Tripping Paddles

[Black_Fly]

What kind of river trip are talking about, ww or just moving water, or a combination of both? for moving/flat water, I really like my hand made sitka spruce or cherry paddles, but for ww I really like my ZAP paddle, I use to use Werner Bandit carbon, but they ware out too quick. If you like bent shaft there is a few option, but none of the ultra light weight one are durable enough IMO, Maybe LeVass they are a bit sturdier than Zaveral for the same weight!
paddle are so personal, it is hard to give suggestions.

Moving water, CII at the extreme end. I go solo, so ww is not a safe option.

 

[yknpdlr]

As an aside I wonder why no-one considers the economy end of paddles? https://store.carlislepaddles.com/ca.../Canoe_Paddles
I loved these provided by outfitters. Durable? Yes. Weight? Fairly light yes. Efficient? Um. Next question please. Cost? Attractive yes. Fashionable? Don't be silly.
I would use these as beater blades with value. But if you are beyond this then by all means move on up to nicer sticks.

I have a number of high quality wood paddles as well as a selection of carbon bent shaft racing paddles. I am an instructor of a week-long annual Adirondack adult wilderness guide training and certification program which uses Boy Scout canoes and equipment on the water. Those paddles are mostly either plastic Carlisle, or most commonly the ubiquitous Mohawk aluminum/plastic, with an occasional heavy wood paddle of unknown origin. During initial instruction I will use one of the Mohawks, just to show that the most basic strokes are possible by the students with what they have to use. But when we head out into the several day field exercise, I will use my own paddles, sometimes letting one of the students borrow one. They learn that with the blade ribbed Mohawks or the blunt edge wood paddles that many of the more refined strokes, such as the silent "Indian" or box, or the Canadian do not work well with their supplied cheaply made paddles. A nicely shaped and finished wood paddle slices silently and efforelessly through the water without resistance or gurgling turbulence, making advanced strokes possible, effective, and fun. If your want to enjoy and learn paddling skills, the extra expense of a finely made paddle is well worth the extra cost.

 

[yellowcanoe]

The trouble with Carlisle or any heavy swing weight paddle is just that.. You have to sometimes do cross strokes and be very fast switching sides.. I had a nightmare spill cause I couldn't swing my Norse paddle from my onside to offside fast enough. I completely hit the hole.
Being an instructor for many years I have a wardrobe of Grey Owl FreeStyles. OK on the river as they are straight shaft. I wish they weren't veneered.
Zavs do break.. I did on a recreational racing bent shaft Zav on the Missinaibi. Broke at junction of shaft and blade. ( blade junction is NOT reinforced for prying or back paddling) The 800 number was plainly in sight. Phones don't work in the wilderness.

River work demands a little wider blade than touring... Wide blades transmit torque well. That is why they are used in FreeStyle.. Narrower blades are more forgiving over the long run of a trip as the edges do not have as long a lever arm.

Lessee.. I have Tremolo paddles, Grey Owl, Mitchell, Zav, Red River, Bending Branches, Norse,Quimby, Fox Worx, Dogpaddle, Gilpatrick, Turtle, Kettlewell , Hilton and some wide bladed paddle that I can't recall the name of . Its supposed to be valuable.

I have broken a Tremolo as at that time they were thin shafted. I believe Caleb does a thicker shaft now.

 

[yknpdlr]

I have broken a Tremolo as at that time they were thin shafted. I believe Caleb does a thicker shaft now.

I believe that he does. I have seen a broken skinny shaft walnut Tremolo paddle at Caleb's. Due to a hidden defect in the wood he claims. I broke a GRB carbon bent shaft during a race one time on the Grasse River. I believe it got wedged between a couple of rocks during a stroke in the shallows and actually bent the blade in half, destroying it completely. Luckily a friend in a nearby canoe had a spare to lend to me so I could continue the race.

 

[Alan Gage]

So Alan, how did you manage to break that blade? The paddle still looks plenty serviceable, maybe with a bit of gorilla tape.

I'm not quite sure. I was paddling up a shallow rapid and heard the wood crack. When I inspected it later I noticed the cracks. I assume it got wedged between a couple rocks. I did continue to use the paddle through the rest of the trip but only sparingly and carefully. I'd use it in when I needed more steering/bracing control like going down some rapids or rough open water crossings. I tried not to use it in situations where it would see a lot of force and a break would cause major problems.

Agree with Alan's comment about tip abrasion on Zav's with heavy river use but on other hand the tip is solid carbon for more than half an inch and that's a lot of abrasion...plus you'll be lucky to live long enough to wear out a Zav or two.

Well lucky me! I have worn at least two Zavs back to the point they've started to delaminate. It was easy enough to fix them and add dynel or fiberglass to the tip. This is back when I was paddling our local river 3 times/week. I'd paddle 3-6 miles upstream and then back down. In summer when river levels dropped there was a lot of scraping the paddle over gravel bars. I was usually paddling hard and fast on these day trips. If the paddles are being used in more normal paddling circumstances (not paddling upstream/racing in shallow water) I agree you'd be hard pressed to wear off that solid tip.

Alan

 

[goonstroke]

Has anyone ever owned one of these Ripple FX paddles?
https://www.ripplefxpaddles.com/

The option to how-you-say pimp out the blade with a fabric swath is kinda cool.

 

[Guest]

I have seen a broken skinny shaft walnut Tremolo paddle at Caleb's. Due to a hidden defect in the wood he claims

Yup, even straight and sound looking wood grain may hold defects hidden from sight.

I think some of that it is attributable to the vagaries of wood from one paddle to another, even without obvious run outs or other suspect areas in the grain. I have cracked a couple of laminated wood blades across areas that looked sound and well grained.

I have only broken the shaft on one paddle, circa 1972. Paddling some Pine Barrens stream with a youth group I was handed a decrepit Feather Brand that had seen many years worth of gunwale pries, to the point that the shaft was deeply gouged. It snapped 20 minutes into the trip with only minor exuberance.

We did not have a spare. Grumman 17s on some very narrow, extremely serpentine Pine Barrens stream. That was two early lessons learned; bring a spare, and bring my own paddles.

I have heard, perhaps apocryphally, that a nick or ding on a carbon shaft can lead to catastrophic failure. To that end I store our carbon paddles (eh, our wood sticks as well) in drawstring gun socks while travelling. $6 apiece of a couple paddle socks is cheap insurance.

https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog...18494_gun_sock_cotton_treated_wsilicone_green

On family trips those sock sleeved paddles, 4 doubles & four singles, eight sticks in eight socks at a minimum, all go in a padded ski bag (double ski carry bag, room for 4 sails as well)

The ski bag adds cushion, and help protect the ferrules on double blades. As much as anything is much easy to grab all 8+ paddles at once when packing gear and loading or unloading the van.

Come springtime ski and snowboard bags will be on clearance everywhere, especially if you don’t mind some hideous floral print design that didn’t sell last winter. Those garish rejects do make it easy to quickly identify and extract all of a group’s paddles from a shuttle trailer; some trailer materials, like the metal grating, are akin to a wood rasp on a naked paddle.

I can repair or refurbish most paddles. I’d rather not have to.

 

[Gdwelker]

Love my ZREs.

 

[Erica]

Love my ZREs.

Me too. Bought my first one this year. Worth every penny.

My other tripping paddle was made by Dave Kavner in 1987. That's the one that's carried me through then till now. It actually has some kind of metal at the bottom inserted.

 

[Mnoutdoorfunguy]

Zaveral Flatwater, not the Power Surge, light version, 8-1/2”.
Excellent, efficient, durable, indispensable for proper technique, and made in the U.S.A.

 

[Canotrouge]

Zaveral Flatwater, not the Power Surge, light version, 8-1/2”.
Excellent, efficient, durable, indispensable for proper technique, and made in the U.S.A.

" indispensable for proper technique" I don't think so! Actually not at all!!

 

[clemency]

I have a local guy who makes paddles. Many for outfitters, but also for us regular folks.

http://www.mitchellpaddles.com/