to the local conditions and traditions, and vary from town to town.

Maligiaq Padilla advocates the use of the forward tilting blade technique (see the discussion in the technique forum) for use with the storm paddle as well as the longer "cruising" paddle. Along with the sliding stroke, Maligiaq also teaches that the storm paddle should be held quite vertical.

Greg Stamer
Orlando, Florida