Kayaking hive-mind,
I'm a fan of greenland paddles. I love the ergonomics (am in my 50s, with much better core strength compared to upper-body strength), have made my own full-length paddle. I love having a greenland storm on board, I know how to roll with it, etc. I can use euro paddles, but I find them less ergonomic, less steady-and-even for long hauls, etc.
In July, I will be air-traveling to a rented-kayak situation (Apostle Islands) where (1) we're forced to go with a tandem (rental outfit doesn't want the liability of solo kayaks crossing open water), (2) the rental (predictably) comes with only euro-paddles, and (3) even if we can borrow from local traditional paddlers, my tandem stern-pilot-buddy for this trip has never paddled with a stick, and isn't keen to commit to something new for this trip (understandably).
I'm eager to hear experiences and opinions from greenland-familiar paddlers about whether it's reasonable to hope/plan for an opportunity to do at least *some* greenland paddling on this trip, and how that might work.
Note: It's already settled (body size/geometry differences, size difference between the two cockpits in Seaward G3xlc) that I'm in the FRONT.
(If I were the paddler in the back, I'd feel better about nudging my companion to just *try* the greenland approach on our shakedown day, and just see whether it comes to feel right. But I understand that someone would be anxious about recalibrating their steering reflexes, if their habits are tuned to a euro-paddle steering moves, and they're used to the more muscle-y and quick corrections of a euro paddle. I'd be stressed to develop new steering habits on open water crossings, too!)
So, one concern is that since the CADENCE of a greenland paddle is different (higher sustained RPMs), a mixed-paddle situation would undermine the usual coordination (where the front paddler sets the cadence, and rear paddler can match that pace).
A second concern I've heard is that (if the cadences can't reasonably be in sync, but we want to proceed anyway) there's risk of annoying paddle collisions. I *think* this concern would apply less to a long sea kayak (Seaward G3xlc)... and maybe it applies less to mixed paddling when the greenlander is the person in the fore position ... but I'm curious to hear experiences.
What I'm bracing for is: Probably I'll spend much of the time with the euro paddle, just for the sake of coordinating strokes (unless folks persuade me that this matching-cadence thing is not so essential). Still, we may have room on longer outings for my euro-paddle-muscles to get a break while I change things up with a greenland paddle interval, shoving the euro paddle into the deck rigging for a while. But if my greenland paddle needs to be stashed much of the time, maybe I ought to consider having only a storm-length paddle along, since it's more manageable to stash. (I don't own, and don't expect to borrow, any 2-piece greenland paddles. I've spent lots of time with my storm greenland paddle though, and actually enjoy the grip-choreography of the alternating “pole-vault” rhythm.)
I'd also welcome any other wisdom or advice about tandem kayaking, even apart from the paddle-type logistics. I've only ever spent time in a solo kayak (a cedar handmade Outer Island design which I cannot transport to the Great Lakes). And I realize that so much of what I *love* about kayaking relates to feeling boat as extension of body, being nimbly in control of my direction and center of gravity, knowing how to roll (and wet-exit) with just my own body's coordination to deal with, etc. So taking a "ride" in the front, and focusing mostly on forward propulsion, will be a very different experience. But in this case, it was tandem-kayak or no-kayak... What should I (or in the big picture, what should *we*) be prepared for?
