# Paddles



## neale (Sep 2, 2010)

Hello, I am wondering if someone can steer me in the right direction here. I was out this morning paddling my adventure when I broke the Hobie oar I was using. This is the second one that has snapped on me in the last few months, both in the same spot, right where the oar meets the handle. 
I need advice on what brand to buy as I wont be getting a Hobie replacement. I don't want a $600 carbon-fibre job, just something that will stand up to the test of time. 
Any advice will be appreciated.


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## mehi (May 25, 2009)

I'm shocked hard to believe you had two products break from such a reputable manufacture. :shock: Have a look at the Carlisle simply magic paddle I think there $130 bucks at BCF will definitely do the job and good value for money


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## theclick (Jun 25, 2007)

I had a SEAK swift for a while. It actually wasn't a bad paddle once you stripped the lumps on the shaft off and took off the rubber (came down to 750grams). But the glue that holds the blade onto the shaft deteriorated, started letting water into the shaft, and flexing too much.

Still a good paddle if you don't mind reinforcing that join with some epoxy resin.


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## jokinna (Mar 2, 2010)

eric said:


> The Seak ones break too.


 2nd that :?


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## clarkey (Jan 13, 2009)

mehi said:


> I'm shocked hard to believe you had two products break from such a reputable manufacture. :shock: Have a look at the Carlisle simply magic paddle I think there $130 bucks at BCF will definitely do the job and good value for money


x2 go the magic


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## gonfission (Feb 21, 2009)

Wow thanks I was considering a seak paddle. Even though I ripped the straps off a seak pfd I tried on in anaconda. After the lady in the shop said NO pull it harder! as I was adjusting it. :shock:


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## fishoboy (Apr 2, 2010)

I broke a Seak also. It was a silly two piece thing with a plastic setup in the middle which was the weakpoint and where it broke. I originally bought this as a backup for my canoe which had a petrol motor on it, but when I got into kayaking it became my first kayak paddle (broke on its second use).

I now have a Bending Branches 2 piece glass one like here http://www.anaconda.com.au/Product/Water/Kayaking/Slice-Glass-220-Paddle#90025496 which I picked up for $200 from Gail at the Gabba. Have been very happy with it and the length is important for my wider yaks, particularly the tempo 2.


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## jokinna (Mar 2, 2010)

occy said:


> Forgive me for my ignorance but can someone please explain how one breaks a paddle.


 cheap materials and poor workmanship. flimsy blades attached to cheap carbon/glass shafts with crap glue. i broke mine on my 2nd outing. from a still starting position, i powered off on the first stroke and the blade just snapped in half in the water with just a lil bit left on the shaft. took the paddle back to ananconda for a different one. wont be so rough on this one tho.


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## RackRaider (Nov 10, 2010)

eric said:


> clarkey said:
> 
> 
> > mehi said:
> ...


x4, great paddle. the 216cm model's a good start


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## neale (Sep 2, 2010)

Thanks people, much appreciated. I'm thinking that the Carlisle will be the go.


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## rino88 (Sep 10, 2011)

Can anyone recommend a good two piece paddle??? :?:


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## john316 (Jan 15, 2009)

I think I worked it out... I promised myself I was going to get a "nice" paddle when I wore out or broke the Hobie one I got with the AI. I do paddle it a lot so its not like it never gets used. I give the thing hell - push off from being grounded in mud etc all with no thought for getting a standard replacement but all to no avail... It seems that my Hobie paddle is one of the unbreakable ones...

cheers

John


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## Bogey (Apr 24, 2010)

Busted 2 hobie paddles -easily - same place as all the above -only ever used it for th 1st 50m to get through shore break and last 50 m coming in so as not to put mirage drive at risk.
Would NEVER buy another HOBIE paddle
Got a $50 special from anaconda and never had aproblem since
Cheers


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## dru (Dec 13, 2008)

Werner and Lendal in carbon two piece, but my favourite remains the carbon with crank handle Mitchell Bomborra. You'll want $600 though not $400.

Tips -

steer clear of wing blades for fishing unless you have enough experience to build a personal reason for doing it.
Two piece gives some flexibility in adjusting angle and length, but you wont find a decent budget paddle with this feature.
Stick to around 65 degrees angle, shorten up to 45 even if you surf launch. Surf is only a small bit of our paddling.
Blades should be longish and thinish if you have a low angle paddle style but better is adjust to high angle and shorter fatter blades.

If you want a reasonable budget paddle the Skee is OK but probably a little over $200.

It's getting that there should be a stickie on this...


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## ArWeTherYet (Mar 25, 2007)

These are my pick for kayak fishing http://www.perception.com.my/resolution.php

Similar to what Dru said.


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## bazzoo (Oct 17, 2006)

Agree with what Dru said get a flat blade assymetrical about 212cms long and you will be a very happy chap , the plastic blade paddles are ok if your not rolling in dollars, i have one made by Australis kayaks and its bullet proof


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## rino88 (Sep 10, 2011)

I'm thinking I'll hit up Anaconda on the weekend, they seem to be still having a sale and the retail market is certainly shot at the moment so prices are at a steal. I decided to go out and buy a new 4wd on the weekend so money isn't my strong point right now, don't worry...I made sure they threw in roof racks. ahahahahah :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## rino88 (Sep 10, 2011)

And............Anaconda are having a 50% sale on their paddles! :shock:


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## goanywhere (Feb 22, 2011)

I wouldn't know how long paddles last. I have lost 2 in a year. The first one I left behind along with a rod and reel after loading (almost) everything on and in my car and deciding to wash everything down using a tap close by before driving off and just leaving it up against a picnic bench. Then I lost another one a week ago when I was sailing and left the paddle clipped in to the yak but not tethered. I didn't realise It had come loose and drifted away until I had travelled at least a kilometre, and couldn't find it when I went back to look. I have just bought a new one from BCF, it's a two piece aluminium from BCF (and a paddle leash!). Losing gear seems to be a particular talent I have when yakking. Ask Murphysegg.

Leash everything.... leash everything.... leash.... :lol: :lol:


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## robsea (Apr 7, 2010)

Ergh...broke both blades on the same Hobie paddle about 40 minutes apart :shock:   The blades broke in the manner described earlier. The conditions were tough. It was during last Sunday's comp at Forster. Current and strong wind pushing me around in one metre and less water among oyster racks. My blades gave out unexpectedly.

I thought the first one may have occurred because i clipped the sand as i was trying to steer into the wind. This was suggested to me but now having read this post i am not so sure that this was the case.
Shocked but confident that this was an 'extreme' situation i readily applied the working blade as a single paddle and it got me out of trouble. My faith in the modified paddle at my spirits high. 

A short time later i couldn't believe it when it happened again! :shock: OK...the yak was geared up and had extra weight with about 20 litre in live well. I was making a rather frantic maneuver with a power turn in skinny water. May have dug in blade ...but twice???

I have to admit that my hobie paddle has had many battle scars and has saved my hulls from numerous scars over the past 18 months. The paddle was obviously not designed for the way in which i was using it.
I have a Carlisle and cannot speak more highly of it. I am tempted to buy another hobie one for the fact that it is my secondary drive and i am not in the surf zone. Lucky i had my stake out pole for which i have recently found a new use...primary propulsion system in skinny water and blustery conditions!


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## dru (Dec 13, 2008)

occy said:


> Thanks Guys, all very helpful stuff about the brands and blades etc. I will definitely steer clear of the wing blades as I've previously had a go with one on Cavendish and I just couldn't get it right. I presume from what people are saying the two designs I already have (two piece adjustable composite shafts, one with a larger assymetric blade, the other with a smaller asymmetric dihedral blade) are probably fine for my purposes. On Cavendish I used the larger one for no other reason than it felt better, and shyed clear of the dihedral (angled) one as it wasn't as effective. Given the Phoenix is way lighter, and has a much more efficient hull perhaps I should try it again. I never actually thought of that, how dumb.  I'll give it a go today when I paddle over to Cockatoo Island for work and let you all know how it went.


Sounds good to me, Paul.

The question I was targetting is "what is best". Hence the performance and cost suggestions. And I am well aware they are more expensive than some yaks. :? For budget paddles I would still avoid aluminium shafts. Glass shaft is fine and plastic blades are fine too.


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## IsoBar (Nov 24, 2011)

Hi,
I'm in favor of a good paddle, which will last for several years, will let you get the most of yourself and your kayak and will be a pleasure and not a nightmare to paddle.
Carbon is an excellent option if you can afford it, because of the low weight (less fatigue over time) and the fact that all your paddling energy is transferred to moving the boat without losing too much energy to paddle vibrations (the blades and shaft are not flexible at all). Being more rigid though, means it is also more brittle, which means that it'll break faster than fiberglass if it suffers a traumatic side blow.
Said that, I used to paddle a fiberglass Werner for the last 4 years and I enjoyed any minute paddling and working with it (paddled as a kayak instructor on a daily basis, including some rough surf conditions). I believe it's the best option in the market right now, although the new models are a bit weaker on the locking mechanism (the only plastic part in the paddle) and their outrageous price down here.
Lendal used to make excellent paddles, with probably the best blade design, though a bit heavier and harder to adjust the length and angle than the Werner, but since they've stopped manufacturing in England, it's not clear who owns the company and what quality are they now.
As for paddle design - if you're going to spend some time in the surf and you need a bit of sprinting and speed bursts, then you should pick a european style paddle, with a bigger blade area, designed to a more vertical paddling technique, such as the Werner Corryvrecken (which I used while in Israel):








If you're more into cruising for long hours in an easy pace and want to save your energy, shoulder muscles and lighten on your total body strain, you might consider the low angle, elongated touring blades, such as the Werner Kalliste.

As for length, to be used with sit on top kayaks, I recommend at least 2.15m and higher, depends on your height. SOT kayaks are wide and the seating position is higher than sit-in kayaks, so we need longer paddles to reach the water.
I'd recommend a 2.15m for someone my height (1.75m) and go longer if you're a higher person. The rule of thumb is while standing, place one blade next to your toes and try to grab the other blade above you. You should be able to catch it with your fingers.

Good luck and pay attention that sometime we spend so much money on the kayak, fishing gear and electronic equipment, but pay little attention to our paddle, which is what propels us in the water. It's like buying a Ferrari with all the treats, but insisting on a VW bug motor...



occy said:


> ryanmoken10 said:
> 
> 
> > Can anyone recommend a good two piece paddle??? :?:
> ...


In that price range, I would definitely pick the fiberglass Werner Shuna or Corryvrecken paddle.

Good luck,
Ido


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## SharkNett (Feb 20, 2006)

Thanks for the info on the Hobie paddles. I have broken a few rudder pins on the Adventure in deep water(?) and end up having to use the paddle to steer to somewhere I can install a replacement. Think I will start taking my old paddle.


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## dru (Dec 13, 2008)

Ido, mostly x2.

imho 215 length is likely to be an utter max for most fishing yakkers who are targetting a reasonable paddle style. Suggest Bazzoo's 212cm is closer to the mark. Picky I know. :twisted: What about a 2 piece adjustable between the two? My paddle goes down to 215cm as a min. This is not short enough.

Most yakkers in surf launch through and then return through the surf. So I'd suggest selecting the paddle for whatyou do on the other side,then learn to use it in the surf. But if someone has experience that dictates a preference for a wing blade, they are likely to prefer it in the surf too. Me I'm with you, europaddle all the way.


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## Musty (Oct 12, 2010)

:lol:


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## robsea (Apr 7, 2010)

Neale and all

Just like to update my recent experience with Hobie paddle problem. Today I dropped into my Hobie dealer with my disconnected blades and the shaft in the boot of my sedan on my way farther north. I was not expecting anything but fully intended to buy a replacement. When i explained what had happened i was asked if i still had them as there had been a problem with some paddles that did not have a time and date stamp on the back of one of the blades. The dealer and i checked the blades and sure enough no date stamp.

The dealer took a photograph of the broken items to send to Hobie and handed me a new paddle. He retained the broken gear. He said that he had dealt with about a dozen of these cases over the last couple of years and that Hobie would make good with a replacement. Sweet! 

Great support for the product and fantastic customer service. So Neale, did something similar happen to you? From your original post it is not clear. If you still have the broken bits you may be able to get a replacement. You may not feel comfortable using one in any case after your experiences.

cheers and thanks for the timely and interesting thread!

rob


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## Duffle (Aug 17, 2011)

just a quicky about the seak paddles. I had the half fibreglass half carbon fibre paddle and had it break about 2km's out to sea  not fun. Was about 100m away from the shore and the other end of the paddle broke. So yeah dont recommend seak paddles.


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## fishinflo (Nov 7, 2006)

Love my slipstream fibreglass,220cm, mid $200's,bought it to replace the ali and placcy joby that came with the FND,oh what a difference
it made from a fatigue perspective moving the barge around,and no more cold hands.And now I have the dorado it really is just a pleasure to use. Would like to try some of that fancy carbon stuff one day though.


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