Bent Or Double

[sloride]

I'm slowly getting my head back into canoeing after a long layoff . I have been spending my time "tripping" on two wheels. I would like to take a trip to Florida this winter .
I have a single Bending Branches Espresso 56" and need a second paddle. Slow rivers and lakes in Florida.
I don't have a lot of solo experience in my Flashfire although I was getting somewhat comfortable when I attended a freestyle event in FL. a several years ago The instructors were excellent and I made some progress. Basically I'm back to square one.
I may have a opportunity to borrow a double and if that's the case the decision will be easy. I can check out the double before purchasing. What exactly should I be looking for if I decide to get a bent.

 

[Guest]

My 2 cents. You already have my favorite paddle. I use that same paddle in my Flash. While freestyle type manovers can be done with a bent, it's more difficult than with a straight blade. Why complicate your learning with 2 very different paddles? I have even found that I learn better by not even switching to any other single paddle. As for the double paddle, I own one and only use it when my physical issues demand it. I would never use anything but straight single blade if I could. Double blading a Flashfire wastes much of the pleasure in paddling it-kind of like driving a sportscar only on the interstate. Get out and paddle what you have and have fun. You already have a great paddle and a wonderful boat!
Turtle

 

[memaquay]

I was resistant to the bent shaft for many years, only picked one up last year. I really liked it, in fact hardly used a straight shaft afterward. I went with a 54 inch grey owl thing, didn't cost a lot of money. I'm not a double blade guy. Some people seem to like them, but I just can't seem to get down with the spandex wearing yuppy crowd (just kidding, I know there are some baseball hat dirty shirt wearing double bladers out there too).

 

[Alan Gage]

I love my bents but I'd agree with Turtle that you're probably best suited with a straight in that boat. That doesn't mean you can't get one though. You might have another boat it would work better with and just have it around for a backup in your Flash or if you felt like doing something different. You'll probably a want a bent that's much shorter than your straight. A 56" straight feels good to me if I'm kneeling on a higher seat, 54" when sitting on a lower one. My 49" bents sometimes feel a tad short when sitting but my 52" bent almost always feels too long, though sometimes it's ok. I like light weight and all mine are medium Zaveral's. If you go that route you can have him leave the grip unattached and keep cutting the shaft down a little at a time until it feels right, then glue it in place. Just don't go to far.

I don't like doubles but boats like the Flashfire are one place where I can concede they might have a place if you just want to cover some miles at decent speed without worrying about correction strokes. But if possible definitely try before you buy. I'm a high angle paddler with a double and get soaked using one in the canoe, so I never do.

Alan

 

[Alan Gage]

I was resistant to the bent shaft for many years, only picked one up last year. I really liked it, in fact hardly used a straight shaft afterward. I went with a 54 inch grey owl thing, didn't cost a lot of money. I'm not a double blade guy. Some people seem to like them, but I just can't seem to get down with the spandex wearing yuppy crowd (just kidding, I know there are some baseball hat dirty shirt wearing double bladers out there too).

Now now, that's probably the same thing you said about bent shafts two years ago. I can just picture you in a couple years time all decked out in the latest form fitting colors and fashions swinging a big 7lb. ash double blade like a propeller as you whiz down the river using it as a club to fend of invasive flying carp, keep the bow paddler in line, and to clear log jams.

Alan

 

[sloride]

I'm liking the diversity of opinions. It makes me feel like I can't go wrong whatever my choice may be.

I canoe alone most of the time and like to paddle up river and then slowly come back. What paddle would be best suited for up river travel.

I've been in the Green River in KY and tried to go up river when the water was moving along at a good pace and barely made any headway . That was even while I hugged the shore line.

Then in FL on the Hillsborough River it was no problem. I love those lazy Florida Rivers

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

I am a dedicated and passionate single blader in a canoe and love the intricate sophistication of straight and bent shaft single blading. I have paddled thousands of miles with double blades in kayaks, but I don't really find the double blade paddling experience aesthetic at all. It takes a few years to develop an instinctive full panoply of single sided correction strokes: J stroke, C stroke, pitch stroke, Canadian (slicing J) stroke, Indian stroke, palm roll.

However, double blading a canoe is functional for straight ahead travel. Addictingly so. My experience is that an inexperienced single blader who relies early on a double blade will never return to single blading. Too bad and a loss, especially if one has a turnable, playful boat such as a Flashfire, which deserves the sophistication of single blade technique.

I always travel in a canoe with a straight blade and a (much shorter) bent shaft. 90% of my straight ahead travel is with the bent shaft--of which about 85% is on my knees with single-sided correction strokes, and 15% using sit & switch correction (both kneeling and seated) in circumstances such as paddling upstream. I use the straight paddle mainly in river currents or when maneuvering through swamps and flooded forests.

Given my strong preference for the rapidly dying art of the single blade--whether bent or straight--I cannot in good conscience recommend an addicting and limiting double blade to any new or developing canoeist.

 

[Alan Gage]

If I wanted to paddle upstream in swiftish waters for long distances I'd probably change my boat before paddles. I'd want something that was more suited to sit and switch paddling (harder tracking and longer) so that I could actually make decent forward progress in a 2mph current. But if I couldn't change boats then a double blade might be a good choice.

Now this comes from the point of view of someone whose normal daily paddling is 3-6 miles upstream and then back down in something like a Bell Magic on a river with nothing resembling whitewater. The river will flow 2mph when bank full (faster in narrow channels) down to near nothing in late summer. It's narrow as far as rivers go but there is little hard maneuvering required. In a faster river with some whitewater something like the Wildfire might be better suited as it could better allow you to eddy hop upstream.

Alan

 

[Odyssey]

I was enjoying this thread right up till a certain someone planted the perverse and uncomfortable image in my mind, of a certain northern beer lov'n chainsaw tot'n smok'n dude look'n svelte in spandex double blade'n along...I need to go find my happy place and settle my nerves.
Otherwise, some valuable discussion here. I'm looking forward to hear how your Florida paddling goes this winter Sloride.

 

[Marten]

I'm liking the diversity of opinions. It makes me feel like I can't go wrong whatever my choice may be.

Give this hot topic a little more time and you will see that someone will feel you are wrong whatever your choice may be. LOL

If using a double blade is needed to enjoy paddling upstream on your river with your canoe and your paddling ability so be it. When you turn around you can work on skills with another type of paddle.

 

[sloride]

Thanks for all the suggestions. It's great to have these words of wisdom from people with real experience

If I'm understanding this correctly a bent is of little advantage over a conventional paddle going up stream.
And a double may be of some advantage. I do most of my paddling kneeling and sit only to stretch my legs.
I had estimated the flow between 3 and 4 mph on the river I was having trouble going against the current No white water

 

[memaquay]

Well, if you really want to boogie upstream, get a pole. Most dedicated single bladers will be very quick to admire a poler, but not so quick to embrace Satan's Paddle, the double blade. I found this video interesting:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlsZADQ2V6g

 

[Alan Gage]

If there's an advantage to be gained by using a bent it would go to a sitting paddler using a mainly sit and switch style. For kneeling you're probably better of with a straight. Or at least you probably won't find a big advantage going to a bent.

3-4 mph is pretty fast current. A lot of people average 3-4 mph when paddling. So that's basically a stand still. Measuring water speed without a GPS is hard though. More than once I've heard people claim 7-10mph current on our local river when running bank full when I've never seen much over 2mph on the GPS, except for isolated areas.

5 mph on flat water in my Magic is a workout but it's a pace I can do for miles so that's what I shoot for when going upstream. That's not to say I don't back off the throttle and go slower at times but if I want to feel like I'm making forward progress I want to be going at least 3mph faster than the current. I think the only way you're going to hold a pace close to that in the Wildfire will be with a double blade and good technique. But I have little experience in boats like that (owned a Wildfire briefly and the closest thing I have now is an Osprey) so I might be wrong.

Alan

 

[Guest]

If I had to paddle upstream in that current I would use my double-I'd have to. I would then use my single going back down. That's pretty stiff current!
Turtle

 

[Rocky Headlands]

http://www.zre.com/canoepaddles/materials.html.
The Zaveral are the finest paddles around and will last you a very long time. Super strong and they have held up to my rock bashing and shallow water upstream paddling for years. Seriously - you do not need to baby these things. You will be so much drier than a double.
Sit and switch (put in a foot brace) and get a rudder if you wish.
If Verlen Kruger can can paddle up the entire Colorado, Mississippi and the Mackenzie rivers you can handle those Kentucky and Florida streams and have enough strength for for some 12oz. curls at days end

 

[sloride]

My immediate options seem to be to avoid going up river in water faster 3mph. And probably a double would help me out. How does a double work kneeling in a boat like a Flashire? The other options presented are probably better suited for my more long term plan.

 

[Iskweo]

We have a graphite bent shaft that has been broken and burnt and had all manner of evil done to it. I really like it. Big beavertail kind of thingy. Mostly I like it because it is very light and I can paddle all day without fatigue. So for me...get a light paddle, not a bent one. For many years I had only one paddle. It sufficed for every situation. Heavy, and not real pretty. I have evolved a bit since then.

As for doubles...I too get soaked using one. Too high of an angle I suppose. Which brings to mind this...".if at first you dont succeed, you are probably doing it wrong."

Christy

 

[Alan Gage]

If I wanted to paddle upstream in swiftish waters for long distances I'd probably change my boat before paddles. I'd want something that was more suited to sit and switch paddling (harder tracking and longer) so that I could actually make decent forward progress in a 2mph current. But if I couldn't change boats then a double blade might be a good choice.

******Now this comes from the point of view of someone whose normal daily paddling is 3-6 miles upstream and then back down in something like a Bell Magic on a river with nothing resembling whitewater.****** The river will flow 2mph when bank full (faster in narrow channels) down to near nothing in late summer. It's narrow as far as rivers go but there is little hard maneuvering required.

Was thinking tonight about what I wrote earlier today and realized it probably sounded different than I intended. Just meant to clarify where my opinions/biases were coming from, which is why I brought up how and what I normally paddle. Didn't mean to make it sound like I was some big shot know it all.

Alan

 

[Guest]

I kneel and double blade my Flashfire-it works fine. I use a 250cm length paddle.
Turtle

 

[sloride]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions and really helpful information. It's a great forum

I think at this point I'll borrow a double and carry it as an emergency paddle and also use it going against the current to see if I like it and if it's any advantage to me in that situation