: Speaking of paddles....I am trying to
: decide what paddle will be the best one to use for my river trip (approx.
: 3000 kms with a little white stuff along the way). Most of the trip is
: slow downstream, especially across the canadian prairies. I currently use
: a Grey Owl paddle with a blade width of 16 inches. When I use this paddle
: I feel like I am paddling my ass off but not going at quite the speed I
: want. It's weight is good (not sure what it is but not heavy at all). I
: really enjoy cutting through the water and stirring up a nice wake. What
: blade width would be ideal for someone a bit stronger to use over the
: length of a days paddle? What is the best brand to use?

Asking for help over the internet with fitting a paddle is like asking for help with fitting shoes -- without letting anyone see your feet. It might work, or it might not -- but I'd put my money on NOT.

Even so, hopefully someone can help you.

I have no answers for you, but there were a few things that came to mind that you might want to consider.

I have no idea what brands of paddles are available near you. Trying out several is a wonderful thing to do, and paddling stores should let you do this.

Have you checked your boat speed with a GPS or a reliable timing over a measured distance? There are a lot of paddlers (and you may be one) who are strong enough to push their boats at about the fastest speed the hulls were designed for. Beyond that you can work MUCH harder, and gain only a little in speed. If you are one of these types of paddlers, then you should look for a faster hull.

If you go with a longer paddle you change your leverage in pushing the water, and get a longer stroke. You push back more water on each stroke, so you have mroe energy pushing you in the opposite direction, but as the paddle gets longer the effort is exerted further from the centerline of the boat. This might give you a bit more of a torque effect, turning the boat to the opposite side. From a steering point of view, the turning is negated by an equal paddle stroke on the opposite side of the boat, but for both strokes you are putting your effort further away from he centerline of the boat, and that is less efficient. From an efficiency point of view, the ideal spot to push is along the centerline of the boat. (think about those Mississippi steam boats with their paddlewheels)

Instead of changing the paddle you might want to change your paddling style. (or both!) How deep do you currently dip your paddle? Is it currently submerged 100%? how far from the centerline is it?

If you feel that you are strong enough, go with a wider paddle. For a quick and dirty trial, make some test paddles from a closet pole and varius shapes of paddle blades cut from plywood. Use a couple of woodscrews to hold the things together. Don't bother with paint or varnish. If you don't want to use a closet pole, uou could cut paddle shapes from some plywood and duct tape them to your current paddle. All you want ot do is to see if added width makes a difference. The added weight would probably be a pain, but you could see if pulling a wider blade through the water was what you wanted. If so, then go find a well made paddle that has a length and blade shape and size that comes closest to what you liked from your prototypes.

Pick a length that allows the paddle to reach the water, and decide if you want stick the paddle in almost vertically -- something like a canoe paddle. There would be more twisting with that, and possibly that would not be a good thing for you, particularly for a long trip.

Just a few thoughts. Hope they help.

PGJ