Werner, AT, Aqua Bound
Werner and Adventure Technology seem to be dominating the market where I paddle. Aqua Bound is known for making a tough paddle at a decent price point.
Hard to suggest a model. The more expensive models typically use higher tech materials to lighten the weight so it depends on how much you want to spend. Be prepared for sticker shock. If you shop for a high end, carbon shaft, carbon blade, crank shaft model it can set you back as much as a boat used to.
I wouldn’t sweat the model or blade size too much. All whitewater paddles will have a much bigger blade than your touring paddle. If you have a choice, pick an intermediate blade size. You also have to pick the degree of offset. Thirty degree offset seems to be becoming a sort of standard and it does allow you to maintain a fixed grip without using a control hand if you wish.
I wouldn’t spend a fortune for a top end model right off the bat. You might find that you want a different degree of offset, or if you buy a straight shaft paddle and your wrists start bothering you, you may decide to go with a crank shaft. Be aware that whitewater paddles get lost with some frequency. If you buy an all black paddle, but some colored vinyl tape on the blades. Black paddles can be very difficult to see in the water if you let go of one in a rapid.
I’m going to take the position
of getting a cheapo ww paddle to start with. Like a werner rio- plastic blades. My reasoning has nothing to do with performance or ease of learning. I’ve just seen a lot new paddlers lose a new paddle in the first year or two of boating. This might be different in other places but that’s what I’ve seen.
Remix is a good choice
Some other good all round river runners are the Wave Sport Diesel, the Dagger Mamba and the Jackson Zen.
I also
agree. Get a WW paddle. Sherpa is a good choice, but if budget is a concern & you want to keep your touring paddle, look at an Accent Rage WW paddle-Fiberglass shaft. About $130 retail. I used one for years. Pretty light, strong, and easy on the hands. Length of paddle will depend on your height, arm length. I use a 196 mm at 6’ tall running LL Remix, Stomper. Any good outfitter / store personnel can help you select length. No need to break the bank on a paddle if you’re just starting out. You can always upgrade later.
wow
I need to get a paddle like that
Showing my obvious newb status here…
But don’t folks use paddle leashes in WW? Or does that present more of a possible entrapment/entanglement concern than in rec/tour/sea kayaking?
brain not working
Yeah now that it’s not 2 am and my brain is working correctly. For some reason I was reading 69 as 59…damn insomnia.
Either way I would go with the Sherpa. I have sold a lot of them over the years to people with a similar build and in that boat.
death trap
Leave that to the rec/touring crowd. You can usually pick yours up down river.
Paddle costs…
Yeah, I’ve noticed that the higher-end WW paddles can get pretty pricey. Going with carbon and a bent shaft seems to really jack up the price (as well as name recognition). Sticking with a straight shaft and fiberglass keeps the prices around what I paid for my Werner Camano. From what I’ve read so far, it sounds like the only benefit to bent shafts are that they keep your hands in a more neutral/natural position. But other than that, bent shafts are weaker, heavier, and significantly restrict hand placement compared to a straight-shaft paddle of the same material. Is this true?
Got it…
I figured that must be the reason. From the extreme WW videos I’ve been watching, I can see that being a real danger!
Other river runners…
I was also interested in the JK Zen, but the outfitter I’m demoing with on Sunday does not have any in stock for me to test.
I thought the Mamba was more of a creek boat? There’s a listing on my local Craigslist for a 2007 Mamba 8.5 for $550 and a 2008 Wave Sport Habitat 74 for $450. Both are in great condition as they have only been paddled on lakes, never WW. Those are good prices on used boats in good condition, I think. The only thing keeping me from pouncing on one of them is that they are creekers and I want a river runner. Also, they are older, and I don’t know anything about the outfitting in those model years. I have read that recent models of most boats have decent outfitting.
However, I am keeping them in mind because the price may be too good for me to pass up. It will all depend on my demo on Sunday. If I don’t like either boat I’m testing (doubtful, as I’ve read nothing but good things about the Remix), or if the price is too high, I may be tempted by the low price of the used creekers. At least one of them should be a decent intro to WW boat even if it isn’t what I really want.
Bent shaft vs. straight
I would say the only differences are heavier, more expensive and limited hand positions. They are not any weaker than a straight shaft. The biggest benefit they have is the ergonomics.
yes, pretty much true
The main benefit of a crank shaft kayak paddle is it allows you to keep your wrists a little more naturally aligned. This is helpful for those who develop finger numbness, wrist pain, or other carpal tunnel type symptoms when using a straight shaft paddle. But if you don’t have those types of issues when using a straight shaft paddle, the crank shaft will not be of great benefit.
The crank shaft paddle pretty much predetermines your hand positions on the shaft. Some people like that as it allows them to keep their hands in fixed position and help index the blades when they can’t see the shaft well, as when rolling. Other paddlers like to be able to adjust their hand positions on the shaft, to slide a blade outboard a bit when rolling, bracing or sweeping. A crank shaft paddle doesn’t work well for that.
I suspect a lot of people who don’t really need them are using crank shaft paddles because they “look cool” or because they see certain top end kayakers using them.
Don’t use a paddle leash in whitewater.
Straight for me…
I haven’t had any problems using a straight shaft so far. So, I guess I’ll stick with that (cheaper, too!). Also, for whatever reason, I’ve always preferred an unfeathered paddle, too. I tried different feathering positions on my Werner Camano, but always ended up going back to an unfeathered position or 15° offset, at most. Feathering just always felt awkward to me.
Feathering
Keep in mind that the vast majority of WW paddles that you find on a store shelf or used will be single piece and have at least a 30 degree offset. If you haven't spent a lot of hours paddling 0 degree offset, you might want to start acclimating to a 30-45 degree feather. Otherwise, you may need to special order.
Feathering…
Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind. Always open to change!
I wouldn’t let that stop me,
Yes there are design differences between river runners and creekers, but either category will work pretty interchangeably. There are some very good paddlers who prefer to use a river runner to creek in and others that will use a creeker to run rivers. By marketing different boats for different uses, you encourage more people to buy more than one boat, which is the manufacturers’goal.
In short, you can learn in either style of boat. I would probably give the nod to the river runners for their comparative ease in rolling. That being said, if I was paying out of my own pocket I’d go with one of those used options.
I own a Werner Camano, and I would not
use it for whitewater even to ransom the lives of my grandchildren.
I do use my ww paddles for touring, high angle style.
A basic ww paddle is not expensive, and will work far better than a low angle sea kayak paddle like the Camano.
Used boats
Of the two boats you mentioned the Habitat would be a good choice for your size, the Mamba is too big(the Mamba 8.0 or 8.1 would fit you).
If it were me I would buy a used boat and put the money saved towards a good paddle. If you don’t lose it you will probably change boats long before you change paddles, I’ve been using the same paddle for 15 years with numerous different boats.
Based on the information you have given I would suggest a Werner Sherpa 197cm in fibreglass and 0 feather.
Really
WOW. 15 years with the same ww paddle? I have a buddy of mine that broke 3 in one season. (Gnarly class IV-V) As far as feathered vs non feathered. To each his own, but I found that with the fast technical turns in WW, I do not have to make hand adjustments with feathered blades. But that’s just me. I will reiterate that a $100-$200 WW paddle will serve you well until you lose it down river, or break it when it gets wedged. I think I would cry if I lost / broke a $450 paddle. That’s why I don’t buy the expensive ones.