Buying a new paddle?

If this is your first paddle I don’t have much advise for you. If you are new to kayaking and if you’re naturally cheap like me you’ll never spend the bucks for a great paddle and that’s OK. But keep in mind, as with anything, if you invest in slightly better equipment, it will make your learning curve easier. If you’ve been boating long enough to know this a sport that you’ll doing for years to come and now you want to improve your boating skills. You’ll need a tool that really works for you, a great feeling paddle!  Like boats there are many good paddles on the market, too many for me to really learn about of them. I’ve looked around when I’m on the river and see what the good paddlers are using, that’s one way of narrowing down what paddle might want to buy. Talk with those paddlers and see if they know why they picked the paddle they’re using.

            I picked Werner Paddles, they’ve been around for ever, I can’t think of anyone ever saying anything bad Werner and I can’t remember seeing any broken ones. Two years ago I saw for the first time one of their “performance core blades” as soon as I saw it I was interested. I’ve been wood blade user for a very long time. I’ve had a couple of synthetic paddles over the years, and honestly I never really loved them. They, the synthetic paddles, are light, strong, and less expensive than my wood paddles. But they had no feel, no flex and those thin blades just screw with you. They will slice and dive through water just when you don’t want them to slice or dive.

            The performance core, it is the best feeling synthetic blade I know of. My paddle is a Werner Stikine. I’ve used daily for over a year now and I like it every time I go boating, and I go boating a lot. I live in Ohiopyle PA and I paddle the lower Yough at least four days a week. I use my Stikine when I’m play boating and when I’m upstreaming. My paddle has been slammed off of many rocks, I use it to push off  rocks when attaining, and it’s had as much torque put on it as I can muster when I’m climbing up those drops. I can count on it, it always feels good, and it never does anything weird.

            Wilderness Voyageurs in Ohiopyle has a great selection of Werner Paddles, and other outdoor gear, and the folks there know what there selling and why. You can also check their shop out at www.gearfetch.com. Listen to what they have to say, tell them what kind of boater you are. Think about investing in the best paddle you can. For most kayaker boats will come and go but you’ll have a good paddle a long time. It’s the paddle that makes a big part of your boating experience every time you’re on the river, so make the most of it! Once you have your new paddle, consider wilderness voyageurs for kayak instruction. The best kayak lessons Pennsylvania offers are from Wilderness Voyageurs and their professional staff. If you are in the Yough area, be sure to join Susan, the lead instructor for Friday night loop sessions.