Paddle-blades´ largeness as well as its forms: there are available big choice on a market. Each shape has its purpose, passes better through the water, it is better flowed round, so it has less resistance at catch, it is better ruled in water or better kept in water at catch thanks to its bending. On the contrary, blade-placing out of pole-axe offers a possibility to paddle more from „lap“. However, anybody does not suit such shape type. Any shape does not suit the certain way or sort of navigation. It is not our target to specialise for shapes specialities but we wish to instruct you about blades´ paddles suitable for canoes as well as for kayaks.

Paddles for canoes

It is not true that a big blade has the most effective catch. The reason is that anybody is not able to keep it in the water so that the final effectivity would be high. Most of men require bigger blade, in order to set in motion the boat quickly with one hard catch. However, provided we do not have enough training, so it is valid for most of us, that less effort pays as more. On the other hand, one hard catch prevents canoe-capsizing at moment of weir entering. A standard blade largeness is 980 cm² approx. is really good dimension guaranteed with many watermen and years. Anyway, the paddle-technics is quite different, one catch is unsufficient, you need to do two-three catches very quickly. As the blade is smaller it is possible to do it within the same time-interval as one catch with one paddle-blade. Padlle-blades smaller than 980 cm² are used mostly by clients of travel agencies. The reason is: for getting of good feeling from paddling, to cause minimum problems to experienced guide with his raft. Shapes of blades: long narrow blade - used in past, it is suitable for deep water-level. Shapes of blades, used at present: in general, they come out from forms used for slalom. Blades of triangle form are better for frequent paddling: They are used mostly by driving paddlers. The speed canoists use, on the contrary, the blades of great surface, using their power. Paddles with long and very narrow blade are used for navigation on lakes, similar as oval blades. However, these shapes are not used so frequently in our country. They pass out form material and production technoilogy – wooden paddles were manufactured (and are produced now) by natives in exotic countries from one piece of wood by simple working. Would you try to work a blade from 10 cm wide bough!  

Paddles for kayaks

Similar situation is in case of paddles for kayaks. The stage here is rather difficult with an angle of blade turning (bending). Conservative watermen keep right angle, in general, the angles near to nil, the most used move between 60-45 degrees of winding up. It is valid that bigger blade surface requires more power effort for a catch. Smaller surface suita more frequented way of paddling. Paddle shapes play its role here in this case, too. The specialities are as following: long narrow blades with great closing (wings). This apparently very narrow blade  has a big total surface, and with its „packing“ keeps very good in catch, and so minimalises a lost caused by paddle „vibration“ in a water. So, from this reason, this balde type is used mostly by kayak-men on smooth routes and driving-men. For watermen, navigating standard rivers it is suitable an average blade largeness of 720 cm². Largeness scale is quite wide, everybody can choose the type which suits him. For Vltava-navigation - there can be used big blade surface, there is no need of quick reactions and one hard  catch can overcome all. For wild water, on the contrary, especially on narrow blocked flows, there is most suitable and recommended a smaller blade, as kayak, which is more skilful, we can set right  successfully with short quick catches in raid direction.

You can use big blade in a way, that you do not plunge the whole surface in the water, but you do it partially only. Blade-largeness does not play such role for leaning out (this operation is not used any more), in order to get more stabilised catches. Anyway, many watermen use these catches.

It does not exist ideal paddle-blade largeness. We do our best to describe what brings a large blade and what brings small blade. Anybody can try the way what suits him for his navigation style and paddling.

Text: Vojta Jančar

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