
During the stroke the Greenland paddle is held low at the roots of the blades while the upper arms hang close to the ribs. Positioned at right angles to the upper arms, the forearms remain bent throughout the stroke. Rotating your torso in the direction of the stroke, while pulling through with your arms, produces the basic paddle stroke. The paddle blade, tipped/canted slightly forward, is dipped into the water towards the feet while the arms swing back and forth with the torso. Paddlers using the basic stroke find it relatively quick, and circular, with a cadence of about 60 strokes a minute.
Some paddlers, new to the Greenland style, feel an annoying vibration while making the stroke. This can be corrected by holding the paddle correctly, palms facing each other and the lower arms held at right angles to the upper arm and the paddle loom resting on the soft spot between the thumb and index finger the top edge of the blade will normally tip slightly forward. This is the angle (or “can’t”) that the blade should enter the water. Once you have determined the “cant,” grip the root of the blade while maintaining that angle and make the stroke. If a vibration is felt during the stroke the top edge of the blade is simply not being held/tipped forward slightly.
You don’t have to paddle a Greenland style kayak to benefit from a Greenland paddle. I’ve been using a Greenland paddle exclusively for eight years. My upper body and arms never tire. The Greenland paddle offers maximal endurance.
Beautiful, old growth Western Red Cedar Greenland paddles are hand-crafted, hand-rubbed with several coats of Tung oil. A spar varnish will be applied if requested. VIPaddles blades are tapered from a unique soft shoulder to a round tip approximately 8.6cm (3&3/8”) wide. The semi/almost round looms range from approximately 54cm (21″) long for people with a narrower boat to 66cm (26”) in length for paddlers with wider kayaks. Some VIPaddlers with small hands have smaller diameter looms. Cedar Greenland paddles weigh less than most composite and plastic “Euro” paddles used by paddlers who aren’t familiar with the benefits of Greenland paddles. The light weight of VIPaddles impress many paddlers; some touring paddles weigh as little as 0.6kg (22oz). Over all lengths vary from approximately 208cm (82”) and up.
The length of the loom is usually determined by the distance between your palms, parallel and facing each other, with your arms held loosely by your side at right angles from your hips. This distance should be adjusted upward if you have a wider kayak.
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