Packrafters - What Paddle

[Cheeky Monkey]

Having got a Neris BigFun (the bigger boat) in PVC (so more car-rafting than bike based stuff) and having committed the newbie error of grabbing the raft not the paddle when I capsized on the Lower T with John C et al, I need a new paddle. Manalive, it's a bit baffling - length, feather, blade size, WW, sea, surf or touring etc etc etc ;-)

The paddle I lost was nothing special and all others I've used before now have been of the cheap and bendy variety. Use would be mostly flat or "light" flow / up to G2 white water (for now anyway), maybe a bit of close-to-the-beach sea. It doesn't need to be breakable into tiny parts to go on a bike but at least two sections will men I can lug it easier. Currently thinking one with an adjustable length and feather would be most versatile and help me settle on the best set up. I've also got another inflatable kayak and the banana boat Inotex for the kids ;-) From what I understand a longer one is better to clear the beam / inflatable hull and allow a lower angle paddling stroke. No feather best for WW but for longer and flatter things some feather would be good. TBH I'm used to a paddle with it. Bigger blades for sea and smaller for WW.

I think the one I lost was a Bravo. Then I tried a Werner Powerstroke and Sherpa (197 and 195 lengths). These were, unsurprisingly being in the £250 to £350 range, delightful but I think they're a bit out of my budget or at least a price point that my mind can get round.

So what do you use, do you like it and why? I appreciate the right paddle is much like the right saddle, a very personal thing.

At the minute I'm drawn to a Celtic XTi:

https://shop.seakayakinguk.co.uk/collec ... 7427107955



Or maybe a Mania:

https://shop.seakayakinguk.co.uk/collec ... 7440542835



Or Classic Power

https://shop.seakayakinguk.co.uk/collec ... paddle-n12

[Bearbonesnorm]

I've got a Kokopelli 4pc carbon paddle which is very nice although they don't appear to sell them any more. I also have a very light Advanced Elements paddle which I actually prefer to the Kokopelli: https://www.amazon.co.uk/ADVANCED-ELEME ... B00YFPS7OC

Have you looked at the stuff from Werner? Not cheap mind https://wernerpaddles.com/collections/packraft or the TNP paddle https://www.escape-watersports.co.uk/eq ... low-detail

[JohnClimber]

Having got a Neris BigFun (the bigger boat) in PVC (so more car-rafting than bike based stuff) and having committed the newbie error of grabbing the raft not the paddle when I capsized on the Lower T with John C et al, I need a new paddle. Manalive, it's a bit baffling - length, feather, blade size, WW, sea, surf or touring etc etc etc ;-)

The paddle I lost was nothing special

I have this red one and although slightly heavy I like it for WW, for kayaking I'm tempted on a carbon Greenland paddle, but they are expensive

You said
"The paddle I lost was nothing special"

Here's our paddle film with your black paddle in full view at the start https://youtu.be/-uVk3Xtuwpc

And Callum who loaned you his paddle 2/3rds the way through the film making you think that you could save your money and paddle by hand without any problems

[Bearbonesnorm]

I've got a Kokopelli 4pc carbon paddle which is very nice although they don't appear to sell them any more.

I could be tempted to part with it if you're interested Tim.

[Alec]

I use both of the top two on your list and like them for different things, but would normally grab the xti if my wife hasn't got it first.
I feel for me it generates more power than the other and prefer the shorter and fatter blade shape. I also prefer the shorter length.
I know JC uses the red paddle and has no complaints with that so any of the three are pretty good.

[Cheeky Monkey]

The two paddles of Callum's he let me try over the Neris weekend (a Powerhouse and Sherpa) were lovely but they look to be £300+ which is a wedge more than I can get my head round at the mo.

I really like the versatility of the Celtics as you have a 10cm length adjust and variable feather. I'd like something that can do double duty of flatwater (so longer and feathered) and WW (shorter, no feather) but appreciate this is pretty much moon-ona-stick

I'll drop you a PM Stu.

And John, beautiful segway into your YouTube

[Jurassic]

Have a look on fleabay as well to see if anything is available second hand. I picked up a Werner Camano two piece bent shaft a few years ago for just over a hundred quid. It's the glass shaft model not the carbon one but is still very nice and was a huge saving over new. I bought it for sea kayaking but it's my go to for the packraft as well if I don't need the ultimate packability of my four piece packrafting paddle.

[Jurassic]

Just another thought, if you think you'll be in the packrafting game long term it's probably worth splashing out a bit on a nice paddle. It's the thing that probably has the most direct impact on your paddling enjoyment and even if you change boats you can keep the paddle. I've done a fair bit of kayaking, open boating, packrafting and have recently done some SUPing and the paddle is the thing you notice most in all these paddle sports, it's kinda like buying nice wheels for a bike.

[Cheeky Monkey]

Sound advice and thanks to everyone for their input.

I got the Kokopelli off Stu for a good price. Just arrived and whilst I haven't paddled with it yet the quality, weight (well below a kilo, I guess), the breakdown size and that it won't conduct cold like all my other alu ones all make it seem like top banana. Certainly a massive improvement on the baggy-jointed, flexy five piece paddles that came with the Inotex that I've usually been using.

Just need to stick on some hi-vis panels and my deets in case I let go of this one

[FOX160]

Bit late to the party but I have the Werner Tybee 4 piece with fibreglass paddles.
Only downside is that all pieces aren’t equal.

[thenorthwind]

I've got a Kokopelli 4pc carbon paddle which is very nice although they don't appear to sell them any more. I also have a very light Advanced Elements paddle which I actually prefer to the Kokopelli: https://www.amazon.co.uk/ADVANCED-ELEME ... B00YFPS7OC

Have you looked at the stuff from Werner? Not cheap mind https://wernerpaddles.com/collections/packraft or the TNP paddle https://www.escape-watersports.co.uk/eq ... low-detail

That's interesting Stu. I bought one of those Advanced Elements ones when I bought my first packraft, basically because I'd spent what seemed like a stupid amount of money on a blow-up boat, and it was the cheapest 4-piece I could find, and actually lighter than most of them too. It's surprisingly good quality and always struck me as a good design in making use of the cheaper materials (alloy and nylon) to make something almost as good as the carbon ones, and in some cases (i.e. blade durability) arguably better.

When I came across a Kokopelli carbon 4 piece for not much more money (a kayak place were selling them off dirt cheap on eBay), I got one, which is now my first choice paddle. I do find it better than the AE one, but I suspect that's largely down to the larger blades making it more efficient. As a relatively inexperienced paddler, I reckon I'd be just as happy with the AE one if the blades were larger, in the same way that someone who only uses a bike for going to the shops doesn't care how well their brakes modulate.

[Bearbonesnorm]

There certainly a good paddle Dave (from what I can tell) but I've not got big hands and I found the shaft diameter (stop it) too big. Being aluminium, the diameter of the AE is smaller and so suits my dainty hands better.

[thenorthwind]

There certainly a good paddle Dave (from what I can tell) but I've not got big hands and I found the shaft diameter (stop it) too big. Being aluminium, the diameter of the AE is smaller and so suits my dainty hands better.

Yeah the difference is quite noticeable. I actually prefer the bigger shaft (ooooh!) but I put some foam handlebar grips on it which helped a bit with that, and also the heat-sucking effect of the alloy.