A copy has been sent to the P-Net reviews but till it’s up here’s my initial impressions on the new Lendal Carbon Cadence on just a 7 mile jaunt. I’ll update it on a longer all day paddle as time/weather/family holiday conditions permit.
http://wp.me/pFgdM-Ng
See you on the water,
Marshall
The River Connection, Inc.
Hyde Park, NY
www.the-river-connection.com
hudsonriverpaddler.og
Will watch
for your update, Marshall.
With the Samba, am thinking I need to go shorter than my current 220cm fiberglass paddle. At least, that’s what all the paddle sizing guides state. The Werner Cyprus is my first choice, but the Lendal Cadence looks pretty nice.
I had been a long-term Cyprus user
– Last Updated: Dec-07-14 1:20 PM EST –
I have probably owned at least 10 paddles and since 2005 the Cyprus had been my go-to blade. That was until I demoed a Lendal Storm back in September. The Werner has now been regulated to my fore-deck spare.
The Werner is nice, but the Lendal just feels stronger/more robust; is lighter; indexing is more prominent; and it seems to dance through linked strokes.
The carbon Cadence appears to be of identical construction and similar design to the Storm with a bit less total surface area, but I have not yet tried one.
Lastly I have come to really like very positive mating of the splits using the the Pad-Lock (Lendal) vs. the push-button on the Werner.
Differences
I’ll see if I can get a sample of the shaft from Lendal ant put a picture of the cross section on the blog. The indexing shape of the cross section is definitely different, providing very definitive feedback as to the blade position.
Rookie, what 220cm model are you using. During your stroke is your top hand at/above shoulder height or below?
See you on the water,
Marshall
The River Connection, Inc.
Hyde Park, NY
www.the-river-connection.com
hudsonriverpaddler.org
Marshall@the-river-connection.com
220 cm Carlisle Expedition
My top hand is about forehead height.
Didn’t get a chance to test a shorter length paddle in October, when I bought the Samba, because of the outfitter’s transition from paddling sports to winter sports. Will be able to do that come springtime, but they carry only Werner.
There is a place in Charlevoix that carries Lendal; will visit them when they re-open.
Plan B
Rookie, being that you’re already in The River Connection system, you don’t have to wait till Springtime as the Showroom is open year round. I do have a box and can send you the Demo paddle if you’re going to do a pool session this winter. Want to take it for a spin? Give a call.
See you on the water,
Marshall
The River Connection, Inc.
Hyde Park, NY
845-229-0595
www.the-river-connection.com
hudsonriverpaddler.org
Marshall@the-river-connection.com
Curious
– Last Updated: Dec-07-14 3:01 PM EST –
I know your post is about a review for a carbon paddle, but just curious why you're not using a wing for your racing?
Also I thought Lendall was no more and had been bought by NDK/sea kayak UK?
Lendal North American
– Last Updated: Dec-07-14 8:02 PM EST –
"In May 2010, Lendal was purchased and relocated to North Wales and Rochester, New York. Lendal and Lendal North America (call us Lendal NA for short) produce a full range of paddles, including the XRANGE which was developed by Lendal NA and is manufactured in North America."
Celtic paddles produce the Kinetic like the Scotland and Johnson Outdoors versions. The original tried and true version. Lendal NA set out to change things up, starting with the foam core foiled Kinetic, and onto everything else you're now seeing. I'm seeing both Celtic and Lendal (NA) on the water a lot more in the last year. I think Lendal NA produces a great indexed shaft that is hard not to appreciate once you start using it. And I like what they did with their new version of the Kinetic blade. Sitting here holding the old and new Kinetic 700's in front of each other back and forth, it's difficult to discern much difference between the outline. The new version might have an ever so slightly more pronounced downward tilt, but it's a very slight difference if it isn't just my imagination. A downward tilted blade is argued to give better boat clearance, as it gets very narrow on the bottom side of the blade as it nears the shaft. This is the part on the inside of your plant that's coming in and down next to your hull. And the idea is that you're swinging down more than you're stabbing forward, and this is the part that would normally make contact with the side of your hull, not the part near the tip of the blade. This holds true in my experience, as that is where the wear has appeared on some of my older paddles with lesser downward tilt. So the theory holds true for me.
Anyway, with the foiled back of the blade and foam core,it maintains all the catch, with a little better feel and less turbulence working maneuvering strokes for me.
The rest of Lendal NA are new designs that they're creating, getting lighter in weight and introducing some new dihedral designs.
By the way, thanks Marshall for introducing these new designs.
Thanks, Marshall
Spent from 5-7 pm at my first pool session. Was so nice to get back in the cockpit.
I’d love to try the Carbon Cadence after the holidays - but it wouldn’t be under optimum conditions given the size of our pool (two-three forward strokes, then sweep).
What I do need is a new PFD. My frustration level soared when attempting a re-entry technique found at Robert Finlay’s site:
http://kayak-skills.kayaklakemead.com/wet-entry.html
Each time I tried, my PFD got hung up on the lip of the cockpit coaming, I couldn’t get up and over the cockpit and wound up flipping the boat. Gave up, pulled out the paddle float and no problem, except that I wanted to avoid using the float.
To add insult to injury, there was one other paddler in the pool. A guy in a lovely Betsy Bay kayak with a GP. Did nothing but roll for two hours. Like a tumbleweed.
Out of total frustration I took off my PFD, tossed it on the pool deck and easily completed four of the Finlay re-entries in a row without using a paddle float. That re-entry is so much better than the one I was taught in the skills class because it’s quick and easy. None of that inching backward stuff: get centered, stable, and pop your butt in the cockpit.
Have any good PFDs in stock? My current one is a Stohlquist Flo, size M/L. Too large now; can’t adjust it any tighter to keep it from riding up.
Winged
Hi CapeFear
I have a Noname wing which is about the same blade size as a epic mid wing but built heavier (which for my usual use isn’t a bad thing). I like using the wing on my surf ski and when racing “short” distances of less than ~25 miles. I’ve clocked longer distances with GPS and haven’t found a discernible improvement with the wing vs. conventional blade. On these longer distances I’ve found that my conditioning is more critical than the blade choice. (Although with my heavier wing paddle & size I’ll start to feel it in the anterior deltoids after 22 miles) Lighter and with less resistance on the Ultra-Marathon & Expedition Challenge distances certainly helps keeps the kayak moving so I’m looking forward to the next chance to play hooky to get in a half day paddle and see how I feel with the smaller surface area paddle.
Rookie, thanks for the link. I’ll have to try that bit in the pool next weekend. My usual habit after the ballistic seal launch bit is to swing a leg over the kayak to a wide straddle over the cockpit and then land both cheeks. If you have a pineapple grenade pocketed pfd or not as much upper shoulder strength to clear over the edge of the deck snagging happens. My wife ran into this with doing canoe rescues where the freeboard is higher and getting over the gunwale is a hurdle. I would recommend the Astral YTV. Very minimalist, clean front pfd. I’ve got dark blue and canary yellow that could use a home in the MI.
See you on the water,
Marshall
The River Connection, Inc.
Hyde Park, NY
www.the-river-connection.com
hudsonriverpaddler.org
Yellow, please
Will contact you later about the Astral, Marshall.
From a student’s standpoint, I like that re-entry technique because, as stated in the video, “it’s that easy.”
From a feminine standpoint, I like it because it left no bruises.
Accurate information
Cape Fear that is a nice account of the situation. I consulted with Lendal NA during their start-up through first year production. I can say that the two partners who own the company have put a ton of money and effort into keeping Lendal alive and making it better. I think they have done both and I can also say that their investment in CNC technology, and in utilizing the finest materials, as well as working closely with Neil Baxter, Lendal designer of old, is all great news.
I look forward to getting a new paddle sent out soon and I think the dihedral face on the kinetic profile is a product that will perform super for a wide range of paddlers. Spike Gladwin also had some input there along with Neil.
So, it’s good to see them getting some well deserved press. They’ve earned it. Having been in the bigger corporate side of the kayak industry it was a nice experience to help out a start up company who’s focus wasn’t on making stuff cheaper, outsourcing, and cutting corners, rather on making a superb product in our country. Cool stuff.