Hey Bill
I just got my OR for this season.
I already know it is going to be great for ten miles or less, but I’ll have to wait till some long training paddles to see about a 35 miler with it. I have a little bit of doubt right now.
Uning it this coming Saturday in a 8 mile down river race, with all switchbacks and twists. It sould be great for that.
Cheers,
JackL
Ya, and you guys kept it secret …
for all these years.
Just watch my smoke now!
And then I woke up!
Cheers,
JackL
Whiskeyjack paddles…another view
I’d like to take a different tack from Kanoo’s comments on Whiskeyjack paddles. He has blasted the entire line because he didn’t like the Whiskey Straight, which is about like blasting Wenonah because you didn’t like the Rendezvous. Whiskeyjack makes a number of top quality, highly functional paddles, most of them bents. As an example, their Whiskey Jill is a small blade, small shaft, very lightweight (12 ounce) beauty. In general, it is great for the person who has smaller hands, less upper body strength or wants to move less water in order to be able to paddle longer in a day (or be less wiped out at the end of a long day on the water). That’s women usually, but certainly not always. I can think of at least one paddle from just about every good paddle maker that I don’t particularly like, but that doesn’t mean that I condemn the entire product line. The OP was looking for quality paddles and Whiskeyjack has some that, in my opinion, should always be in the discussion.
A simple equation answers this
– Last Updated: Apr-28-09 12:33 PM EST –
question for me: Which paddle pleases me for the need at hand.
For flatwater canoeing, in the go-fast mode I love my Mitchell Leader. Light, quiet, warm to the touch.
For flatwater slow cruising my Bending Branches straight feels right. It DID NOT feel right until I shaved weight from the blade and gave it a well-cambered cross section. Now it slices sweetly.
For kayak touring, I used to be in love with an AT Exception. Still a fine paddle, it has been laid aside in favor of a Mitchell Horizon GP. GPs are soooo forgiving to the arms and shoulders that I doubt I will ever spend much time with a euro again.
If it feels good do it, and if it feels right, use it!
Jim
Old Fart (hu cant spel gud)
Barton paddles
I have a pair of custom Barton graphite paddles I bought used but they were like new. My favorite of the two is a 50 inch bent shaft that weighs 10 ounces.It works beautiful with my solo canoes and cruisers.
I understand Barton was a small shop in Michigan that is now out of business. I also have a 52 inch carbon bent shaft that weighs about 13 oz.
Curious if anyone else is using Barton paddles? I would buy any of these I could fine in a minute. They make all wood paddles seem like lead weights.
Ridiculous Question,…
– Last Updated: Apr-28-09 12:19 PM EST –
because everyone will jump right in with their favorites, usually chosen by happenstance, but, that said, here are mine, selected as serendipitously as anyone else's list.
For kneeling, fav straights are Quimby FS, the Pat Moore HD Carbon Q, Silver Creek for WW and Dog Paddle Designs; only the latter is available.
I like a big bladed bents for reduced tempo touring when seated, only Mitchel now, but somehow always end up with a Zav in my hands. That weight, or lack thereof, is hard to beat. I always get the WW variant because it'll last longer with my usage.
For double blading it, the morality of same being reserved for another discussion, a toss up between the AT OS Exception and the Werner carbon Kallista and Ikelos, all bent.
You get what you pay for
… and with Whiskey Jack you sure get a purdy looking paddle …
Several Favorites
I have a Mitchell Premium Whitewater that is my favorite for rocky rivers. It has a good solid catch, good balance, and it’s the one I trust to get me home.
I am not easy on this paddle. I routinely pole with it as well as hit most of the rocks. Takes a licking and keeps on ticking. Note that this is the wood shaft carbon over wood blade version. I don’t care for the carbon shaft wood blade version because IMO the balance is blade heavy.
I also have a ZRE bent shaft “whitewater” model. It’s heavier than the medium or light paddles but it’s the lightest paddle I’ve used. It too has a good catch and balance. While I don’t feel that bent shaft offers me any advantage, I’m a %95 kneeler, I do believe the light weight and the increased stroke rate more than make up for the occaisional awkwardness of the bent.
I used this on some easy class II once. It performed quite well but I was really uncomfortable banging it on the rocks. The tip has some damage from that and other mishaps. So these days I try to keep it away from rocks as much as I can.
Finally I have a Bending Branches Traveler. I bought this before I found the Zav when I was having tennis elbow issues. It has a smaller blade and is lighter than the Mitchel which did help with the elbow. The catch is ok. Balance is good. The rock guard tip is effective though I have managed to tear it up a little on the edge above the tip. I tend to carry this as a spare when using either of the above paddles. It get’s most of it’s use when it’s too rocky for the Zav.
Oh yeah! The BB cost less than %25 of what I paid for either the Mitchell or the Zav.
Tommy
…just one right now…
Yeah…I’m using that Voyageur(Sawyer)…although the shaft is narrow for me…I don’t grip it that tight. It’s grip is the right size to shape, the shaft has just the right moderate flex, and the thin blade works for me. Bogs, ponds, edges of lakes…and small streams…nothing tough.
STeveD
Optometrist Jack
Jack,
Every race you ever saw me paddle i was using a ZRE Outrigger Power Surge, full size blade 9.75". Randy and Charlie asked what the monster blade was for, you just kept looking for secrets in my canoe rigging.
Others kept thinking to go fast you needed the same paddle as Serge Corbin, small blade and ultralight. But we don’t paddle ultra-skinny proboats at his ultra-high cadence. At Serge’s cadence and blade speed a narrow blade works cause the water has no time to slip past the blade(think hyroplane prop). At our geriatric pace the water will slip past the small blade, but not the big outrigger blade (think supertanker prop). You noticed the improved bite right away; Randy has paddled on your team now so he figured he would let you see for yourself, and bingo, you are enlightened.
I did downsize 3/8" on the blade size to permit a bit higher cadence when paddling Team Darryl pace. At Plaidpaddler Pace the full 9.75 is fine, though it did take my shoulder a full year to take the big blade for more than 2 hours. The slightly smaller blade is my age concession for the long races and speed work.
I will be in your “veterans” age group in 2 days, not the superveterans though.
Bill
That’s fair
I haven’t used their bent shaft models, so I will make a point to make that clear in the future.
Happy Birthday
Cheers,
JackL
good points…
A couple of posters implied that there is no “best” paddle. I certainly agree Of course the decision is completely subjective, and it depends on teh application.
I am just curious about the paddle that you prefer…much different from asking what is the best paddle.
I am just trying to get an idea of what paddles people really like so taht I can try them for myself and make my own assessment.
So much of the value of a paddle is in the way it feels in the water. That cannot be determined by looking at pictures of pretty paddles, reading weight specs, etc. It is a non-quantifiable quality that can only be determined by paddling with it.
This question just serves to focus my attention on which ones to try.
A good example might be a paddle I recently picked up. I bought a Mitchell Surreal. Nice paddle. Super light. Thin profile carbon blade, wood shaft. Nice feel in the hand…however I am not sure about how I like it in the water. Has somewhat of a dead feel to it…or at least that was my initial impression.
I need to paddle more with it to really see.
Perhaps there is something to be said for all wood paddles adn the flex and “sweet” feel they impart.
As to my personal application…I probably need 3 paddles: one for fast flat water (bent) for kneeling and occasional sitting, a general use sweet feeling paddle used when kneeling, and a basher river paddle.
Matt
Gillespie
Matt,
My favorite wooden paddle is the bent shaft Gillespie Oak Orchard Marathon. Brad Gillespie is a barrel chested paddle bending paddler. His younger brother Marc is a nationally rated marathon paddler now, and he got his start with his experienced brother. The Gillespie is not the work of art of a Whiskeyjack, but it won’t give you blisters in 5 miles either. The knobs fit your hand, the blade has a curled lip that just enters the water so smoothly and quietly. The ZRE PowerSurge blade uses the same curled lip and it came 20 years after Gillespie put it on his paddles. The Gillespies are meant to paddle for long marathon races and were the top choice till the carbon fiber paddles came along.
For times when wood is wanted or required, Gillespie is my choice.
Bill
I have a couple Barton carbon bent
shaft paddles that I bought used. I like them, but I prefer the Zavs most of the time.
I thought that Barton Paddle Company was completely out of business.
Paddles
My favorite paddle, the one I use while tandem in my Old Town Guide 147 as well as while solo in my Old Town Pack is a Fox Guide bent shaft. For me, it excels at everything I need it to do. If you like something nice…you’ll appreciate any Fox paddle. I’m currently waiting for my Custom Fox 260mm double blade paddle to be delivered…it’s to use in my Pack canoe and cant wait to try it out!
ZRE Medium for Bent. Foxworx
Palm grip for wood straight shafts - mine is actually and old Camp Beavertail that’s no longer made.
I haven’t found a wood bent shaft that I like as well as the Zav Medium (Wenonah Black Jack is the same paddle), though the Sawyer Cedar Manta Double Bend felt pretty good when I tried it for a few minutes on a river a couple weeks ago. I’d like to have one.
Last summer, I tried a couple Wildwood bent shafts made by Peter Puddicombe (no longer in production) and liked them quite a bit. Would like to have one.
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I’m just starting to mess around with straight shaft paddles this year, but here’s my take:
Foxworx palm grip is more comfortable for me for indian stroke (palm rolls) than the Grey Owl, Bending Branches or Zaveral.
Zaveral Medium straight is the lightest, but mine’s too long for flatwater and I’ll eventually get a shorter one for that as I find one used. I like it best on rivers. It slices nicely through the water for in-water recovery.
I like the feel of both the Grey Owl Tripper and the Camp beavertail in the water, but the palm grip of the Foxworx is more comfortable for indian stroke.
How very adult of you
I think that’s the first time I’ve seen someone be so mellow and accepting of a criticism on this site.
Good show.
Zav all the way
If I could own only one line of paddles, it would be ZRE.
Brad Gillespie makes a very nice wood paddle.
The Sawyer and Whiskey Jacks are very cool looking, but I’ve never used one.
he said “favorite,” not best
it’s subjective by nature, and that’s probably a good thing.