anyone into/use LIGHTWEIGHT paddles?

I’m obsessed with everything ultralight and I’ve done my internet research, but now I’m seeking advice from the forums:



Does anyone know who makes the lightest paddles. “Blades” from New Zealand (Oz?) are pretty light, but I think I might have them with my first attempt at paddle-building.



http://youtu.be/1FD4d8zhVc4



Check out my sweet, first, ultralight stick.



Any tips on materials or method?

Come on, experts! Help me go sub 10oz!!!



-Jason

Cut it in half
If you want ultralight just get rid of one of the blades. Less weight, less windage, less dripage. 46" is a nice single blade length for kayaks. I believe Zaveral is making them in the sub-8oz range.



Yours looks good though. Better than anything I could do.



Alan

minimalism
From what I could see on the video, you’ve also managed to minimalize your pfd.



Sorry about that–sometimes I just can’t resist.

minimal all the way!
Yup, mostly go without… a bad habit I picked up from waveski.



In fact, my go-to, non-river pfd is a cut-down version of an already lowprofile stolquist!

wow!
Thanks for the idea. Never though of making a half.



Looks like I gotta make a sub 8oz paddle!!! Thanks for setting the bar high.

more storm paddle
Looking at the video and you saying its 171cm its as short as a Greenland storm paddle. Not really a Greenland paddle being that short. But if it works for you then great. Lightest full size Greenland I know of is from Superior and there’s is 22 ounces.



Iam 5’8" and my Greenland is 82 inch’s or 208.28cm. My storm paddle is 69.75 inch or 177.16cm.



I think you can only go so light before its to weak a paddle or to small.

21oz here
I think I have a 21oz in the garage. Nice blade - foam filled carbon fiber. Almost cried when I heard the strands breaking after I slammed a car door on it. Fwiw if is still usable and the only notable damage was probably to the core - I think the 2 blades are no longer perfectly symmetric



I got that right as I was getting out of sea kayaking - so no milage on it. My Eddyline at 24oz served me well before that.

Ditto
I concur that it may be overstating by calling this a GP, it’s way too short. But it’s still stupendously light, good going.



Also, and I’m not trying to be mean, but the shape of that paddle looks pretty wonky. The loom is extra long, the blades are pretty flat, the ends look OK. I point this out, because GPs are notoriously variable - small geometric differences can make a huge difference in performance.



In my experience, the best Greenland paddles are made by people with a lot of experience using them. I’m a former professional carpenter and made what I thought was a great paddle in a class - it’s only OK, nothing special. The teacher of the class, a real pro, made a paddle that looks almost the same and gave it to me - it is much, MUCH better.



At this point, you have a great light build, I think you could focus on refining the shape, which will give a lot more satisfaction going forward. Here’s a couple of resources on paddle making:



http://www.qajaqusa.org/QK/makegreen2.pdf

http://greenlandpaddlebook.com/

If you’re talking straight line speed
and efficiency, light is great.



I’m mainly a whitewater paddler, and while I like light weight up to a point, I can’t have the damn thing breaking off in my hands.



There is also a proprioceptive issue. A bit of weight in a whitewater paddle provides feedback, provides feel, provides control. A featherweight paddle lacks feel for slalom paddling.

A little

– Last Updated: Jun-24-14 5:33 PM EST –

bit of weight can also help with the plant...surprised , since you only used 4 oz uni-directional carbon on the blade and only that....it hasn't zippered on you yet.


Best Wishes
Roy

Looking forward to shaping the next one
There is more wonkiness than you pointed out…



…and I can help but obsess about how I am gonna make my next one!!!

Ouch!
Thats gotta hurt!

Hmm, I never considered that length…
I always thought it was blade shape that made it a greenland paddle.



All you greenlanders: what is it that truly defines what a greenland paddle must be to be called “greenland?”

true about whitewater
Whitewater is a very different animal, and I think you are right that weight is necessary, especially fore safety (a ww company used to give me paddles until I broke 5 of their new ultralight models in a month, after that I tried to get werner to sponsor me, no dice).



I encourage you to check out waveski paddle manufacturers like Blades… we aren’t contending with rocks or decked boats, but some of these guys are making paddles that are extremely strong and obsurdly light… id like to see some of the topdog ww paddlers try these… maybe the same guys throwing huge aerials in carbon ww boats.

Lightest
the lightest paddle I have made is a little short for everyday use …it weights 7.4 oz



Bi-axle carbon over structural foam…



http://s922.photobucket.com/user/fadedred_photos/media/Handpaddle002.jpg.html?filters[user]=101256231&filters[recent]=1&sort=1&o=2





http://s922.photobucket.com/user/fadedred_photos/media/Handpaddle002.jpg.html?filters[user]=101256231&filters[recent]=1&sort=1&o=2



Best Wishes

Roy

wow, a new standard for me to reach
Roy, you have set a new bar… now I’m gonna have to make a full sized stick that is sub 7oz!!!