One disadvantage of healthy outdoor activities is regular exercise. If you can do some hard work for yourself, who will be willing to do so? This seems to be the theme of the latest version of [bitluni], a simple (and rough) propulsion system for upright paddles.
After obtaining an inflatable upright paddle and making several attempts, [bitrooney] decided to skip the “upright” and “paddle” sections. He designed and printed a very simple propeller, and he plans to use brushless motor and speed controller to power it. In the process of drilling out the prop to install the shaft, he realized that he had complicated things. So he decided to replace it with a battery driven drill. For the shaft tube, he modified an old crutch, drilled a hole in the handle of the shaft, and added a pipe with bearings at the other end. He also tied a hook and loop on the handle to fix it on the paddle.
The test in the lake shows that the propulsion system performs relatively well in the proof of concept, but there are some defects. In order to submerge it correctly, [bitluni] must sit on the back of the paddle facing back. If it is too close to the ground, it will suck in air and lose thrust, or spray water on him and his drill bit. Of course, there is also a real risk of drowning his drill in this process.
The project does not need to be complex to be pleasant, and you can learn more by quickly creating a proof of concept, rather than spend a long time proposing a “perfect” design.
If you want to see some more advanced water projects, you can take a look at the water jet driven electric surfboard built by [rclifeon] and [andreww].