In my view arguing which is better makes no more sense than arguing whether a hammer is better than a screwdriver. You use the stroke that works best for what you need to do at the moment,
Sure, but what are most canoeists doing in the
vast majority of moments when they are cruising on a flat water day or overnight trip? They are forward stroking straight ahead, mile after mile, on reasonably calm water. So, the question or argument is what is the most efficient, flexible and least tiring stroke to do
that.
You have argued above, Pete, that Minnesota switch paddling is the most efficient and fastest for that kind of paddling. I agree, but don't switch paddle as my primary traveling stroke because I find it too repetitive and BORING.
So, the question to me is which single-sided correction stroke, the J or goon, is more efficient, flexible and interesting as the primary traveling stroke on reasonably calm waters. I have no problem arguing for the J.
First, a C stroke draw at the beginning at the stroke plant can be more smoothly integrated in a J completion than a goon completion. Second, a pitch stroke during the power pull can be more easily transitioned into a J than a goon completion. Third, a Canadian in-water return correction can be more easily transitioned from a J than a goon. Fourth, all palm rolled maneuvers, such as the Indian stroke and christie turn, are more easily transitioned from a J than a goon. The plant draw, pitched pull, Canadian return, and palm rolled maneuvers are all fundamental components of my regular forward travel stroke repertoire, and I would guess they are, more or less, for most experienced single-sided paddlers.
As Ray Goodwin argues, the primary moments when the goon is more useful than the J are: (1) accelerating with power from a dead stop, (2) big on-side turning control in a rapid, and (3) big on-side turning control in winds. I agree,* but situations (1) and (2) don't consume many moments on most paddlers' flat water canoe trips. When strong winds and wind waves are trying to push a canoe off-side—the most common situation (3) moments for flat water cruisers—quick stern pry goon strokes are then indeed the best tool (unless the paddler has the ambidextrous competence simply to switch paddling sides).
Thus, averaging over all moments on my typical day or overnight canoe trips, I find the arguments for the thumb-down paddle position (J) vs. the thumb-up paddle position (goon) to be overwhelming in favor of the thumb-down J and its more efficiently transitional variants, which are all fundamentally important to me.
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* For power acceleration from a dead stop in flat or whitewater, I personally would probably use alternating (uncorrected) forward strokes and cross-forward strokes more often than goon strokes, because the lateral vector pry element of the goon stroke will usually kill my forward vector momentum more than alternating forward and cross-forward strokes will. An exception would be when powering out of an eddy into an upstream ferry across a strong current when my paddle is on the upstream side—I would then definitely use stern pried goon strokes (if I was not comfortable just switching paddle sides).
. I had a similar issue with sea kayaking arm not letting me use a Greenland paddle in the early '90's.
