Short evening paddle...

Took my long and very narrow iqyax (baidarka/kayak) for a ride this evening.  Along came my new built replica of the original paddle from Helsinki. Very interesting…..

The weather was a bit wet…the wind was picking up, so I gave up my original destination, and paddled in the direction of wind and waves for a while.

It was incredible how my Iqyax would surf these little 1-1,5 foot waves!!! I could surf them at 9-13 km/hr speed for a distance, just paddling at normal cruising speed. By moving my upper body back and forth, I could easily control the pointy bow of the Iqyax dipping just enough down the wave in front of me to stay there, and be pushed by the wave behind me. The tracking was incredible. Just a little movement of my hips and I would be back on track. It sure was a looong and fun ride.

I’m getting more and more enthusiastic about this old style Iqyax.

The paddle turned out really great too.  Great for speed. Less good for support, since I can’t comfortably grab the wide blade for an extended support stroke/roll. I reminded myself to put some deck ropes on my Iqyax before next trip, so I can bring a spare paddle.

It’s a fun paddle! It has a bit of bend in the shaft, which I believe was made with intention on the original. That gives us not only 2, but 4 different ways to hold the paddle, and a lot more to discuss J after 16 kilometers and 2 hours I have a clear opinion now. Mainly because 2 sides make more noise than other two!

To be continued…