I have been using an ONNO Mid wing for about 9 months. It is the only wing that I have used. I am certanily going faster than I ever did with my euro paddle, BUT, when I sprint, the shaft rolls in my hand, slaps the water and finaly ends the sprint way before my body does. I have taped a 3" piece of rope to the shaft for my power hand to get a grip on ,however, even though I used metalic duct tape, the rope tears thruoge the tape in less than 24 miles of paddling.
I’ve been thinging of an EPIC mid wing because of the oval shaft. It’s a couple of oz. heavier but I think it might be worth the tradeoff. Please provide any comments or suggestions. Thanks
shwing blades
I have not used a lot of different wings blades, nor have I used the Onno.
I have been useing Lendal modified crank shafts for over 10 yrs and cannot go back to a straight shaft. Long ago I mated the oval Epic blades to the round Lendal mod-cranks and have been very satisfied with the result. Made one in the mid, and another in the larger size, which was so long ago I can’t even remember the names of the Epic blades.
I do remember the smaller bladed paddle did not have an index on the shaft and it would slip in my hand at times, as you have pointed out. The larger one I put the Lendal index on it before assembly (it heat shrinks into place.) Perhaps you can check to see if Lendal still offers the seperate index.
The
indexes are sold (or were last year) as a kit
don’t remember the price, but I saw them on a wall display of Lendal stuff.
Best Wishes
Roy
epic and DAM Good paddles
the Epic is older, rounder shaft, but gorgeous lite. The DAM paddle is a bit heavier, but has a great flat spot on the control side, no blisters at all, fantastic feel in the water. my choice for sub 3 hour paddles. like the epic for longer ones.
af
Hi pjpaddler
I own an Epic Mid Wing with the stiff shaft and an ONNO Endurance Wing. I had Patrick build me a brick and it’s still lighter than my Epic. My Epic is a 215 while my ONNO is a 210. I think the Epic may have a slightly harder/better bite but I can’t be sure because of the length difference. They paddle very similarly and look very similar. The ONNO is very slightly smaller. The ONNO is a little more forgiving when I do my occasional “error pull”, i.e. paddle dive. They are both great paddles. The fit and finish on the Epic is better but the ONNO paddle is a lot better bang for the buck and it IS custom made. It would seem the wing would find its own happy place going thru the water and all you would have to do is follow its path. I’ve grown to like the round shaft. I bet if you call Patrick and tell him about your problem, he would happily take the blades off your wing’s shaft and put them on his oval shaft. Patrick uses a different shaft for his euro paddles. He can also build you as stiff a shaft as you would like. Good luck to you.
Franklin
HAVE indexed shafts but like the round
– Last Updated: Feb-05-07 5:56 AM EST –
for the wing for its broader ( frontal ) surface area as opposed to the squashed oval. This is really a personal preference thing and if you like to have a giant piece of line on there I humbly submit you will probably have to put it on the Epic too because the oval is not 'that' much different and the shafts are more slippery as stock. Alot of guys do this and some like things just the way they are. Besides personal preferences, somewhat depends on ones paddling style and boat(s) paddled too. PJ sorry forgot ..... What length are you using the wing at ?
PJ , PLEASE contact me about this. Happy to discuss.
Thank you ! : ) Franklin, don't forget I put that requested 15cm ferule on your paddle too ..... Hurt by your statement that the Epic paddle has a better fit and finish. My blades forgo superficial glossy finishes and have over an hour each of HAND FINISHING to get the backside carbon perfectly smooth to 1000 grit including the jewel like edges. A quick sand and spray would be easy / glossy but not as durable, light nor cool. Yes the locker has a little 'trick' to it but please also notice the sized-to-the thousandth, ultra precise fit of the ferule and wetsanded finish of the shafts which is also superior to a glossy finish for real world use.
Been working the last 48 non-stop to catch up prior to a few days off and reading this really has me bummed.
O.K. now that I got that off my chest ....
Modifying the wing shaft is a normal thing to do. If you go to the races, you will usually see a bunch of totally stock ones then you will see everything from electrical tape over "O" rings, to foam, to racket wrap, to cinelli cork.
Sorry Patrick
I think you and your products are the bomb! I think there are at least fifteen of your paddles in our club and you are building another for a member. Your paddle is by far the most popular paddle in our club. I own two of your paddles and have your seat in my boat. Needless to say I am a fan.
Franklin
turbo rules
Turbo wings win olympic gold and are so rugged that I put 3,000 miles on blades before replacing. Lots of shallow water and rough surf entries. I index with in wide by 6 in long thin white ethafoam on push pull grip. 4 total. Gives illusion of flex to be easier on shoulder
Lendal
markets (or used to) an indexing ‘kit’ for paddle shafts. I saw some in a shop one time, and considered purchasing said for my left grip. Does make indexing the paddle a bit easier when rolling, especially in murky water. I have the DAM Good Gear paddle also. It’s heavier than the Epic (Sorry Pat, never tried your paddle, though I’d like to.), but has a really locked in feel in the water, as Andrew noted. Conversely, it’s not as forgiving as the Epic blade; a little more particular at the catch, and squaring the blade at the exit. The exit of the Epic is so smooth.
turbo
I use the Turbo wing with cinelli wrap on control side. Nothing on the left hand side. I like the Turbo much more than the Fenn4 I have, though for the price, the Fenn was a fine paddle, just nowhere near as tough.
the only downside to the Turbo is that the blades have this long, wide area where the blade joins the shaft…it’s fine in normal use but if you wear pogies in winter it is difficult as the pogies have to attach around this area…
lijke it
My turbo has long blade for soft catch. Amazing how a slight change in grip or twist can mean less splash and more speed! I live near patasi. Has the well known epic ever won olympic gold?
3 Epic mids
– Last Updated: Feb-06-07 2:33 PM EST –
An older custom made by Barton in Washington (orig. 218)now 216/60+ with extra layup on the blades, an adj. 213-223 & a roundshaft kit 212/70-75. No problem going from round to oval grip. I use the 212 for training, especially in shallows. Ordered an Andrew Martin "Marathon" a couple of years ago, but it never arrived.
quickblade proton
in a “safari” or “adventure race” layout is quite popular among Texas Water Safari paddlers. It has been my only double blade paddle for the last 4 years. I have two of them. The older is used for shallow river paddling.
Some pictures of this paddle: http://photokayaker.fit2paddle.com/C1666358270/E20061219073654/index.html
Wet sanding
I remember that from racing Sunfish – lots of time spent wet-sanding the daggerbopard and rudder to get rid of the gloss and make a faster surface.
Epic Gold
Hi,
When Greg Barton won Gold in 88 he used the paddles he designed and built. So, Epic has 2 gold medals.
I love the Epic Small Wing blade 205 to 215.
some molokai challenges as well
nm