• Happy National Audubon Day! 🐣🐦🦅🕊️

Does this drive anyone else nuts?

LMpqEHn.png
 
If terminology drives you nuts, don't go to New Zealand where my Whanganui River outfitter called kayaks "canoes," while using the term "Canadian canoe" for open boats. I think that is common terminology down there.

While single-blading my sea kayak, I'm often asked about my use of a "canoe paddle." I explain that it's not a canoe paddle and is much too short for use in a canoe, where the paddler sits higher above the water. I point out that canoeists have long utilized double blades, so the double is no more a kayak paddle than the single is a canoe paddle. I don't think my explanations sink in. People's habitual perceptions are not easily altered. It doesn't drive me nuts, and the people asking the question are usually kayakers, so what do you expect?
 
While single-blading my sea kayak, I'm often asked about my use of a "canoe paddle." I explain that it's not a canoe paddle and is much too short for use in a canoe, where the paddler sits higher above the water. I point out that canoeists have long utilized double blades, so the double is no more a kayak paddle than the single is a canoe paddle. I don't think my explanations sink in.

heck Chip, I am still confused, and I habitually use a long double blade in an open canoe, and occasionally a short single in a kayak-like decked canoe with rudder.

I hope that the grief about paddle selection, or canoe vs kayak, is nothing but friendly fellow-paddler ribbing. Seriously, who really gives a rat’s arse if it has two blades or one, or is bent, double bent or stand-up elongated?

Or no blades; I find myself thinking of joining the square stern motor mafia someday.

Whatever floats (propels) your boat.
 
The only thing that drives me nuts is the cost of things, whatever the things happen to be. I remember not paying more than an arm and a leg ($40) for my favourite choice of lumber, the Sher-Wood PMP 5030, the first of several over a brief wannabe career of no pads non-contact pickup games. They're a beautiful stick for corrective strokes.
https://goingbardown.com/the-history-of-hockey-sticks/
re: The cost of things. A grandson asked for a new stick for Christmas one year. This grandpa nearly had an episode right there and then in the sporting goods aisle. The kid got a roll of tape and a chocolate bar instead. I offered to demonstrate my superior skills in stick taping but he declined. He told me the league wouldn't allow my ribbed handle effect. "Against the rules grandpa." Okay. That's 2 things now that drive me nuts.
 
Last edited:
The only thing that drives me nuts is the cost of things, whatever the things happen to be. I remember not paying more than an arm and a leg ($40) for my favourite choice of lumber, the Sher-Wood PMP 5030, the first of several over a brief wannabe career of no pads non-contact pickup games. They're a beautiful stick for corrective strokes.
https://goingbardown.com/the-history-of-hockey-sticks/
re: The cost of things. A grandson asked for a new stick for Christmas one year. This grandpa nearly had an episode right there and then in the sporting goods aisle. The kid got a roll of tape and a chocolate bar instead. I offered to demonstrate my superior skills in stick taping but he declined. He told me the league wouldn't allow my ribbed handle effect. "Against the rules grandpa." Okay. That's 2 things now that drive me nuts.

Oh don't start me on the black hole of kids hockey.. I have a snoop program on my phone that allows me to track the course of Hockey Mom with Hockey Aunt and two Hockey Kids. So far this weekend alone ( Fri and Sat) they have logged 300 miles. And another 200 to come tomorrow. To me that is insane. But they are not my kids.

I don't care if you bring a Grumman to Freestyle class. We will help you and you will help us get the best out of it. Single stick double stick or occasionally on your journey on crapt's Creek no stick

Its all about the ecology folks. Canoe for portaging kayak for open sea. Literally whatever floats your boat. Double blade if you feel better about that single if your're fed up with feeding doubles to boreal forest alders and gathering leaf litter in your boat. Single if you are tired of using another double as your spare in whatever boat.

Its all in fun..:p Some of us are schizophrenic though. Watch out for the seven faces of Eve.. You don't know what you will get:rolleyes:.

Now I am going to Grenada soon and have the opportunity to paddle an inner tube.. I think a double might work better. What do you think? If I have a single I have to do a forward scull between my legs..And I believe I will be issued a single for some reason.. Please help re technique single blading inner tube. Truck tire size.

With that I retire for the night!
 
"What do you think? If I have a single I have to do a forward scull between my legs." YC.

I believe that is illegal in some States. Sounds rather, um, risqué.
Been picking up any of Memequays's dance moves by any chance?
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the reminder Brad, as Christmas approaches, the Plaid Prancer has to start shaking out his moves again, in preparation for some Christmas stripping gigs. There are a lot of lumbersexuals out there this year needing private parties. The guy below, Chad, payed me 150 bucks for those used work gloves so he could look authentic. I'm going to start bottling my armpit sweat for those guys too, so they can spray it on themselves to smell like real he-men. Those lumbersexuals used to drive me nuts, but now that I'm making money off them with my old gloves and pit sauce, I've kinda warmed up.
ZwEChBQ.jpg
 
I know what you mean. I'm NOT an expert paddler, but I know the difference between a double bladed paddle and an otter tail, and I darn sure know the difference between a canoe and a kayak.

I ran into this years ago with some of my other interests. I was once a long distance runner and ran about 45-50 miles per week. Runs were often 10 plus miles and I ran many half marathons. When I told people about it, one person said they ran a "5k marathon." I could feel my blood boil. 5k is 3.1 miles and a marathon is 26.2. Others commented how they could probably "run one right now" and I knew these folks weren't runners. Insulting to say the least.

Same goes for camping. "Oh, we love our camper. Camping is the best." Pardon me, but that's not real camping IMHO. I hike in or paddle in to wild sites, set up a tent or a tarp and I'm nowhere near people or campgrounds.
"Aren't you afraid of bears?" No, be smart with food and you're way less likely to be harmed by an animal than by a human or a car accident or natural causes.

Everyone's an expert with no experience!
 
I had a similar experience this Thanksgiving at my wife's nephew's house. The conversation drifted to canoeing and he and his buddy are telling me about their Annual Canoe Trip on the Connecticut River. As more details came in they are shuttled upstream for a 2 1/2 hour paddle and then camp at the outfitter's campground.
On the plus side of the whole trip, the outfitter is in Windsor VT and situated between a Vodka Distillery and Harpoon Brewery. So you have to give them points for that, but they really didn't want to work hard enough to do any Carries with their canoeing.

I bought my Ex a 32' 5th Wheel in an attempt to get her into the woods. I sat at the fire, she inside watching the TV. When we split my son got the trailer and I bought a really nice tent.
 
heck Chip, I am still confused, and I habitually use a long double blade in an open canoe, and occasionally a short single in a kayak-like decked canoe with rudder.

I hope that the grief about paddle selection, or canoe vs kayak, is nothing but friendly fellow-paddler ribbing. Seriously, who really gives a rat’s arse if it has two blades or one, or is bent, double bent or stand-up elongated?

Or no blades; I find myself thinking of joining the square stern motor mafia someday.

Whatever floats (propels) your boat.


All I know for sure is that paddles are not oars, nor poles, nor yulohs.
 
Back
Top