African Paddles

Inverting History and Blade Shape

The history of canoe paddles is of course as old as the history of the canoe itself and of the people’s who created the concept. Rudimentary at first and pioneered in African by differing river and coastal tribes, the canoe and the paddle by which is was powered, ultimatley defined these tribes a part of a canoeing culture, whereby they relied upon the canoe for their very survival.

The paddle itself and more importantly the blade shape, is the definitive design factor in consideration. A study of African blade shapes supports narrow blade tips widening outwards so as the widest points falls somewhere three-quarters of the way up the blade. This by definition makes the paddle high-aspect, positioning the paddles point of centre of effort high up the blade face.

With the progress of time the blade has been all but inverted, into the classic tear drop shape, whereby the widest point has been lowered and blade tip widened altering the forces acting on the blade and therefore the paddler and biomechanical factors by which the paddler must conform in order to maximise efficiency.

The Case for Change

Stand Up Paddleboarding may be new, but standing and paddling is not. African’s and indeed American Indians and islanders of the Pacific all stood and paddled and still do to this day in differing canoe variants. When SUP appeared on the scene during the mid 90s and became popularised by mid 2000, outrigger canoe paddle makers played a part in cashing in on the new craze which is now here to stay. Simply taking existing outrigger canoe blade templates, then merely added longer shafts was their solution.

This was an overly simplistic response to a need when in fact transitioning from sitting to standing and paddling requires a rethink of the paddle to the degree the body is affected biomechanically. The forces are very much different where leverage in particulary is proportionally increased on account of the longer lever (shaft) being used and the longer lever arm length (lower arm to point of max blade width) being created. This all has implications and yet it seems these critical factors have been overlooked.

Dhala

Paddle

West Africa

Mokoro Paddle

Botswana

Classic Tear Drop Blade

Pacific Northwest Indians

Higher stroke rates are achievable based on variable depth charging of blade.

Clean, efficient entry achieved with narrow blade tip. Cavitation issues are reduced.

Greater blade control can be achieved by the paddler as the lower hand is nearer the blades C of E.

Okavango

Narrow blade tip ensures super clean and load free entry

Centre of Effort (max area) located high up on blade

Lever arm distance is reduced, reducing leverage load on body joins

Lift and therefore pull down is reduced at entry and catch, translating into smoother board run.

Board is less likely to pulled off direction at beginning and end of the stroke

Tucked shoulder to conform to board rail.

The longer the lever arm the greater the load on the paddlers joint and the less force which can be applied to the blade.

Altered States

By radically altering the blade shape and in effect reversing it, the forces acting on the body are radically altered. Indeed reverting back to ancient considerations of blade shapes for standing and paddling have been overlooked by the paddling community. It make sense that standing and paddling requires an entirely different re-consideration of the way in which the paddle interacts with the paddler.

With max width low down the paddle creates large amount of lift which is fatiguing and contributes little to the board momentum.

Reducing the lever arm distance lessens the leverage force on the joints. The lower arm can control the blade with greater force.

The net result is greater control of the paddle in relation to pulling power from the lower arm.

The upper shoulder is further protected by reducing the levarage load