Hi John, The Carbon 80 Fanatic is a good value paddle for general paddling. A stiffer paddle may produce better results but may also add the possibility of joint injury depending upon how your body is holding up. I would suggest you will get much greater gains through better technique than by changing paddle, although having said that, a good performance paddle can make a noticeable difference to speed when coupled with good race technique and a strong powerful stroke. We use mostly full carbon paddles from Quickblade like the Kanaha AC 100, Magic 100, Race Elite 100 or Fanatic Carbon Pro. All these paddles will be better as will some of the other brands top end paddles. The paddles like the QB Magic and Race Elite are very stiff and not everyone's cup of tea. Best bet is to paddle with others that have top paddles and swap, or drop into your local shop and ask to see if they demo. Trying before you buy is a good idea with paddles. DM

One more paddle worth checking out is the Kialoa Toro race paddle. DJ

Thanks DJ and Deano72 I will have to wait till I go south again as there is no outlets within 600 klm of me. I did watch paddle technique by Danny Ching and managed to get my best speed to 10.3 klm per hour so im on the right track Thanks again John