====== Wing Paddles ====== Modern sprint kayakers and surfskiers all use the more efficient "wing" style kayak paddle that is characterized by distinct concave scoops in the power sides of the blades and a non-symmetric oval in the blade shape where the "top" (outside edge in the water, inside edge during recovery) edges of the blades are longer and more curved than the bottom (inside edge in the water, outside edge during recovery) edges. [[https://surfski.wiki/lib/exe/fetch.php?media=equipment:paddles:wingpaddle.png|{{ :equipment:paddles:wingpaddle.png?direct&200x173}}]]This shape lends itself to greater efficiency and speed - IF you use decent paddling technique. Wesley Echols' [[https://www.surfskiracing.org/2012/01/quick-review-of-wing-paddles-by-wesley-echols/|discussion and review of wing paddles]] covers most of the important features that you should be considering in your choice of a wing paddle. As with most aspects of surfski paddling, there is nothing more valuable than experience to guide your ability to make good purchase choices. * **General** * [[https://youtu.be/64GLrXCzNB0|Long Video from Epic Paddles]] maintenance, types, choosing a paddle, etc. * [[https://youtu.be/pbrw7CRaUF4|Robert Norman on Wing Paddles]] * [[https://www.meekkayaks.com.au/the-3-paddle-shapes|Meek Paddles' description of 3 primary Wing Paddle Shapes]] (parallel, tear drop, twisted tear drop) * [[https://bki.lt/seni/straipsniai/the_barton_mold.pdf#page=29|The Barton Mold: Adopting the Wing Paddle]] Some wing paddle history from Greg Barton's experience. * **Discussion & Reviews** * [[:jantex_epic_2017|Jantex & Epic Wing Paddles 2017]] * [[https://www.njpaddlesports.com/product-reviews-1/ltkijfdpx65qnynlai6znz2x6q8ki7|Melinda Edwards 2022 ]] finding a paddle that would work and not hurt her * [[https://www.surfskiracing.org/2015/09/wing-paddles-a-surfski-paddlers-view-from-the-middle-of-the-pack/|Wing paddle brand review 2015 ]] surfskiracing.org - "Middle of the Pack Paddler" Mark McKenzie * [[https://www.surfski.info/forum/17-equipment/19047-which-paddle.html|Surfski.info Paddle Brand Discussion 2017]] * … ---- {{youtube>-KjzlHc0ZMQ?large}} . **The Paddle Channel - using the wing paddle **- this represents their opinions which may continue to evolve. (they are not yet expert paddlers at the time of making this video, but this is a snapshot of where they are in 2023 and what they have learned so far about using their wing paddles. Remember, you can speed up youtube playback if you find the talking a bit slow…). ---- ===== Buying Your First Paddle ===== * Some economic advice to keep in mind from Greg Barton "…you get more bang for your buck with a good paddle. You can get the best paddle on the market for around $450 (Ed. //Circa 2015?//), while the best boat will cost you thousands. If I was on a budget, I’d opt for a mid priced efficient boat with a top end paddle." (Ed. //Of course it would be nice if you can get some experience first to help guide you a bit in your choice of paddle, some paddlers have distinctly different results with different paddles//) * [[https://www.thepaddlehut.ca/blogs/technique/picking-the-right-paddle-for-you|Mike Robinson (the Paddle Hut) Picking the Right Paddle for You 2016]] * [[https://surfski.info/forum/17-equipment/18794-perfect-paddle-selection.html|Surfski.info Discussion - Choosing a Paddle 2017]] * [[https://nelous.com/choosing-the-right-paddle-for-you/?syclid=cklbsc92c1es73fn4cm0|Michele Eray on Choosing the Right Paddle 2021 (w/ 2023 update)]] * [[https://youtu.be/JU6XaPKj-bY|Choosing a Paddle for Young Sprint Kayakers 2020 video]] (this is oriented to short distance sprinting but it contains good paddle information and history) * … ---- ===== Repair ===== * See [[:repair#paddles|Paddle Repair]] * … ---- ===== Setup - Feather, Length, Grip ===== * See [[:setup#paddle_setup|Paddle Setup]] ---- ===== Blade Size ===== Smaller or less powerful paddlers usually prefer smaller blade sizes. Stronger paddlers may also go with relatively smaller blades if their paddle sessions and races tend toward longer distances and/or as they get older. There has been a bit of evolution toward smaller paddle blades across the range of paddlers, possibly due to a greater awareness of **[[:injury_prevention_recovery|repetitive stress issues]]** and the desire to be able to **paddle pain free** (or paddle at all) well into "old age". As mentioned below, shaft stiffness and the abruptness of the paddle catch also play into the overall cumulative stress from a paddle. * **Choosing Blade Size - Opinions/Advice** * [[https://youtu.be/koKGeUMJbOw|Jamo Porter]] * [[https://www.surfskicenter.com/zen-master-blog/what-paddle-size-is-best-for-you|Boyan's Zlatarev Take on Blade Size]] * [[https://paddle2fitness.com.au/32-what-blade-size-should-i-be-using/|Podcast on Blade Size]] Paddle2Fitness * … ---- ===== Reducing Stress, Tendonitis ===== ---- See also [[:injury_prevention_recovery|Preventing & Recovering from Injury]] - discussions about joint injury generally focus on attention to technique (relaxed grip, etc.) and/or equipment options that can help. For some wrist/hand problems some paddlers also report being helped by different paddle shaft shapes or sizes - some helped with oval shafts, others helped by using smaller diameter shafts. Or by slightly abrading the shaft with light sanding in the grip area (something that helps one paddler may cause a problem for another - YMMV) ---- ==== Shaft Stiffness ==== Celliers Kruger: "If you’re a beginner or have problems with tendonitis, get a shaft made out of fibreglass. They are more flexible than the other options, which is what you want. The flex will protect your joints and tendons from injuries. A seasoned paddler can consider a shaft made of glass/carbon. Different ratios are being used. The higher the carbon vs glass ratio, the lighter the shaft tends to be, but it also becomes stiffer. Stiffness allows you to transfer power more directly to your blades through the shaft, but it puts a lot of strain on your muscles and tendons too. Personally I prefer a 30% carbon, 70% glass mix. I suffer from tendonitis and I don’t compete in sprint races, so no point in going for a stiffer paddle. **If you’re serious about sprinting** and your body is **up for some punishment**, **go for** a **full carbon shaft**. **But** I would suggest that you **get another paddle too** with a **more flexible shaft for long distance training sessions**." ---- ==== Flexible Shafts ==== - Fiberglass is more flexible than Carbon or Kevlar. (Fiberglass in shafts will also tend to be heavier, because the stronger materials require less material to be used) Some makers seem to offer no fiberglass in their shafts (is our impression correct? or is there some way to get fiberglass included in any brand's paddle shafts?) while others do (example - Gara). The higher the fiberglass %, the more flexible it will be. - **Brača-Sport **Carbon/Fiberglass ratio: most are 100% Carbon, but the IV also has a 60/40 shaft option - **Gara Shafts** Carbon/Fiberglass ratio: 40/60, 60/40, 80/20, 90/10, or 100% Carbon - **Knysna **Carbon/Fiberglass ratio: 60/40 or 100% Carbon - **Mako **has Carbon or Fiberglass option - ask if there are blends or just 100% one or the other - As far as Carbon and Carbon/Kevlar Shafts go, the following shafts are some of the more flexible ones among Carbon shafts, but our impression is that a significant % of Fiberglass in a shaft probably makes a greater difference (how much? we don't know and haven't seen any estimates attempting to compare or quantify this) than whatever these get you in terms of flex. Brača does have a standard way to measure their shaft flex - see in the following discussion [[https://www.surfski.info/forum/17-equipment/19944-shaft-stiffness-between-paddle-brands.html|Surfski.info 2020 discussion of carbon shaft stiffness in Brača and Jantex more flexible carbon shafts]] - Orange sticker Super Flexi **Jantex** shaft - **Bra****č****a** 19K shaft or 21K shaft (some of the Brača paddles are known for fairly aggressive catches, so they may not be as much of a body stress/wear reducer as you are looking for) - **Epic **Green Shaft (Club Carbon) [[:jantex_epic_2017#epic_green_shaft_vs_jantex_flexi_soft|Comments comparing to Jantex]] - … ---- ==== Other Factors Affecting Stress ==== * **Blade Shape and Size** stress can be also be increased or mitigated by how the **blade catches** (hard, aggressive, or softer?), so **consider** not only the shaft flex but **also the shape and [[:paddles#blade_size|Size of the blade]].** * Best if you can directly try out a blade yourself, otherwise you may get some sense of this from reviewers although there can be some variation in different paddlers assessments of how strong/abrupt a blade catch is (due to different reviewer's technique, size, strength?) * **Paddle Length **some long distance paddlers going with smaller blades are also adopting higher cadences with remarkably shorter (than we are used to seeing in paddle length recommendations) shaft lengths to what they report is good benefit for their endurance, performance, and paddling health. * **Paddle Shaft Shape and Diameter **some paddlers report reducing or resolving wrist/hand issues by going to either oval or round shafts and/or by going to lower diameter shafts. No one size fits all in this category - one shaft shape and either larger or smaller diameter may work better for you. * … ---- ==== Torque Reduction ==== * [[https://www.ultimatekayaks.co.uk/accessoriesdetail.asp?AID=128|Lawler Featherweight]] (available to be ordered including overseas - message [[https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091619077727|Ivan Lawler on facebook]] if you have problem) Paddle device to correct induced rotation from imbalance of paddle blades. We will post more information here when more reviews are forthcoming [[http://surfski.info/forum/2-announcements/20490-ivan-lawler-s-paddle-torque-balancer.html|Early Surfski info Discussion]] * [[https://youtu.be/CoCBPVv9TnU|Featherweight Concept Video]] * [[https://youtu.be/mJu86FZKJeE|Featherweight Setup Video]] * … ---- {{youtube>CoCBPVv9TnU?medium}} ---- ---- ===== Manufacturers/Brands ===== * While **Flow** advertises some of their paddles as made specifically to be tougher for river/shallow water paddling, some of these other manufacturers will make custom layups (e.g stronger river layups, etc.) on request. * [[https://bennettsurfboards.com/product-category/paddles/bennett-paddles/|Bennett Paddles]] * [[https://paddles.braca-sport.com/paddles/kayak-surf-ski/braca-iv-surf-ski.html|Braca-Sport]] [Brača-Sport] * [[https://www.surfski.info/forum/17-equipment/18734-braca-iv-and-braca-xi.html|Braca IV & XI Discussion Surfski.info]] * [[https://www.k2nonlinepaddleschool.com/post/wing-paddle-gear-review-braca-sports-xi-van-dusen-92|Robert Norman XI review]] * [[https://www.carbonologysport.com/paddles/|Carbonology Sport]] * [[http://www.eliokayaks.com/?page_id=1641&lang=en|Elio]] * [[https://www.epickayaks.com/paddles|Epic]] * [[https://www.epickayaks.com/paddle-wizard|Epic Paddle Wizard]] (recommendations for style and length, still has to be fairly general, for example it uses your height and does not take into account differences in torso/height proportion) * **2023 New Mid-Twist** * Mid Twist - 700 cm², Small Mid Twist 680 cm² * **Greg Barton** * [[https://youtu.be/Hn3PFfR5yj8|Short Promo Video]] * [[https://youtu.be/Vi0KHF_61oo|Longer Back Story Video]] (Bellingham Demo Session including stroke technical advice) * [[https://www.facebook.com/groups/869591910470357/permalink/1520298898732985/|Joe Crnkovich Review]] (facebook) * **Fenn **their main website has been "under construction" for years now. You can find their paddles on a number of dealer sites, is the full range Fenn(ix) 1 - 5? Some dealers provide more information about the paddles than others do. * [[https://flowkayaks.co.nz/paddles|Flow Kayaks]] like their surfskis, some of their paddles are made tougher for rivers, etc. with titanium tips * [[https://gara.co.za/products/paddles|Gara]] * [[https://gpower.pl/|G'Power]] * [[http://www.jgut.cz/Gut_Paddles.htm|Gut]] * [[http://www.jantex.sk/|Jantex]] * [[https://www.facebook.com/jantexpaddles|Facebook Channel]] * **New Lock Ring**** 2024** allows you to reset length and feather exactly the same without needing to look at paddle (requires notched mating clamp on paddle so you can't just retrofit the clamp to an older paddle with old style clamps) - [[https://www.facebook.com/reel/979632667159661|facebook demo video]]. Note also that the clamp is about 2 cm wide, so when using it increases your smallest paddle length setting by 2 cm. * [[https://kajner.hu/en/|Kajner]] * [[https://paddlehub.co.uk/collections/paddles|Kirton]] offers a small bladed paddle for kids in addition to the Epic paddles they sell * [[https://www.knysnaracingkayaks.com/paddles/|Knysna Racing]] * [[https://www.makopaddles.com.au/|Mako]] * [[https://www.meekkayaks.com.au/|Meek]] * [[https://www.orkapaddles.com/orka-products/paddles/|Orka]] * [[https://raceone.com.au/|Race One]] not clear if any of these are original or just re-branded to Race One. * [[https://www.stellarkayaksusa.com/kayak-paddles|Stellar]] * **Think **does not seem to show their paddles on their website, but you can find them on dealer websites - example [[https://www.coastoutdoors.ca/think-power-wing.html|Coast Outdoors Think Power Wing]] * [[https://www.zss.com.au/|ZSS]] some of their paddles are made extra sturdy for surf * **Inexpensive knock-off copies** - you're on your own - you may see them from a known brand lending their name (we're not even sure about the originality of all of the ones listed here), with oddball brand names, or as a generic wing paddle on a foreign sales website. * … ---- {{youtube>A6wKKFfFmX8?large}} **New Zealand Paddler 2024 Comparison of Braca 4, Flow MS3, Jantex Gamma, Braca 11 and Epic Mid Twist** ---- ===== Dealers ===== **USA** * [[https://fastpaddler.com/|FastPaddler]] Brača-Sport * [[https://flowkayaksusa.com/|Flow Kayaks USA]] Flow Kayak Paddles * [[https://www.oceanpaddlesports.com/paddles/|Ocean Paddle Sports]] Jantex, Orka, Fenn * [[https://www.facebook.com/westernmasspaddlers/|Western Mass]] (Massachusetts) facebook Gara **Worldwide** * Surfski dealers typically either sell paddles or can tell you where to look for them. Some of the paddle manufacturer's websites will also include links to local distributors and/or outlets for their paddles. * **Dietz** [[https://dietzpaddling.com/collections/equipment/Surfskiprodukter?filter.p.m.custom.sport=Surfski-Paddling|Paddles & Accessories]] * …. ---- ===== Travel with Paddles ===== We know of at least one surfski paddler who takes his blades off of his shafts to allow packing in standard luggage, then reglues them at his destination. But most travelers typically use paddle bags and fill any extra space in the bags with soft items like clothing which will also provide additional padding protection for the paddles. * **Paddle Bags** * [[https://kayakshopaustralia.com.au/braca-sport-combo-paddle-bag/|Braca Combo Paddle Bag]] * [[https://youtu.be/JR_J71f4aK0|Epic Paddle Bag Review Video]] * [[https://www.jantex.sk/en/eshop/all/paddle-covers-kayak-universal-cover|Jantex Paddle Covers]] Look like more for day to day and not really luggage level protection * [[https://kialoa.com/collections/paddle-bags-covers|Kailoa Paddle Bags & Covers]] mostly for OCs, SUP * [[https://mockepaddling.com/products/deluxe-paddle-bag|Mocke Deluxe Paddle Bag]] * [[https://www.nrs.com/nrs-two-piece-kayak-paddle-bag/p39n|NRS Kayak Paddle Bag]] * [[https://palm.equipment/gb/bags/645-paddle-bag-new|Palm Paddle Bag]] * [[https://www.typhoon8.com/products/surfski-paddle-bag|Typhoon Paddle Bag]] * [[https://www.vaikobi.com/products/new-vaikobi-travel-bag|Vaikobi]] upper end in terms of capacity, has wheels on one end. * **Snowboard Bags ** (typically roomy, can have rollers on the end, plenty of room for paddles with extra space that can be filled with clothing and other soft options) generally sold in greater quantities than paddle bags so some economy of scale? * [[https://www.theinertia.com/gear/best-snowboard-bag/|Inertia Best 2026 Snowboard Bags]] * **Ultra Compact Options**? * **4 Piece **if you need an ultra compact paddle for traveling or for a spare to carry neatly in your boat or in a back pack… * [[https://australianpaddlesports.com.au/product/carbonology-sport-4piece-adjustable-paddle/|Carbonology Sport]] (this is an Aussie outlet - CS doesn't advertise this on their [[https://www.carbonologysport.com/paddles/|paddle page]] as of early 2024) * [[https://flowkayaks.co.nz/paddles|Flow Kayaks]] * **Mark Porter** - long time Washington state, USA maker and repairer of paddles for Epic Kayaks makes a 4 piece Epic paddle * [[https://www.facebook.com/thepaddledoctor/|https://www.facebook.com/thepaddledoctor/]]RETIRED 2022 * … ---- [[https://surfski.wiki/lib/exe/fetch.php?media=equipment:paddles:bennettpaddles.jpg|{{ :equipment:paddles:bennettpaddles.jpg?direct&600x360 |bennettpaddles.jpg}}]] Logo on Bennett Paddle Bag