: Hi Mike,

: The asymetry was the point, but as I understand a feather (which I find very
: hard to make work) the dominant hand is the control hand and so relegated
: to all the extra motion. If this could be easily reversed, so that the
: non-dominant hand was the control it could be an effective tool for
: balancing strength training, putting more effort on the "off"
: side. I am not suggesting that we should all be paddling with a feathered
: blade, right side or wrong, just that some of us may benefit from
: alternate equipment and the resultant technique on occasion.

: As for the injuries, I'll try to avoid tearing up a shoulder. I have more
: than enough aches and pains as it is; bad knees, arthritic hip, bad back,
: nearly severed tendon in my left hand. Lucky I'm not a horse, I'd have
: been put down already.

: Tom

Hi Tom,
For balancing effort from dominant to the 'off hand', switching paddle to a left-handed one (for a rightie) would work. But after a while, an imbalance could creep in to the opposite side. If you watch out carefully for this, it wouldn't be a problem.
'Course, you'd have to learn how to use a leftie paddle, if you're a rightie. A little bit like trying to writing with the off hand.

Well, some of us have to use a feathered blade, a friend of mine can't handle an un-feathered paddle. He kept capsizing. We'd swopped paddles and I keep mine un-feathered. I went over once but at least I had learned feathered technique years ago. We swopped back fairly quickly.
Both paddles were 'euro' type. I usually use a greenland type. Which is another topic that can raise temperatures.

I don't mind what type of kayak or paddle someone else uses, each has their own preferences. (Ok, a squirt boat on an expedition would be a wee bit daft)
But I will try to get them addicted to SoF and/or G-paddles.

Mike Savage
South West Cork