Considering a custom / graphite paddle... any suggestions?

[Gary M]

Broke another paddle this weekend.  Winding a heavily loaded tandem through the creeks seems to be too much for your standard wooden paddle, if my record is any indication, or maybe I'm just too heavy handed.  And its not like I'm using the cheap ones.

So I'm thinking custom.  Why not... a new $100 + paddle every year is probably more bucks in the long run.  I'm assuming a synthetic shaft like whitewater nuts use has to be stronger?

I know some of y'all have favorites.  Who should I call?

 

Thanks

 

GM

[yakmaster]

Canoe or kayak?

 

Or rather, I should ask, single blade or double blade. I often paddle my kayak with a "canoe paddle"  and when I canoe, I often use a "kayak paddle", especially when I'm on the bow.

 

And now that my go to boat is a Verlen design (Mad River Monarch), I don't know if it's a kayak or a canoe. It's a Kanoe or a cayac, I'm not sure, but she fits the kitchen sink & runs quick & flexible.

 

My kayak (double blade) paddle supplier is Pat from Onno http://www.onnopaddles.com/paddles.html. Excellent guy...excellent paddles! Expect to spend an hour on the phone with him discussing you & your paddling, how tall are you, body build,  where you paddle, what do you paddle,  what you like, what you don't.

 

That's when you get him. From what I can tell he's a one man band & travels alot. Good guy, but sometimes not the quikest to get back to you, but keep calling, sooner or later, he'll answer & set you up & you'll LOVE the finished product. Customer support is out of this world. If it's his fault, he owns up to it & the fix is on him. If it's your fault (and it usually is...) he's good about it, & cuts slack! I've got one (my fault) that I have to send back for a fix.You can't guide yourself by my breakage patterns, I'm rough on my gear & I was squeezing through a mangrove wedge with the paddle over the side & when I made it to the far end, I only had 1.5 blades...

 

For canoe (single blade) ZRE http://www.zre.com/ is tough to beat. Even lighter than Pat's. They are light as a feather & can take a whole lot more beating than you'd think. And they're made out of three component parts so if something does break, just swap the broken part out & go.

[vivian]

Gary, I really love the my ZRE paddle and although it is tougher than one would think I don't know if I would use it for creek paddling abuse.  The good thing as Yakmaster pointed out is that you could easily repair one as the components could be bought separately to replace. Maybe give them a call and see what they think or would recommend as their are several models. They do offer a whitewater model:

http://www.zre.com/catalog/zwhitewater11ozcarbonfibercanoepaddle-p-...

 

  Also love the ONNO Patrick made me for the kayak, he might design something for you as well.

[yakmaster]

Seems like great minds think alike! ZRE/ONNO hard to beat.

 

I've made a mini-pushpole so I don't beat up my paddle too much. You know those times where you're stuck in the mud & pushing your way out. Use a bit of $2 PVC for the leverage instead of the $200 carbon fibre. 

[Gary M]

Thanks folks.

 

I looked hard at ZRE.  Might still give them a try, but for now I guess I'll stick with tried and true - Sugar Island style / wood.  I just gotta ease up a bit, I guess. (Or get on the water earlier so I don't have to rush)

Thanks again.

I truly appreciate your opinions.

 

GM

[Dean S]

My wife has a bent shaft ZRE,it 's really made very well. We have had it for about 8 years now ;its very strong given its weight is a mere 12 onuces...we always carry a regular old cheap plastic paddle along with us every where we paddle for those spots that require some torque/leverage to remove thyself and boat from whatever! I like the pushpole idea/one of these days I will make up a duck foot type pole myself.

cheers DS