Paddler Feedback: Brendon

Blade Length: 19”

Blade Width: 7.3”

Weight: 1 Piece 737g.

Options: 1 Piece, 2 Piece, 2 Piece Adjustable, 3 Piece Adjustable.

The Company:

Werner started building paddles for family kayak trips around 1965 in Sultan, Washington in the USA. They have blossomed into a major stakeholder in the paddle market having five different paddle lines which are Touring, Whitewater, Canoe. SUP and Outrigger.

My Feedback:

The Carve.

The paddle has a fiberglass shaft, fiberglass blade and a ABS handle.

The Shaft:

The fiberglass shaft is in an oval shape allowing for really comfortable grip. Some models have buttons to break or adjust the paddles to a more suitable length.

The Blade:

The blade is made using a fiberglass continuous weave fiberglass laminate technology, which has been tried and tested in Werner’s “Bomber” whitewater paddles. At 7.3”wide by 19” long the blade is narrow and long.

The Handle:

The handle is created out of a High Impact Resistant ABS technology.

Paddling

Flatwater:

My first test of this paddle was on flatwater. My mate and I did about a 8km stretch swopping paddles to see how the different paddles feel and work. The other paddle was the complete opposite being one of the broadest paddles on the market.

Firstly the Carve really felt good in my hands. The T Piece is comfortable and the ends of the T are slightly longer allowing for awesome control of the blade. The Oval Shaft had also a natural feeling about it. The smaller blade was something new and novel and it was great fun just changing strokes and pace to see what the paddle could do. The higher candescence feels comfortable and surprisingly did not lead to a drastic loss of speed. When I got into a rhythm the paddle just felt like it just wanted to carry on going which is something that does not happen often. The Flatwater side of this paddle I loved.

Downwind:

This paddle is not marketed as a downwind paddle but I gave it a shot anyway. After that awesome flatwater paddle I thought this is the “One” and did a 11km downwind with it. As I ventured out the protected harbour and got hit by a 25 Knot SE wind I realized I might have made a mistake. We had to paddle out away from shore and I found the smaller blade not offering the same power as my 9.5 inch blade to get in the right direction. Instead of the one or two harder strokes it was now 4-5 strokes all of which did not really help. At one point the button that holds the paddle together came undone and I really got nervous. After some onboard rectifications I was off again. With the wind directly behind me the paddle was fine but I think I would have preferred a bigger blade to get quicker on the runners.

Surfing:

I took the paddle out for about a 1 hour session and found it to be really comfortable. It allowed quick acceleration to take off on the waves. The T Grip was useful when doing moves as it allowed you to adjust the blade to the exact angle you want. That button came loose again which did not freak me out as much as on the downwind. I did also notice that on completion there was water in the shaft of the paddle.

Conclusion:

The Werner Carve is an awesome paddle combining proven technologies and design. If you are serious about paddling I would not buy one of the models with a button. I just found those buttons to be an irritation and the rewards of having a Two Piece paddle being overshadowed by water getting in the shaft and the button coming undone. For me I would use one of these paddles as a second paddle to surf with (not doing much at the moment but come winter.), cruising and sharing this wonderful sport with others.

Werner paddles available at www.paddlezone.co.za.