Folding Kayaks Forum

I've had to feather paddles to make some headway in strong winds when I first started paddling. As someone else here has said, though, I'm a klutz and hit the water with the blade wrong way A LOT. Still, with Euro style paddles, it was a helpful technique when I was able to manage it. I made one Greenland style paddle myself that was like a lumpy stick with two flattish ends, then later bought one online for a hundred bucks. That inexpensive, unfinished paddle was a great buy. I still tung-oil it every couple of years. Works great with no need for feathering because of its shape and the way one paddles with it. Wish I'd gotten the unshouldered version, however.

I began paddling unfeathered but years ago switched to a 70 degree feather, and have grown totally habituated to it for the vast preponderance of my kayaking. I will and do switch to unfeathered when paddling downwind in stronger wind conditions and also paddling in stronger beam wind conditions, where there is a tendency for the wind to grab at the upraised paddle blade. I regard the paddle as a tool that can and should be altered to best match prevailing conditions.