People often look at technology advances in sports with suspicion. Purists and traditionalist see them as bringing unfair advantages or for the elite. Well rubbish! Wings are as old as the birds, and even older if you liken them to fish fins!

A few years ago I was sea kayaking with a friend, I was using a wing blade and my friend had a flat blade. My friend had never used a wing blade so we swapped paddles for a while. The immediate change in kayak speed was significant. I had to work considerably harder to keep up, when before, I was stopping to wait. That for me was a defining point, confirming for me that wing blades gave significant improvement, without any other change to paddling technique.

The truth is, wing blades are one of the great innovations in kayaking that everyone can take advantage of. They give greater forward propulsion for the same energy expended by the paddler. This means your distance made good, (movement towards your destination), is greater for no more effort.

Honestly, it's simple, the wing blade is transferred more of the paddler's effort into forward movement, nothing else, no magic, just physics. It's what we all want, more energy efficiency.

The great thing is, you don't need to have any special technique to get a benefit from using a wing blade. Even "traditional" flat blade stroke style paddling will have improved distance made good with each stroke.

I do recommend that if you get a wing blade, try to get some coaching, or at least a training DVD. The correct technique will give even greater improvemants and greater enjoyment of the blade.

You will get great benefit and enjoyment from owning a wing blade if you do any of the following paddle sports:

• Sprint
• Surf Ski
• Multisport
• Adventure racing
• Sea kayaking
• Day touring
  
• Fitness paddling

The facts:

• You can expect a 7% to 10% increase in speed for no extra effort over a flat blade!

• Wing blades allow massive bracing off the forward stoke.

• Wing blades are great for low bracing.

• Wing blades are easy to roll with.

• Wing blades give great feel for the water.

• Wing blades work better than flat blades even using the traditional stroke technique.

• Wing blades are easy to use.

Wing blades are the standard blade of choice in New Zealand, South Africa, and Europe. They are used by everyone from Olympic sprint kayakers, to people out for a casual day paddle in their cruising kayak.

Try one!