Paddle instrumentation

This is interesting.

New NZ paddle force measurement

Only trouble is cost - NZ$1200 + you have to supply a set of blades to fit to the shaft.

If you just want to look at cadence there is another bit of kiwi technology that is much cheaper:

www.vaaka.co.nz

Interesting technology,i presume measurements are in watts.I also see they use the garmin 500 ...a product sold as a cycling gps,anyone else use this for paddling?My old 305 unit was awkward to use in the ocean and eventually died{twice}from leaks and a dodgy warranty.I presume being a flat unit it would fit in a waterproof bag a lot neater.Anyway trust our sports mad kiwi friends to find a way to make this kind of tech happen.

I would think that for a surfski paddler the 310XT option they also list would be the choice. It seems to be the go-to GPS for most of the paddlers I know these days. I've got one and it does everything I need it to do (except measure power, cadence, and time in the water of each blade...), seems to be living up to its waterproof/resistant claims, and was warrantied for me hassle-free when the first unit seemed to give up the ghost after 9 months or so.
The price of the paddle unit itself doesn't seem too bad (especially if you already have the GPS and a set of blades you'd like to use) if you consider it in light of prices of similar technology in other sports, cycling in particular. If you can stick to one paddle and a more narrow range of lengths than most 2 piece paddles offer these days (both of which would not be an issue for me...) it seems pretty reasonable considering the technology.
I'm curious as to how the paddle measures the various units and how accurate/how much variation in accuracy you would get. I'd assume that the power measurement has something to do with paddle shaft deflection, cadence may be a positional or gyroscopic measurement, but the time in the water on each side seems interesting. Maybe a calculation related to the time a certain percentage of the wattage is being exerted on the paddle, indicating the paddle is under load b/c its in the water?
If you look at what wattage training has done to cycling over the past 20 years, you'd have to believe something like this would have the potential to become standard training equipment for elite paddlers. For the rest of us, it would be a fun toy, but I'd be more likely to buy a used ski if I had that kind of money lying around.

I agree about the potential for power measurement, there is just a premium to being an early adopter!

FWIW I use a Garmin Edge 800. This is a cycle GPS. It isn't as waterproof as the 310 XT (IPX7 only) so buy local and get a solid warranty. I had an EDGE 705 that died at 11 months and was replaced, no questions asked. The 800 has a touch screen and you can also get a silicone case for it so I'm hoping it is more waterproof. (the 705 got water into the joy-stick thingy). The Edge 800 has a 5 line display so you can have all sorts of things up on one screen - speed, distance, av speed, cadence, HR, etc. It is really easy to change displayed parameters. On a long race I programme in the route and it will show me km to go.

Yeah, I looked at the 800 at one point with the thought of going between the bike and the ski. In the end, the only 2 features the 800 had over the 310XT were its maps, which I didn't think I'd use, and an altimeter. The screen is bigger for sure but then so is the unit, where as the 310XT you can wear on your wrist to run or x-c ski, put it on your foot strap on your ski, or on your bars on your bike in about 10 seconds. You can customize your 310XT screen also with a 4 line display and scroll through 3 different sets of customized displays. It also vibrates and/or chirps each lap if you like, which I like to use for intervals so I don't have to be looking at the screen, just listen for the chirp/vibration on my feet.
I think if I thought I would be spending more time on the bike than the ski (for me its the other way around by a long shot), I'd go for the 800, although I sometimes wonder if i'd be more likely to enjoy having the maps available than I realize. Its definitely a very cool piece of kit.
BTW, how do you mount the 800 on your ski?
My highly sophisticated home made 310XT mounting kit for my ski footstraps (and for my bike handlebars) involves a piece of foam pipe insulation and some duct tape...

The 800 handlebar mount is easily attached around the foot strap using the supplied rubber bands. On my K1 there is a flat bar across the front of the cockpit.

You can of course also get a handlebar mount for the 310XT.

I don't really use the map functions on the 800 unless I am setting a destination on the fly. It is easier to set this up in Mapsource and download it though. I looked at the 310Xt but thought it would be a pain to have to scroll through several screens while out on the water and this is certainly no good in a race. I know you can auto-scroll but figured whenever I looked down it would be on the wrong screen for what I was looking for!

I run a 310XT and scroll between screens.

On all screens I have HR in the top left and current speed in the top right, that way they are always visible, as these are the need to know figures.

The other two lower positions I change around a bit, depending on what I'm doing, but always put the same things in the same places, so I get used to where to look.

I use the quick release mounts and have one on the road bike, one on the MTB, and use the quick release wrist strap around the footstraps on the ski.

My only complaint about the 310XT is the lack of resolution in the data.
The HR data hides the info I wish to examine so I end up using a polar in combination with it when needed.

I want a full resolution mode to use while testing even if it does mean a shortened storage time.
When I'm testing I want as much data as possible and as fine a data points as possible.

For use while racing is fine though.

It's a big downfall for me on an otherwise perfect unit.

Re: 800

I've had my garmin Edge 800 for about 6 months now, great unit - EXCEPT!!!

Why they added a USB port I have no idea, mine now doesn't connect to the computer, the HR monitor is stuffed, and it comes up with warning screens every time I turn it on!!
AND I was really careful on keeping it water tight.

I would be a much better unit with the ANT to usb on computer, like the XT.

I only chose it for the BIG screen and its High res - as I have trouble reading the smaller screens.

Oh well, another unit I have to send back.........
This will be a total of 5 garmins I've had to return over the years

If only there was another option for SEAWATER enthusiasts!!