Your Favorite Paddle Material?

Western Red Cedar

– Last Updated: Sep-27-12 5:22 PM EST –

from Lumpy Paddles.

Ahhh... perfect.

Oh yeah... why do I like it? The wood feels warm right away. With minimal oiling it doesn't get too slippery. The little bit of flex feels good; let's you know it's not so brittle that it'll snap when stressed. The shape of the GP shoulder in the hand is light years beyond what the Euro offers but that's really not part of your question.

carbon

wood
Started with glass shafts, glass blades, and plastic blades, and have gone down the line like many through fiberglass, wood, carbon, foam core carbon, combinations of carbon shaft with wood blades, wood with carbon finished blades.

I use Euro blades, and I favor wood. My favorite is the Black Magic, wood shaft and wood core blades finished with carbon. Fantastic feel and performance. Cricket paddles makes a fine wood paddle called the Arctic Spoon. I’m a fan of the wooden Sea Blade as well.

ZRE carbon for canoe paddles
However, I recommend their flexible shaft, which many people don’t now about, for anyone who is concerned about slightly moderating the repetitive impact on shoulder and elbow joints and getting closer to the feel of a wood shaft.



The flex comes from some linear fiberglass they put inside the shaft. There are arcane arguments about whether shaft flex reduces race propulsion by some fractional amount, but those arguments are both inconclusive and completely irrelevant to me, a non-racer.



I have an expensive Vitudden carbon kayak paddle from the mid-90’s that I stopped using because of its relentless rigidity and racing blades. I’m sure there are more flexible shaft carbon double blades available today.

I like wood
but that’s for canoeing and not racing. I own two kinds of Grey Owl bent shafts (14 and 12 deg) and a cherry beaver-tail Tripper (my favorite). I also have and like my Sawyer ceder voyageur. Still have my old Grumman originals also, though I don’t use them so much anymore.

The greater weight of wood doesn’t bother me too much - if I get tired I do more underwater recoveries. Doesn’t matter how much they weigh if you don’t pick them up.

I like the warmth of wood, and having the ability to shape the grip to better suit my hand, and having a bit of flex. I believe a decent paddle should be “lively.” They feel right, balance right, and darnit, they’re just pretty.



Those carbon paddles are so darned light I’d be afraid some windy evening I’d pull into camp, lean one up against a tree or leave it lying in the boat on the thwarts and have the thing blow away when I was pitching the tent and not looking. Too pricy for that…

Those carbon paddles are marvels though. I’d probably get one if I raced more. I expect they make more sense for kayak paddles.

not plastic
Carbon kayak, light wood or carbon canoe.



I really don’t think you are much more likely to break a carbon paddle. Maybe under specific conditions, but paddling in water without absolutely crushing something is not one of them.



Ryan L.

Which is your favorite child?

– Last Updated: Sep-28-12 9:55 AM EST –

It's kind of like that question. Each has its own characteristics, plusses and minuses depending on the situation. For racing, there is no question that carbon in bent shaft format is a necessity to be competitive today. But for recreational cruising, enjoyable maneuvering, and the sheer pleasure of performing and learning advanced paddle strokes, it is wood for me. A feather edge straight blade ottertail is my preference.

I don't get the whole flexible paddle thing. I paddle marathon canoe races, fully up to 18 hours a day for 6+ straight days in the case of the Y1K, with a stiff carbon blade. Proper technique and training doesn't require the losses from a flexible blade. For recreational paddling my wood paddle is minimally flexible, not because it has to be, but is a characteristic of preferring a thin feather edged blade. Even then i seek out those that have absolute minimal flex.

If you have never broke a paddle …
you are not having enough fun.

carbon
I have broken wood paddles and Carbon paddles. Per milage of useage I have had much better service from the carbon.6-7000 miles per incidence on carbon (stupidity both times) Wood under a 1000 miles per incidence.

Q on carbon weight…

– Last Updated: Sep-27-12 11:17 PM EST –

Wow, a lot of ppl seem to like carbon, and because of the weight.

However, I'm looking at Werner Shuna paddles at the moment (the one the Werner Fit Guide says I should go with), and in fiberglass, bent-shaft, it's 29.75 oz.

The Shuna Carbon, in bent-shaft? 29.5 oz. Pretty much the same.

So if the weight difference isn't much (is it?), what's the big hoo-ha over carbon? Is it stiffness? Looks? High-techie-ness?

And if it's increased stiffness, could that have a negative impact on my body/put more strain on my joints?

Just playin' a little devil's advocate here.

I'm kinda checking out wood too, I've always liked wooden paddles visually. Maybe if I get a GP as a second paddle.

Black willow
I have carbon and several other wood paddles,but I really like Bending Branches Black willow paddles. They are real lite for a wood paddle,fairly tough,look nice, feel good in the water and are reasonably priced. The Expresso plus straight and Navagator dubble are my facorits.I don’t know if anybody else uses this wood.

Turtle

My plastic paddles, bought in the early
days are for the grandkids, my son, his wife, and their friends who not too kind to them when paddling.

Early on I had an AT full carbon, but a friend lost it in a strainer, while paddling with me, and wanted to try it out. Last time I lent my carbon to anyone.

I have an AT with a carbon shaft and fiberglass blades and 3 all carbon. I prefer my bent shafts due to the ovality at the grip site. For this person, weight really matters for the comfort it gives over heavier paddles. You can tell the difference, especially when paddling for 5-6 hours at a time. It isn’t about being ‘snobbish’, it’s about having a good day.

I’ve had two carbon blades repaired for me by a friend. I finally learned to use caution when pushing off.

Wood But…
I have three carbon paddles that I love. For racing or extremely long distances where weight becomes and issue I like carbon. For feel in my hands I like wood best. Specifically sassafras. It is springy and soft that is super comfortable. It also stays cool in the sun and warm in the winter.

most
Of the responses here with carbon are talking about single blades. Zre has perfected the carbon single blade paddle, they make them at weights that make it feel like a tennis racket or ping pong paddle.



As far as double blades, my onno wing supposedly weighs about 22-24oz. I don’t know nor have I weighed it, but it is extremely light.The bent shaft you are looking at will add weight.



Ryan L.

Soylent Green

i WAS eating.
Ryan L.

Hmmmm, Tough Question
First off, I’ve broken several wooden paddles, but been using carbon ZRE’s quite a bit since 2003 and never broke one. And I paddle mostly rivers, 99% of the time paddling very abrasive, rocky waters.



Gosh, I like both equally. I like the weight of carbon, but like the “Feel” of wood, especially when paddling when it’s cool outside. And, paddling with a nice wooden beavertail on a quiet morning is “Special.”



I recently found a great deal on a Mitchell Leader with carbon blade and wooden shaft, it may be just the ticket for winter paddling. But I’ll always have a fondness for a nice, wooden beavertail to mess around with when I’m paddling solo.

Wooden paddle for me …

– Last Updated: Sep-28-12 7:23 PM EST –

..... nothing feels as comfortable and natural in my hands as wood .

I have a paddle that I re-engineered from an old fir paddle , one of those old 60" straight jobs . It got a new Cherry shaft built deep into the blade , an Ipe tip gaurd , some blade thinning , water base powder staining , epoxy and cloth coated with varnish top coats . Used it's old palm grip halves fitted to new shaft . It's now 58" and very light weight , feels great in the hands and paddles great too .

That's just one example of what can be done with an old wood paddle . I like my cheap Carlisle Beavertails also , and all my other wood paddles too , the expensive ones and the cheap ones .

Just for the mentioning , you can take most any ol wood paddle (old , new , cheap ect.) and customize it , tweak it to your liking and shazaam , sweet !!

I'm happy in the 18-21 oz. range straight shaft wooden canoe paddle . They all feel different , but all feel good .

Carbon/Foam Core
Broke a wood paddle once. Never been able to break my Ikelos despite years of aggressively trying.

If
you are considering the carbon Shuna then you need to take a serious look at the Cyprus. In my opinion the foam core blades are head and shoulders above non-foam blades. YMMV