Making a Skinny Stick (Greenland Paddle)

The total surface area of a Greenland paddle is a bit less than a spoon-shaped European paddle but the longer stroke makes up for the smaller surface.  The longer stroke is also easier on the shoulders for those having shoulder issues.

Greenland kayak paddles come in a several varieties.  All of them share the general characteristics that the blades are long and slim with a narrow round "loom" in the center.

My favorite paddle shape is somewhat complex to build but is very efficient to paddle with and perfectly shaped to fit your hand when rolling.  It is common when paddling Greenland style to hold the paddle off-center.  The extreme case is when rolling: to slide one hand to the end of the paddle and the other to the middle, so the paddle's "lever arm" is significantly longer and rolling up is easy.

The center of this paddle is oval so that when you are rolling and have one hand in the center, it naturally fits into your hand in the right orientation.  You don't have to look to ensure the paddle's oriented correctly, it automatically orients correctly.  You can roll up with your eyes closed.

The ends of the loom, where the blade starts to widen, is where your hand grips when paddling normally.  The square shape with rounded corners fits naturally in your hand and gives you good control without having to hold tightly for a long day's paddle with no blisters.

I like square corners on the blade tip because they "pierce" into the water silently, with no splash, for quiet paddling. 

The one drawback of this shape is that the water runs down the blade onto your hand.  The Inuits tied a leather cord around the paddle just outside the hands, with a short tail hanging down.  This acted as a drip ring.  My solution is an oval drip ring cut from a bicycle inner tube (see http://krernertok.blogspot.com/2013/11/diy-greenland-paddle-drip-ring.html )

A 2x4 makes a perfect blank for a Greenland paddle.  3 1/2 inches is a nice blade width, 1 1/2 inches is a good sized loom for a man's hand.  I experimented with a lot of shapes until I found the one I liked.  I used $3 studs from the local lumber yard until I found the shape I liked, then I bought a nice $30 cedar 2x4 for the blade I paddle with regularly.  It takes about 4 hours to rough out a paddle so it's easy to keep experimenting.





2x4 with the first set of cuts (shaping the paddle).




The second set of cuts drawn in (fairing the paddle down to the loom)


A band-saw makes roughing out significantly faster.  My son, Bob, is making the 2nd set of cuts.




Finish shaping with a spoke-shave and/or a plane.





Some people prefer a shiny varnish finish, but I find that a coat of Tung oil seals the wood and leaves it with just enough texture to give a solid grip.  Fiberglassing the tips will prevent them from chipping when you push off the shore or hit rocks in shallow water.

 
 Bob using the paddle he just finished.