Beautiful, bent-shaft, cedar/poplar with sculpted hand grips. Fiberglass and epoxy reinforced blades. Weight is light, but strong. Only one broken paddle on all our trips after Starr’s son, Jordan threw a 70-pound pack on one lying in the bottom of the canoe. Standard lengths are approximately 56″ or 52″ as specified. Longer or shorter paddles built to order.
Two-piece Kayak paddles can be built to order; standard length is 8 feet; two-piece with a metal ferrule to join them. Straight-shaft paddles also built to order.
Prices:
- Bent shaft paddles, order to length: $125
- Straight shaft paddles, order to length: $100
- Kayak paddles: $125
Paddles shipped by the most convenient carrier, depending on destination.
Shipping within one week of order. Price does not include shipping.
Why a bent-shaft paddle?…. There are lots of ergonomic, mechanical, hydrodynamic, and aesthetic reasons. But basically, think about a duck’s foot…If God meant a duck to survive repeated adventures with Northern Pike, Walleye, Bass, and Alligators, then he would probably expect a similar design for the canoeist. We’re still working on the flexible ankle joint, but at least the business end of the duck’s foot is designed into the paddle. All the better to survive attacks from brawny beavers, gators, pike, and other canoeists trying to beat you to your campground. Not to mention exerting adequate leverage when escaping raging waterfalls, terrorist deadheads, Charybdis boulders, slurping swells, surprise thunderstorms, and killer porpoises intent on mating with your canoe.
We’ve found in all of our adventures, that a decent paddle has a bundle of uses. It’s great for filleting fish, and it’s even doubled as a crutch. Could even be a splint. On occasion, the paddle serves as a bonking device for getting the attention of some juvenile passenger who insists on dragging his hand in the water or gazing into the depths on one side or the other. It also serves as a dog training instrument when said dog insists on ignoring commands such as “Sit” or “Stay in the boat, you’re not a beaver, dammit!!!” Plus, the welcome flash of wet varnished paddles in the distance tells you when you are catching up to the rest of the fleet after lagging back trolling too long. That’s why it’s a mistake to use a black plastic paddle unless you happen to be a commando.