Q&A: Greenland Paddle in Recreational Kayak? High vs Low Angle Paddling - Kayak Hipster 

Actually, I would recommend greenland paddels for beginners, for a different reason: it is easier to learn how to handle. Never need any twisting, doesn't get stuck in the water the way euro paddels do, especially when side-sculling. It doesn't dive as easily as regular paddles. In all, they're much smoother in the water. And: they save your shoulders!

Very helpful - thank you! Your cartoon/diagrams are excellent for learning.

One way to use a Greenland paddle with a rec, boat is to add 4in to the length paddle from what you would use on a boat under 22in wide. When I switch from one of my seat kayaks to one of my touring boats which is 29 in wide I use my inuksuk paddle rather than one of my hand carved paddles. The inuksuk paddle is a two-piece paddle that the loom is adjustable. So I just stretched the paddle out to make it long enough to get around the sides. That paddle is a bit pricey but worth every penny. Great video! Here in Ohio we get some weird looks with Greenland paddles. Even up on lake Erie not many people use these things. I even went as far as to start carving my own.

I would love to see a two-piece greenland paddle made with a longer loom to accommodate using it with a recreational kayak like the Oru Inlet. Not everyone has the space to store or ability to transport a hard shell kayak. I like the smaller storage space needed, ease of portability, lighter weight, and fast set-up of the Inlet, but want to use a greenland paddle for the quiet and peace of paddling on a lake. I hope someone reads this and makes one.

Interesting way of demonstrating the differences, I feel that the sliding stroke of the Greenland would be beneficial when using it with a rec kayak

Thank you for a very informative video! The cartoon figures really helped me understand better what is going on.

Very helpful video and comments from folks with experience with the Greenland paddle. I am interested in it because I do have a bad shoulder.

Thank you so much for answering my question, and so quickly. Your video was very helpful! I will definitely be signing up for office hours. :D

Well described.

Thank you! Super helpful☺️🚣🏻‍♂️☺️

Thanks. A very good way to explain the different options 🙂

Thanks a lot for your profound explanations. I learned a lot of new things. 😃

I use my greenland paddle in my fishingkayak (85cm wide) and it works well. But as you mention, I cant really putt the whole plade into the water. But that hasnt been much of an issue so far. The smoother paddlestrokes makes up for it. And Im not going on long trips anyways so I can get away with non optimal efficiancy.

Need a longer than average GP loom , for a Rec kayak. When my father paddles his Pungo 140, he uses a GP with a 24” loom. Paddle length is about 90” altogether. Another friend paddles a Wenonah Canoe, with a 90” GP. It was carved by Lumpy, many years ago.

Well explained, good job, thanks

Well explained.

Brillant.

Okay. So my kayak is wide therefore no Greenland paddle bling for me. Thanks, that was really helpful.

Very informative, thx 🙏 much appreciated

Perfect example

I use my greenland paddles with my solo canoe. I'm likely only using half a blade, but in the canoe I'm out with a bunch of drifters anyway. European paddles just don't feel right anymore.

My background is slalom kayak. It's been decades since then though, However I still use the same paddles I made way back then. They are a curved blade of rather large area. Area is helpful in white water because aeration reduces the density of the water, you need to move more volume to accelerate the same mass, in order to exert the same force ( F = m x a ) How do they go in still water or sea kayaking? Well I find the are great. For the same speed, I paddle more slowly than most other paddlers, I pause between strokes. I tend to do 2 strokes to other paddlers 3 strokes. I am older and far less strong than I used to be but, I am certainly not overloaded because load is a function of applied muscle effort, not a function of area (myth exploded). My paddling is like stroke glide, stroke glide etc and I can do that for hour after hour at good speed. A small blade area is like walking in soft sand in that every stroke the blade slips backwards as your feet do in sand. That's tiring. Now I am not talking about wing paddles here, I am older than that. I use high angle paddling because that places the closer to the centreline where it is more efficient as it turns the hull less. You can get blades that are angled across the shaft to place the centre of effort even closer to the hull centre line for even greater efficiency. While this is efficient, it can make gusty crosswinds difficult as the wind catches the high, large area feathered blade. There are times for low paddling and non feathered blades. I have not tried Greenland paddled but am considering doing so. From a fluid mechanics perspective, there is much to be said about blade shape and aspect ratio. A blade pulled straight back through the water experiences pressure loss around the edges of the blade (induced loss). One might suspect that minimising the edge to area minimised this loss and that would be a circular blade. However the induced loss is greatest nearest the surface due to the pressure gradient of the water column. Therefore, a teardrop shape placing most of the area deeper experiences the least induced loss. It also allows the shaft to come closer to the hull centre line. Next, we have aspect (length to width) ratio. A long blade has a longer perimeter to area where induced loss may be greater, except for 2 things. 1, the pressure/depth gradient & 2, the way the blade is used. If used like a wing, induced loss is restricted to the tips, not the leading and trailing edges. This is why long narrow wings of a glider are so efficient. So a Greenland paddle is very efficient in sculling support and rolling strokes, it can generate very high loads for it's area in this mode. Less so in a straight line paddling stroke. So it seems to me, there are pros and cons to all these choices. I'm pretty sure I'm going to try a Greenland paddle soon and possible keep it onboard as a spare at least for high winds, see how it goes anyway.

Just sent you an email to signed up for the office hours. Looking forward to a great topics

high angle paddling also helps a bit to maintain a straight course, even with a skeg

I am a new recreational kayaker. I would like to sign up for your office hours.

When are we going to get a review of that Sterling????!!!

Is there a situation where the Greenland paddle provides a benefit/advantage over a regular paddle? Or is this simply a matter of personal preference?