Short Paddle Experiment
After seeing Blane out with his 48′ short paddle I decided to give it a try myself. I took out a 60″ C4 Waterman paddle that I have and decided to give the knee paddle method a try today. The conditions were windy, 10 to 20 mph and small waves but I need the exercise and decided to go out anyway.
I also seem to spend a lot of time on my knees or sitting when paddling upwind on windy days so it seemed ok before going out. The short paddle was much easier to use on my knees because I could hold the handle and it gives way more leverage than just choking up on a longer paddle. It was also ok when I sat down and paddled although it was a bit long for that.
I hard a hard time with dropping in late and getting to my feet but that’s not saying much because late drops are hard for me anyway. It’s much easier to get speed and balance on your knees but doesn’t give that cool sensation of standing and paddling.
I think that short paddle in big steep waves is better but on small piddly waves the longer paddle is way more helpful while surfing. I didn’t realize just how much I use the paddle for surfing until today when I instinctively put the paddle out and leaned on it only to find that it wasn’t even in the water as I wiped out.
My legs weren’t sore at all from today’s session which means I’ll have more stamina tomorrow although my abs seem to get a better workout on my knees. It was only a short 1 hour session so I still need to experiment with this more.
I have another C4 paddle that is 49″ long and has a 9.5″ blade which will bring a whole different dynamic. When I give it a shot I’ll post my thoughts.
I’m definitely going to add a shorty to my quiver. I’m forced to kneel sometimes and just choking up on my others is a pain.
BTW, can’t wait to meet you at the board showcase. Gonna be a good time.