When I was at SHQ the other day I spotted this very cool kids paddle.. It had a great shape.. super light.. small dia shaft and also adjustable.. I took some pics.
It had this cool new locking system that is light and flush and holds very tight.. and easy to adjust... and there was also lots of adjustment.
I then spotted some other new 2012 Naish paddles that I've never seen.. The ladies Alana had this amazing metallic finish on the spine that glittered in the light.
I've always hated adjustable paddle with bulky adjusters.. spring pins and holes that whistle in the wind and let water in.. These look like they might work well.. Once locked I couldn't twist them and seemed rock solid.. The most amazing thing was how much they adjust.. Most adjustables I've seen before only adjust a few inches.. These seemed to adjust about two feet.
I then saw a paddle that the blade could also come off the shaft and with the adjustable shaft adjusted all the way in.. and the blade off.. the whole thing was only about two feet long.. and still so light.. Amazing.
Those new adjustables look like a great backup paddle that friends and family could borrow too, or to travel with. What are the prices like compared to a standard carbon/glass paddle? And weight?
Those new adjustables look like a great backup paddle that friends and family could borrow too, or to travel with. What are the prices like compared to a standard carbon/glass paddle? And weight?
No idea.. I was in and out of the shop pretty quick and the staff looked busy so I just snapped a few pics.. Someone else might know more.
Once your paddling with it you can hardly tell your using a adj paddle.
The paddle seems to have pretty much the same flex as the fixed carbon length shaft and the adj clip mechanism is very slim and streamline. You don't notice it when you paddling and swapping sides.
The cool thing is that its very easy to make adjustments so if your half way through a session and the wind pics up and you feel as if a shorter paddle may help, you can quite simply adjust the paddle and make it shorter on the go.
It is also a very good option if you have a race board and a wave board and only want one paddle.
Robby was really happy with the way this paddle worked and stressed the point that if a paddle is cut down to short or cut to long you are really are not doing yourself any favors.
This adj system will take the guess work out of cutting the perfect length for each different individual.
It takes time to work out the best length of paddle that suits you, and if you are changing boards and finding your own style in the early stages this paddle will be a great option without sacrificing performance.
It defiantly dose not feel like a clunker as most other adj paddles that I have tried do.
I will have a demo one for sure, so please pop in and take one for a whirl.
I reckon Im going to get one of these paddles as well for myself. Im always doubting the length of my paddle when im riding different boards and in different conditions.
I still think however if your a serious paddler you will want a fixed blade as well.
I'm keen to get my hands on one now!
