what do you look for in a paddle?

I have been dabbling in the paddle making realm for a little over a year now, and have made a few paddles for my club members. I started out making all red cedar with fiberglass over the whole paddle and have been able to get weights in around 16-17 oz per paddle. needless to say some of the novice paddlers completely destroyed these within a couple of months. I have recently recalculated a few things to give them a little more durability especially around the edges for the entry level paddlers. Everyone I have made a paddle for has really had nothing bad to say about them. but I think I could always do better. So present a couple of dumb questions to ask.

My questions are: 1) is weight a major factor in choosing a paddle? 2) Is durability the major factor? 3) what weight is considered a good weight? 4) Should a paddle for regatta racing be different than a paddle used for distance? and 5) What company do you think has the best paddles and why?

I have my own theories on this, but what does the paddling community think about this?

Submitted by fluidpaddler on Fri, 07/31/2009 - 2:46pm



Balance.


#1 Fri, 07/31/2009 - 9:25pm


.


#2 Fri, 07/31/2009 - 11:17pm


Light is nice (Quick Blades) but with a blade that doesn't splinter when you beat it on a coral head (Xylos).


#3 Sat, 08/01/2009 - 8:30am


I was adopted into oc paddling using ZRE Paddles, which I note as consistently permitting a catch with little to no splash or cavitation (in my wildest of dreams) My 8.375" X 50.5" ZRE Flatwater canoe paddle tips the scales at under 10 oz. and, the balance is good, too (good things come in small packages). The ZRE makes their paddles w/all carbon and I don't really care if it wears worse than than a wood or hybrid paddle--I like it. I also like the palm grip of the ZRE. Prices are on the web and they also let you choose your length/width in 1/4" increments, tho I can't imagine the cost associated w/finding the "right" width and length. I don't know how you trial a ZRE paddle, if you can't borrow one. Warranty period is 1 year. I have no business connection w/ZRE.

My other paddle is an 18 oz brand 'X' but it splashes when I use it, and feels heavy, esp after using the ZRE--it's hard to love another paddle after using ZRE's. I have paddled Kialoas loaned to me for paddling OC 6 and have liked them. I don't think I'd mind a heavier paddle up to 18 oz, but haven't received a gift of a free paddle to draw me away from the ZRE. As my OC paddling career passed its one year anniversary in July, you'll have to add a "FWIW" to my comment. I am still taking baby steps in this great sport.

Best of luck to you in paddlecraft.


#4 Sat, 08/01/2009 - 8:49pm


I've used ZRE for oc-1 only, I agree kayak4water nice light paddle, I heard they can snap in OC-6 though, but for one-man it's great. Before I made my own paddles I used an 18 oz. Makana Alii my buddy gave me, he thought it was a little too heavy, but I loved that paddle even if it was a little too short for me. I agree with koacanoe on balance, in training this year I used a 20 oz. I made, but the balance it had made it feel lighter and had good bite and flex so I haven't stopped using it. I'll definitley go alot lighter for distance though.

Oh, and kayak4water no worries, I only started in 2005 and haven't stopped yet, this IS a great sport.


#5 Sat, 08/01/2009 - 10:41pm


I am using LeVass paddle - 6.5oz, not as stiff
as ZRE which has a robust filament wound shaft.

Also catch is cleaner and at half the weight of ZRE
it is hard to love another paddle.

It probably wouldn't fare well if you bang it on corals,
so you Hawaiians should stick to 2X4 variety anyway.


#6 Sun, 08/02/2009 - 10:52am


Fuidpaddler

questions:

1) is weight a major factor in choosing a paddle? Not necessarily you seem to be at a great weight, and I think your talking about wood paddles .

2) Is durability the major factor? yes it always is.... the blade edges , the knob, and where the blade meets the shaft seems to be a trouble spot.

3) what weight is considered a good weight? I would say that's a personal choice, but 17 is great.

4) Should a paddle for regatta racing be different than a paddle used for distance? not for me. but I would say that's personal choice again .

5) What company do you think has the best paddles and why? Kialoa, Lanikai. Ive have many different types of paddles and that's the one I wound up using the most. not to say the others are not not good blades,,,, its personal preference .. I also dabble in the making of blades of Woody's and make a set every few years and use measurements for what I would like to use and out of 20 or so blades one for whatever reason is the one. I use a 52 with a 9 1/4 blade and 9% bend. also you cant go too far in the finishing. 16 oz is exceptional

post some pic's

Mulus


#7 Sun, 08/02/2009 - 6:53pm


mulus:

here's two steering blades I made recently. They are cedar and mohagany blades with a hard epoxy edge. The beaver tail has a mohagany and norfolk pine shaft, and the pink one i used a poplar and cedar shaft with a carbon fiber stringer, both of these weigh about 24 oz.. i am currently working on a set of distance paddles, I am using cedar and poplar with a carbon fiber stringer for the shafts and hau for the blades I probably wont use the epoxy edge to keep the weight down, I need them to come in around 17 oz.. I shooting for the Lilioukalani race to try these out. i have made a couple of all cedar steering blades fully glassed top to bottom and weighed only 22 oz. They're still out there somewhere but have no pics.
My coach has a blade someone made him that weighs 14 oz. I am trying to reverse engineer this to figure what the heck he did, it's by far the lightest woody I ever held, feels like its got a hollow shaft he used balsa on the blade with a maple wrapped edge and a cedar shaft with carbon fiber sandwiched in there and s-glassed tip to tee, super strong, makes me jealous and raised the bar to come up with something similar. I've built mansions in Cali for ten years, but trying to make lightweight wood paddles have been the most fun and challenging project I've ever embarked on.
It's rewarding to contribute to the sport I love so much.


#8 Mon, 08/03/2009 - 10:17am


here's the other one


#9 Mon, 08/03/2009 - 10:12am


MANA BLADES Best out there


#10 Mon, 08/03/2009 - 3:42pm


Fluid your coaches blade sounds high end paddle,, and Ive heard the mana blades were great blades too.
the weight of any given wood could vary from where the tree it was taken, from what altitude the tree is at, and where on the tree the wood was taken from, how old the tree was, 14 that's light, carbon blades are 9.
Sitka Spruce is a good wood if you can get some.


#11 Mon, 08/03/2009 - 5:58pm


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