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Choosing Whitewater Competition Paddles
from: Maxx Adventure TravelExpert paddles come at a high cost, but the alternative, inexpensive paddles, wear out much faster. Thus for whitewater competitions cheaper paddles are a risk since there's a better they'll break from the force of the water.
Whitewater kayakers are usually highly experienced with lots of training in basic strokes and the Eskimo Roll down. If your goal is to join slalom competitions, you'll need to consider maneuverability. Basic and advanced strokes give you the ability to maneuver through whitewaters so you know what move to make next. The Duffek stroke is another tactic employed by professional kayakers.
The Importance of Strokes
The strokes you use will help decide which paddles to choose for kayaking competitions: During a whitewater competition, you have to use paddles that help you maneuver your kayak through obstacle courses. Often gates are labeled and if you touch the gate, you'll lose time and points. The Telemark stroke maneuver helps you get through obstacles courses if you have the correct or fitting paddles.
Kayakers often use double bladed paddles. The Telemark stroke enables you to maneuver through kinetic energy while making the shortest turn through rushing watersand also include the high and low strokes.
When choosing kayak paddles it's important to consider turns, obstacle courses, strokes, positions, and so on. In preparation for competitions, basic strokes as well as advanced strokes should be fully prepared since you'll use eveything you've got during the competion.
Now, the telemark strokes include the high and low maneuvers, but there are variations of the telemark, such as the bow rudder strokes, which is often used when the kayaker needs to change direction while maintaining his speed.
Paddles should be chosen based on the size that fits you best. With the right paddles in your hands, you'll enhance your adventure and help to reduce your fatigue.
Double bladed paddles are probably the wisest decision, since they give you the ability to feather in some positions and use force in others. Wooden paddles are the most common, but consider aluminum paddles which are sturdy and lightweight but they do get your hands dirty much faster than other types of paddles.
You also have laminated paddles to choose from, which are designed to use with wooden blades. A general rule is that most competitors prefer square tipped blades. When selecting wooden paddles, keep in mind that some of them, such as Sitka Spruce brands, tend to crack after so much usage.
Choose your kayak paddles by visiting a store that sells kayak products and test them out for yourself. You also want to consider the blades. Choosing the blades will depend on your stamina and power. Using blades that are too large will quickly wear you out.
One main consideration when choosing paddles and blades is balance. Kayaking requires a lot of skill, power and balance, so you must use blades and paddles that provide this. As state, cheap paddles are a bad choice if your goal is to win a Whitewater kayaking competition.
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