Courtney wrote:
It is encouraged that a low brace is used by keeping the elbow down and
using the back side of the paddle blade to skull.

Courtney


Does the ACA actually suggest using the back side of the paddle?

Bracing with the back face is part of the definition of a low brace. I
can't see how you would do it otherwise.

Steve

Davej wrote:
Courtney wrote:
It is encouraged that a low brace is used by keeping the elbow down and
using the back side of the paddle blade to skull.

Does the ACA actually suggest using the back side of the paddle?

Ok, maybe I'm wrong to think of the front side to be the "back" side.


wrote:
Bracing with the back face is part of the definition of a low brace. I
can't see how you would do it otherwise.

Steve

Davej wrote:
Courtney wrote:
It is encouraged that a low brace is used by keeping the elbow down and
using the back side of the paddle blade to skull.

Does the ACA actually suggest using the back side of the paddle?

As Humpty Dumpty said, "When I use a word, it means just what I choose
it to mean--neither more nor less." Then again, HD is now an omelet.

Paddles have two faces, the power face, that pushes against the water
and makes the boat go forwards, and is often concave; and the back face,
which is the other one. There is no front face.

Steve

Davej wrote:
Ok, maybe I'm wrong to think of the front side to be the "back" side.


wrote:
Bracing with the back face is part of the definition of a low brace. I
can't see how you would do it otherwise.

Steve

Davej wrote:
Courtney wrote:
It is encouraged that a low brace is used by keeping the elbow down and
using the back side of the paddle blade to skull.
Does the ACA actually suggest using the back side of the paddle?



--
Steve Cramer
Athens, GA

Ok, I like your terminology better. I am confused about the face that
is positioned downward for skulling. I presumed that a cupped blade
shape would make the "back" side better for this (power side up), but I
was then told by an experienced local that the "power side" should be
downward. For a cupped blade this seems wrong to me.


Steve Cramer wrote:
As Humpty Dumpty said, "When I use a word, it means just what I choose
it to mean--neither more nor less." Then again, HD is now an omelet.

Paddles have two faces, the power face, that pushes against the water
and makes the boat go forwards, and is often concave; and the back face,
which is the other one. There is no front face.

Steve

Davej wrote:
Ok, maybe I'm wrong to think of the front side to be the "back" side.


wrote:
Bracing with the back face is part of the definition of a low brace. I
can't see how you would do it otherwise.

Steve

Davej wrote:
Courtney wrote:
It is encouraged that a low brace is used by keeping the elbow down and
using the back side of the paddle blade to skull.
Does the ACA actually suggest using the back side of the paddle?



--
Steve Cramer
Athens, GA

Personally I would just do whichever one's come easier and more comfortable
to you as long as you keep your elbow low and your shoulder guarded.

Courtney


"Davej" wrote in message
ups.com...
Ok, I like your terminology better. I am confused about the face that
is positioned downward for skulling. I presumed that a cupped blade
shape would make the "back" side better for this (power side up), but I
was then told by an experienced local that the "power side" should be
downward. For a cupped blade this seems wrong to me.


Steve Cramer wrote:
As Humpty Dumpty said, "When I use a word, it means just what I choose
it to mean--neither more nor less." Then again, HD is now an omelet.

Paddles have two faces, the power face, that pushes against the water
and makes the boat go forwards, and is often concave; and the back face,
which is the other one. There is no front face.

Steve

Davej wrote:
Ok, maybe I'm wrong to think of the front side to be the "back" side.


wrote:
Bracing with the back face is part of the definition of a low brace.
I
can't see how you would do it otherwise.

Steve

Davej wrote:
Courtney wrote:
It is encouraged that a low brace is used by keeping the elbow down
and
using the back side of the paddle blade to skull.
Does the ACA actually suggest using the back side of the paddle?



--
Steve Cramer
Athens, GA

Seems to me that we have two conversations mixed together: how to do
effective bracing, and how to protect your shoulder.

There are much better paddlers than I am in this discussion, but it
seems to me that the reasons to use the back face in a low brace have
nothing to do with shoulders. One reason is that with a feathered
paddle, it is nearly impossible to use the power face because to do so,
you would have to bend your control wrist to an extraordinary angle.
In a high brace, you can do some of this rotation with your control arm.
The second reason is that it is hard to scull with the concave paddle
face facing down. The blade bites and submerges.

The answer to the second question is much simpler: the more your arm is
extended, the more leverage there is on your shoulder, and the more
likely you are to screw it up. Rotating your paddle is not going to
help much. And trust those of us who have made this mistake--you don't
want to. You may be lucky, but if you end up being unlucky, the price
is high.




Steve Cramer wrote the following on 8/20/2006 9:53 AM:
As Humpty Dumpty said, "When I use a word, it means just what I choose
it to mean--neither more nor less." Then again, HD is now an omelet.

Paddles have two faces, the power face, that pushes against the water
and makes the boat go forwards, and is often concave; and the back face,
which is the other one. There is no front face.

Steve

Davej wrote:
Ok, maybe I'm wrong to think of the front side to be the "back" side.


wrote:
Bracing with the back face is part of the definition of a low brace. I
can't see how you would do it otherwise.

Steve

Davej wrote:
Courtney wrote:
It is encouraged that a low brace is used by keeping the elbow down
and
using the back side of the paddle blade to skull.
Does the ACA actually suggest using the back side of the paddle?

Dan Koretz wrote:

One reason is that with a feathered
paddle, it is nearly impossible to use the power face because to do so,
you would have to bend your control wrist to an extraordinary angle.

Actually, it has nothing to do with feather. What you say applies equally well
to unfeathered paddles. If your elbow is below the paddle, the power face
points down. If above, the power face is up. Hence, in the first case you use
the power face, in the second, you use the back face.

The second reason is that it is hard to scull with the concave paddle
face facing down. The blade bites and submerges.

It sounds like you need to practice sculling. It is equally easy with both
faces of the blade. If the blade is diving, you're not controlling the paddle
properly. Don't use a "control hand" - use the hand closest to the blade to
control the blade. Your "control hand" applies only to forward paddling.

The answer to the second question is much simpler: the more your arm is
extended, the more leverage there is on your shoulder, and the more
likely you are to screw it up.

One forgotten way to minimize these problems is paddle extension. Don't reach
with your arm - slide the paddle blade out and keep the arm in.

Mike