Make A GP, Why don’t Ya?
Minimum cost ($15.00 for red cedar ), minimum effort (a day’s work), minimum tools (hand plane), free plans (Google GP plans), absolutely dandy paddles.
Bending Branches has the advantage
that they don’t break.
A newbie wants to use his rec kayak,
not whittle for weeks.
another vote for aquabound
AB is now owned by Bending Branches by the way.
Check out Onno Bargain Bin
$165 for the best paddle made in USA.
http://www.onnopaddles.com/barginbinnew041112.html
Ha Ha
I knew the GP thing would appear. funny.
I use a GP but actually think newbees should use a regular unfeathered paddle until they get the feel for it all.
Feel Free Tourer
FG Shaft, button style ferrule, nylon blades, reg. $90. Some on sale at eBay!.
Not a bad paddle for the $.
Nicer would be a Werner Skagit CF but it doubles the price.
See you on the water,
Marshall
The River Connection, Inc.
Hyde Park, NY
www.the-river-connection.com
another vote for the Sting Ray Hybrid
I bought a Sting Ray Hybrid as a spare and to allow friends to join me on the water and I’m impressed with it for the price. Nice feel and very smooth through the water (better than my Kalliste) but obviously heavier than the Werner. I think the AB Sting Ray Hybrid is a great value for the more casual rec user that isn’t ready to sink a lot of money into a high end paddle.
Aquabound Stingray
carbon shaft - not terribly costly but pretty sturdy and reasonably light. It’s my go to paddle if I need one other than my Beale GP most often. For a fair amount of $ more I also have a Bending Branches (now also under Aquabound) adjustable ferrule with a twilite blade (smallest euro blade i could find)
Paddle
You might want to look at the Bending Branch line. I have a Slice and it has stood the test of time well. They run anywhere from 80 to 140 buck if you look around.
Hours, Not Weeks…
…is what it takes to carve a decent GP with minimal skills and tools. The original poster asked for advice re a good, inexpensive paddle - a GP fits those criteria to a T. Unless, of course, you’re too lazy, ego-driven and color-coordinated to be caught using something without a brands name on it.
GP
I’ve never had the opportunity to paddle with a GP, although I’d like to, but I’ve often thought that paddling a rec yak with a GP might be like trying to paddle a brick with a toothpick.
another vote for AB stingray
My spare paddle on deck. Shop ebay and you may get an even better deal.
Bending branches
Bending branches make very good kayak paddles. many around the 60$ mark. that is the only brand of kayak paddle I used when I paddled kayaks.
Check out the new H2O-Rec Tour
from H2O Paddles. It is a great paddle and very affordable. Check them out at www.h2opaddles.com.
Gavin
rainsinc@gmail.com
Werner Skagits are only $130
I was looking for one for a friend and found several online outfitters selling the Skagit for $130. Great basic paddle – I’ve got two of them.
A
huge plug for this guy in California: http://www.pacificpaddles.com/
I have one and it’s my favorite by far! All parts USA made too.
Thanks for the tip, jimx
I was not familiar with Pacific paddles – looks like an interesting design and prices and weight are good. I’ve been looking for a three piece to pack with my Feathercraft folding kayak for air travel and the “kid sized” one the guy makes looks perfect, just slightly longer than the GP I usually use and with slender blades. The fact that the shaft sections “nest” makes it a nice option for a deck stored spare. Just ordered one.
A Cheap, Down and Dirty option
I found Harmony “Drifters” on sale for less than thirty bucks. (Yes, aluminum shaft and plastic blades, but only a little over thirty ounces, and haven’t broken yet…me, bank account,or the paddles.)
I dare to disagree
When I started paddling I picked a GP up because it the guy I paddled with had one he did not use and it fitted me length-wise. I did not read up on how to use it, anything… A summer later I discovered I’m using canted stroke and all… GP is very intuitive and conductive to developing proper technique - you can “arm-paddle” a Euro, but you just can’t do it with GP, IMO.
It depends on what you are planning to do of course and one’s preferences, but there is nothing bad about picking up GP to begin with.