In 2011 a friend and myself set out to paddle around Islay and Jura (trip report on the way!). After a couple of days I noticed a dull RSI type pain in both wrists. I'd had it before from rock climbing and thankfully it wasn't painful enough to force me to give up, and Ibuprofen/support taping kept me going for the rest of the trip.
On returning home I started doing some web research and discovered that I was possible using a paddle which was too long with a blade which was too big. I'd purchased the paddle from a reputable kayak store and had been advised on the length and style by the apparently knowledgable shop assistant. So disappointed in my experience I decided it was time to look for another paddle.
After trying various different paddles on courses and borrowed from friends it became very clear a smaller blade is defiantly right for me. The other thing which was clear was that 210cm felt at lot more comfortable and seemed to improved some of my strokes (or at least I thought this). Because Lendal was going through a troubled patch and wasn't available I looked at Werner.
The Werner sea paddle range splits into four distinctive sections - recreational, premium, performance and performance core. Within each section there's a further split between low and high angle. There's lots of talk on US websites about low angle specific paddles, however they generally aren't recommended by UK instructors and high angle paddles seemed to be the way to go as your main paddle, so I quickly narrowed down my selection.
Werner essentially make three mid-size high angle paddles the Shuna Glass, Shuna Carbon and the Cyprus (there are more, but they're aimed at the recreation market). As you'd expect the glass is the cheapest, then the Shuna Carbon and with a foam core the Cyprus being the most expensive. If you're in the market for a premium paddle the choice realistically comes down to either the Shuna Carbon or the Cyprus and from what I can see the only really difference is the Cyprus has a foam core.
On the Werner website there's a tool to help you determine paddle length and blade size* (see comments below), but it doesn't really help you decide which blade construction is best for you.
Although Werner state increased buoyancy as a design feature of having a foam core, I can't help thinking this came as a coincidence of trying to achieve a lighter paddle design (call me a sceptic). From a design view point using a foam core construction dramatically improves the strength/stiffness to weight ratio, thus enabling Werner to use less carbon and achieve the same strength. There's nothing particularly radical about foam core construction, it's been used in carbon bike wheels for years and in basic principle isn't too far away from polyboard estate agents signs or even corrugated cardboard, these are both sandwich structures and have a core to increase rigidity (ok maybe over simplified, but you get the idea).
Ok, it's great technology but do I need it?
So there an obvious weight advantage with the Cyprus (bent shaft Shuna 836g vs bent shaft Cyprus 765g), but there's also presumably less carbon, so you can't help feeling it reduces the durability, especially around the edges. For me it was an easy choice, I'm a product designer, so I love clever application of technology and I also have my old Lendal paddle for trashing surfing and rock hopping. If most of your kayaking is playing amongst rocks or instructing I can't help feeling a Shuna might offer you a longer service, however if your thing is doing long trips or are desperate for the lightest possible paddle, the Cyprus is probably a better choice.
What's it like to paddle?
To paddle it's certainly very light and after going from the relatively heavy Lendal with a big blade it seems to effortlessly glide through the water with a very pleasant springy feel (I think this a sensation rather than actual flex, because it's incredibly stiff). The biggest thing I noticed was that my paddling speed increased (not boat speed), this took a few months to get used to. Imagine ridding lower gears on a bike and spinning more revolutions per minute (increase cadance), it feels very similar.
After retraining my body to paddle faster I definitely noticed less fatigue after long days out and more importantly considerably reduced wrist and shoulder pain. Obviously if you can't get used to the faster speed you'll notice your friends disappearing off into the distance, so if you're going from a big blade like a Nordcapp I'd defiantly recommend trying a smaller paddle over a few weeks before buying.
Any other information
The push button mechanism for splitting and adjusting the feather is superb, especially after going from the allen key system used on the Lendal. It does however require regular washing with fresh water to prevent salt clogging the system (thankfully Cumbria is not short of fresh water!)
Werner also have a larger blade version called the Ikelos which is "aimed at well conditioned and experienced paddlers who want a durable paddle with a powerful catch and smooth linking strokes". This uses the same foam core technology but is just a bigger blade.
Benefits
Light and stiff
Reduced fatigue
Considerably reduced wrist and shoulder pain (on me anyway)
Disadvantages/areas for improvements
Very expensive.
If you're coming from a large blade there's a readjustment period.
Locking mechanism requires regular washing to prevent salt clogging.
Sticker which shows feather angle peeled off after three days.
To round-up
I'm a tricky customer to please, but I've been very happy with my purchase so far and I can definitely recommend this paddle. If you can't afford the high price I'm sure the Shuna will offer a similar level of performance with only a 70g increase in weight.*I would treat this web tool with caution, after buying the wrong paddle based on expert advise, I certainly wouldn't recommend using a website formula, nothing beats try before you buy when it comes to paddles and boats. It would be great to have comments, so feel free to write what you think and if anyone has tried low angle specific paddles I'd like to hear what you think of them.
0 comments:
Post a Comment