I have a straight Bending Branches Sunburst and it’s one of my favorite canoe paddles. I’m not a traditionalist though. While I appreciate the craftsmanship and beauty of a fine wood paddle, I like the weight savings of carbon fiber even more, although all wood paddles are getting pretty light these days. The Sunburst is a nice combination of the two. Plus, I really like the blade shape and proportions. The blade has less surface area than many designs but for just messing around in a canoe it’s great.
For going fast and covering the miles I definitely prefer a bent shaft carbon fiber paddle. Ergonomic and stiff for efficient power transfer, thin blade for clean, quiet water entry, and VERY light for energy savings. You can definitely feel the difference between 17 oz. and 10 oz. after a long day of paddling.
What some folks love about a paddle others dislike. That is why it is best to try out any candidates if you can and if you can’t buy from a dealer who allows returns without penalty. I have a ZRE that I have had for 24 years and love paddling with it. I also have wooden paddles I love but when putting the ZRE down the wood ones feel darn heavy.
Amazing the games your head can play with you. I did not like the Sunburst for two reasons ( and I bought it unfelt!. I did not like the feel of the shaft and the shaft was way longer than most paddles of its length. I now insist on knowing the shaft length of any paddle I buy. For me 33 is the magic number for me and my boats.
Hi, kayamedic,
Interesting you should mention the shaft length of the Sunburst ST; the overall length of the paddle didn’t reflect the blade and shaft lengths I expected. I ended up cutting the shaft down about 2 in. and replacing the handle. One of the benefits of a carbon fiber shaft. I now pay more attention to shaft length and blade length.
You’re right about people having differing ideas on the perfect paddle; the overall feel and balance of a paddle may be what’s most important. That’s what I like about the Sunburst ST, it has a nice balanced feel. Same with the FoxWorx Roka paddle (wood shaft, composite blade), it has a comfortable balance to it. On the other hand, I have a Northstar paddle with a wood shaft and carbon fiber blade and while I do like the paddle, especially the handle shape and blade control, it doesn’t have the balanced feel that the Sunburst and Roka have. I will also mention that I rounded out the square shape of the Northstar blade. I don’t like how square blades catch on things and the feel of the blade as it enters and exists the water. To each their own.
A couple nice things about carbon fiber paddles is that there is much less paddle to paddle variability plus you can order them with the handle unglued so you can trim until it’s just right. I have an older Sunburst XL that I love and it’s got an exceptionally light blade but I had one of the newer ones with symmetric grip (actually on a long term loan from a friend) and even though the blade was much smaller it was still quite a bit heavier. And oddly enough I didn’t like my friend’s Roka but I did have a very nice Bell VooDoo with wood shaft and carbon blade and it had great (for me) balance.
Are you looking at the Sunburst 11? The length will depend on several things but you can read some ideas here:
It has some useful advice about bent shaft paddles, especially for competition, but there’s also a lot discussed about using bent shaft paddles for everyday use.
If you have some more questions, specifically about the Sunburst let me know.
PS: TomL, it just proves that if you ask a dozen canoers about gear you’ll get 50 different answers.
My current main paddle, a cheap caviness, is 64.5". It sometimes feels a little long, but i don’t have a comparison. My beavertail OT is a couple inches longer yet.
I am 6’5" and have really done nearly all of my paddling seated, in a big tandem canoe.
Chair to nose tip is 32", so on a sunburst 11,i think that would put me at about 50. Seems odd at my height that it wouldn’t be longer
What is the shaft length of those paddles @mike931x? The ones you have that is. It seems that you would be served well with a 36 inch shaft. I don’t know the blade length of the BB Sunburst but someone here who has one can help.
It is normal to subtract about five inches from your normal overall length paddle when going bent. There is actually a good bit of wiggle room. My formerly 6"1" hubby ( now 5"11 3/4") can use a 46 inch bent in a Rapidfire. ( the seat requires a short paddle as its 2 inches off the bottom). I am 9 inches shorter and use the same paddle.
mike93lx
Well, I’m only 5’ 9" and would have chosen a 50" Sunburst 11 for sit-and-switch paddling so I think you should consider a few things to determine what paddle length you might prefer.
First off, the length you came up with is probably OK for competition but for recreational paddling it’s recommended to use a paddle 2 to 2-1/2 inches longer. And, Zaveral, who probably sells more bent shaft paddles than anyone, recommends measuring from seat to eye-level for “torso height”, so that’s probably closer to 33-1/2" for you.
Secondly, the blade on my Sunburst is more like 17-1/2 inches, which doesn’t seem like much but in your case it puts you comfortably into a 52 inch length.
If they sold a 53 inch length that would be even better for all-around use but I prefer to go a bit short rather than long for bent shaft sit-and-switch paddling. A 52" length would probably be fine if sit-and-switch is primarily how you’ll be using the paddle.
One last comment is that the Sunburst blade length is relatively short with a smaller surface area compared to many (most?) straight shaft paddles. It’s not going to have the same power for corrective strokes as the blades you’re used to but it’ll work well as a sit-and-switch paddle.
Again, I suggest reading through all the comments about bent shaft paddles, there’s some useful information. It’s good to get a range of opinions.
ie. the short light blade makes it more ideal for faster cadence paddling. The Zav is very short bladed too but I can push it at a faster cadence than my wooden paddles which were designed for low cadence paddling at 21x 8 inches dimensions
Agreed, and after rereading the part about the Sunburst blade length it didn’t convey very well what I was trying to point out about the differences between high cadence sit-and-switch paddling vs slower tempo corrective strokes. I edited my post. Thanks.
i’ve been trying to focus on single side paddling and minimizing switching sides. i really need to get out paddling with some experienced folks or to take a class
mike93lx maybe you’d be better off renting or borrowing a bent shaft canoe paddle before you spend the money.
Maybe even renting or borrowing a straight shaft paddle with a shaft/handle length that’s about 3 inches shorter than your Carlisle’s. You might find that you enjoy paddling even more.
I think it’s good to focus on single side paddling and in that case you do not need a bent shaft paddle (yet). Your Caviness paddle seems super long so I’d suggest that you use your beavertail.
If you tell us the area where you live maybe you can hook up with someone on the forum to paddle together and hopefully try a few other paddles. It’s definitely best to test paddle paddles if you can since the trial and error approach can be frustrating and expensive.
Maybe renting something next year will be possible. Right now though, I would just assume spend the $200 and give it a go to avoid interacting with too many people.
The caviness is pretty light and reasonably comfortable. I may just grab a shorter version from cabelas to see what it feels like. They are only $20
I will second Tom’s recommendation of a GRB bent. Do you “need” one? No, not really. I have 6 GRB carbon bents in different lengths, but I race with them in different boats and conditions, and train with them too. Most of my paddle racing friends have ZREs, but as Tom said, GRBs are just as good at a better price. When not racing or training I prefer a straight cherry wood otter tail or similar shape blade for its increased maneuverability and their ability to perform a larger variety of advanced strokes. More fun too. I often carry both, since if I want to cover distance quickly (but not necessarily at race speed), I pick up the bent carbon. If I want to poke around and easily cruise a shoreline, I will use the wood straight.
I too like a bent, and a cherry not quite an otter or beaver tail, but sort of in-between it’s a the Grey Owl Guide. I have both with me when paddling.
Bent shafts are not necessary for anyone. They are at best a convenience and at worst a lazy way to avoid the steep learning curve of the Forward stroke with a straight shaft. One can do anything with a straight that can be done with a bent, plus some things that cannot be done with a bent. Get a straight, find someone who is a real student and teacher of the game and can instruct you on the nuances of the forward stroke and don’t get all caught up in these aberrant paddles. It’s harder in the long run but you’ll be much happier eventually.
