These paddles have truly transformed the way I approach canoeing. In the last two years I’ve documented 3,900 miles with a single bladed outrigger paddle, and I thought I had found the right tools for the job. That was until I put a slit blade in my hands, and from then on it was true love.
Hello, my name is Peter Frank, I’m a 23 year old solo canoeist who’s attempting to paddle the 6,000 mile (9,656km) Great Loop backwards, solo and unsupported. The Great Loop is essentially the circumnavigation of the eastern United States and is the most popular yachting route in the world. Most people, in 40’ trawlers and yachts, take over a year to complete the voyage, and typically go counter-clockwise because of the direction of the rivers that make up the route. To do this backwards, would require one to navigate upstream for over 1,600 miles, more than a quarter of the entire loop.
My journey requires a number of vital tools, one of which being a reliable paddle, that would be carried for almost 10 hours on an average day. I was sceptical at first, but after learning of the ‘Slit Blade’; a paddle that features cut horizontal slits in the blade, my interest was piqued. The technology from Oscar Propulsion promised better performance for the user, and a reduction of fatigue experienced due to the paddle’s ability to displace water pressure through the small holes, effectively resulting in a smoother stroke without sacrificing any stroke power.
The reason this blade piqued so much of my interest wasn’t because of its obscure design, or the fact that there are holes in its blade, but because I love canoeing, and the idea to do it more efficiently was an enticing dream that I simply couldn’t pass up. I struggle from a spinal injury as a teenager, and since then it’s been a challenge to participate in athletic activities. Canoeing is my life, and as such I needed to know if this equipment was the answer to do what I love without the cost of my performance.
I’m 4 months into this expedition, and I can confidently say that the Z&J Sport outrigger slit blade is a game changer. I don’t experience nearly as much fatigue or soreness throughout the day, and my speed has increased significantly. With a fully loaded canoe, plus my weight, I’m propelling a 450lb+ mass object through the water. In the last couple years, my daily averages for canoeing were rarely more than 3mph, which is a standard pace for an expedition boat. Since acquiring my slit blade, I’ve increased my daily averages on flat water almost 1.5mph. I find most days, even in rougher conditions or tidal sections, I’m averaging 4, sometimes 5mph and have been able to put in farther daily distances as a result.
One month ago I canoed into the heart of New York City along the coastline of Manhattan. I had a small window to finish this segment as I was anticipating strong winds to come through shortly after, so I was forced to do the final 16 miles into New York against the tide on the Hudson River, in some sections the tide was flowing against me at 4knots, with 7mph winds in my face. It was a rough and challenging morning. I used my slit blade for this segment, and succeeded into Manhattan, after 16 miles against tide and wind, in just over 5 hours, minutes before the fall wind storms kicked up to almost 18mph, a timeline I could have never accomplished with any other tool.
Once professional athletes discover this technology, we’re going to see Guinness records being broken, speed records overcome, and new challenges being made. This will revolutionize the paddling world as we know it. Eventually I will come to the inland rivers of the United States, where the rivers flow 1,300 miles from Lake Michigan to the Gulf of Mexico. Canoeing over a thousand miles against the current for months on end will be no easy feat, but I look forward to putting my paddle to the test, and am more confident than ever in my ability to succeed thanks to this invention.
@captainpeterfrank