Longboater.net
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Longboating Gear
Here’s a few guidelines for things to look for when you’re finding gear for longboating.
The Paddle
It pays to be picky with what paddle you use for long boating. The right paddle can make long boating easier and more enjoyable.
Summary
River running paddles should be 2 to 6 cm longer than a standard creeking paddle for your height with a heavier offset (60 to 90 degrees). The larger the blade size the better.
Straight shafts are better. Wood is the best material with regular fiberglass a good second choice.
If you're doing any playboating involving cartwheels, a shorter, lower offset paddle is preferred.
There are some old paddles out there that really suck. My first paddle was a Norse with square tips. Talk about a battle axe! It must have had a lead core, it was so heavy. There's no real guidelines I can give you for things to look for, you just have to use trial and error.
Long Boat Paddle Attributes
Length
Long boat paddles need to be a little longer than your creek or play boat paddle. The reason is that since longboats are harder to turn, you need more leverage to turn them. A few extra centimeters length in your paddle can make a big difference. It’s possible to have a paddle that’s too long however. Anywhere from 2 to 6 centimeters longer than what you normally use is good.
I’am 5’9 and I have 2 paddles I use for longboating. I have a 198 that I use for playboating when I'm doing cartwheels and squirt boating and a 207 that I use for river running. A person of my size would typically use a 196 for paddling in a regular creek boat.
Offset
Most paddles have some amount of offset or feather. If you look straight down the paddle shaft you’ll notice the blades are kinked. This amount of kink is measured in degrees. A zero degree offset paddle has the both blades flat across. A ninety degree offset paddle has the blades facing perpendicular to each other. Most paddles these days are somewhere between sixty and zero degrees.
For river running, I definitely prefer a heavier offset. Heavier offsets, when wielded properly, promote better use of your torso and leg muscles. Low offset paddles promote less effective arm paddling reminiscent of a duck waddle. I use a low offset paddle (30 degree) whenever I'm doing any playboating involving cartwheels.
Most boaters will find it hard to believe, but I love using a 90 degree offset paddle for general river running. “But doesn't that hurt your wrist?” people ask. Yes, it will cause the overnight onset of carpal tunnel if you use the "standard" paddling method that everyone uses. However, if you use the techniques detailed in the forward stroke section, it causes no harm to your wrist at all. 90 degree offset paddles cause your body to line up correctly and transmit power better when good forward stroke technique is used. For me, it actually hurts my body to use a low offset paddle because it throws my body alignment off.
Straight Shaft
A straight paddle shaft is needed to paddle using the forward stroke I’ve outlined. If not used, it tends to tweak the shoulder muscles while forward paddling.
Materials
Wood is hands down the best paddle material out there.
Advantages- Flex. When you take stroke with a wood paddle, the shaft flexes slightly, making it easier on your joints. When you hit rocks with the paddle, it’s not quite as jarring either.
- They’re warmer. On cold days, wood shafts don’t conduct heat away from your hands like fiberglass shafts do, keeping your hands toasty warm in their pogies.
- They last forever. In theory at least. Edges and even blades on a wood paddle can be replaced. I have a wood paddle that I’ve used hard (200+ days a year) for over 5 years and it still looks just about as good as new. It’s actually a refurbished Backlund slalom paddle from the 70’s. They do require yearly maintenance if used frequently, however, but if this is kept up on, a good wood paddle will last a lifetime.
- They’re beautiful. Wood paddles can be functional works of art.
Keith Backlund is considered by many to be the world's foremost wood paddle craftsman. He lives near Ohiopyle, PA.
Email: backlundpaddles@juno.com
Email: boofhi@hotmail.com
Care And Feeding
The quickest way to trash a wood paddle is to let water seep into the wood through gouges or abrasion. Maintenance of a wood paddle mostly consists of varnishing the shaft. If you use the paddle a lot, you'll have to do this once, even twice a season. You can send it in to the manufacturer, but I use my paddle too much to wait that long.
How I varnish
- I sand the shaft down to the wood using 80 grit sandpaper.
- Then, I sand the shaft down using successively finer grits to 220 grit sandpaper.
- I coat with 2 layers of epoxy (preferred), vinylester, or polyester resin.
- Let the resin cure.
- Wipe down with damp cloth. Lightly sand with 220 grit sandpaper.
- Coat with clear SPAR marine varnish. This is a UV protector that will extend the life of your resin.
- Once dry, the shaft will be nice and shiny, but very slippery in the water. With 80 grit sandpaper, lightly rough up the shaft where your hands go with motions perpendicular to the shaft.
You can also apply this technique to the blades as well. For more serious repairs, contact your manufacturer
Fiberglass
A regular fiberglass paddle is a good second choice. Remember to look for one with big blades. The Werner Powerhouse has a great blade shape and I’m sure there are plenty of other good designs out there.
It's hard to find high offset paddles. If you call a manufacturer they might be able to make one for you. There are some paddle companies that will ship you a paddle where the blades haven't been epoxied on. You can set your length and offset. Zastera Composites sells paddles like this
Carbon
I don’t really like a pure carbon shaft. Carbon’s main attribute is that it’s incredibly stiff. This means it doesn’t flex well. I have a pure carbon shaft wing paddle for racing and I find it to be a little harsher on my joints than a wood paddle. Carbon is fine on the blades though.
Spray Skirts
Finding a spray skirt can be the biggest challenge in your gear finding quest. Boats prior to the early nineties had small cockpits. This is one thing I’m glad boats have moved past because the large cockpits of today are definitely safer.
If you find someone selling an old long boat, try to get the skirt off them if you can. You can also look around online. Some spray skirt companies may make small cockpit skirts, but don’t sell them in stores. Race boats still have small cockpits. You can buy skirts for them through racing companies.
Boats from the nineties mostly have large cockpits, but some are smaller than others. It pays to have a skirt that will fit on a wide range. I recommend a skirt that has an elastic bungee. Snapdragon makes the best bang for your buck skirt on the market as far as I’m concerned.
Boats
What is a long boat?This is open to interpretation. I consider a boat getting into long boat territory when it’s longer than nine feet. This isn’t a strict rule. For example, I think the Pyranha Micro 230 which is around eight foot, performs more like a long boat than the poorly designed, 11 foot Eskimo Gatino.
Types of boats
Long boats fall into a few general categories.- Classic Cruisers
Example: Pheonix Cascade
These boats are around 13 feet long. They're very fast, but hard to turn. They tend to have too little volume in the bow which makes them get bogged down in waves and too much primary stability which makes them hard to put on edge.
- Late 80s to mid 90s Cruisers
Example: Prijon Tornado
These boats are the best longboats for running hard whitewater. They're not as fast as Classic Cruisers, but are easier to turn. Normally around 10 to 12 feet long. The best ones for running hard rapids have lots of volume and a large cockpit. The Prijon Tornado is the most sought after long boat for this purpose.
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Playboats
Example: Dagger Outburst
Long playboats are great for doing stern squirts, cartwheels, and surfing on green waves. They're also fun to paddle down river.
- Slalom Boats
Similar to many long playboat designs. Mostly made of fiberglass. Fast and quick to turn. They tend to get bogged down going through waves so they are slower than many cruiser designs.
- Down River Boats
Example: Zastera Dynamic
Extremely fast. Extremely hard to turn. Very unstable. If you get ahold of one of these, make sure to take it out on flatwater or very easy whitewater first, it's easy to get in over your head. These boats are great for blazing down your local run or taking out on flatwater for a good workout. for more info check out www.usawildwater.com
Design Characteristics
When you’re looking for a good longboat, it’s good to be selective. There’s a lot of shitty long boats out there lurking under peoples' porches. In the future, I’d like to put up a section of the site for longboat reviews, but for now, here’s some general things to look out for:
- Lots of volume means the boat stays on the surface going through waves instead of hitting you in the chest and slowing you down.
- Lack of primary stability. Many older long boat designs are too hard to put on edge, which makes them less fun to paddle
- Stored out of the sun.
- Good glass (not mat). If you look closely at the fiberglass on the inside of the boat, it should make a checkerboard pattern. If it looks like spaghetti, its made out of glass mat and won't hold up well.