Flyfisher's Greenland Paddle Drip Rings

Somewhere in my reading, I came across a reference to Greenland paddles sometimes having a piece of rawhide tied around the shaft of the paddle to act as a drip ring.   I looked briefly around my shop for a piece of leather shoe string without success.  Just about then, my daughter walked through the shop and I spied the cloth "scrunchie" on her pony tail. 

A trip up to Walmart left me with a pack of kids scrunchies for a couple bucks.  I put two on my greenland paddle, and they worked great to keep my hands dry.  The water runs down the paddle and drips out of the cloth into the water or on the deck of the kayak, keeping my hands nice and dry.  They seem to work better than the rubber drip rings on my euro paddle. 

Here is a picture of me with my Great Auk, the Kingfisher.  On the deck, you can easily see the drip rings. 

I know that purists will complain that these will not work when using a sliding stroke.  True enough.  But, most of the time, I use the Greenland Paddle much like a euro paddle, without a sliding stroke. 

Try these little drip rings.  You may like them.  Or your significant other may like them and it may persuade them to use a GP long enough to fall in love with the stick. 

Drip rings on Greenland Paddle

Flash!  I discovered, when I built a second Greenland paddle, that a thick rubber band works very well as a drip ring as well.  People can hardly see it from more than a couple feet away! (for the purists)

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