Reviews for Superior Kayak Graphite Greenland Paddle

I love it. Outrageously light. Very strong. Shows no signs of significant wear despite heavy use so far. Feels great in the hand. Have not had problems with it being slippery-when-wet, as some others have mentioned.

To anyone who has not yet tried greenland paddling, but is thinking about it...I would strongly urge you to give it a try. I immediately found it to be a much more natural paddling motion (had been doing a high-angle style with a bent-shaft Werner Ikelos prior). I love its performance in high winds; it seems utterly unaffected by winds from any direction, even in mid-30-knot winds. The fact that the arms are kept relatively low and the body does not have to turn to the side as much (torso twist is "magnified" due to the hands being closer together) keeps one naturally more balanced. Using a canted-blade technique for forward paddling, and given the thin blades, one is able to convert to a low-brace instantaneously on the same side as a power stroke...while the dynamics of the canted stroke make needing to brace on the side opposite the power stroke unlikely. Rolling is a breeze. I have had no problems learning to surf kayak using one. In fact, the while somewhat lacking "power" in the surf, the GP has the advantage of being less likely to be disturbed by the wave you are trying to punch through, or being snatched out of your hands while capsized.

My first test I took it out on a windy choppy day and I had the fear that it would blow away if I set it down. Paddling with it was effortless. The first thing I noticed was it's ultra smooth surface glided through the water... almost too easily. It didn't feel like it had the same "grip" on the water the wooden one did. But then again it seemed I got two strokes in the same time as one for the wooden blade and had no trouble keeping up. Once the boat was up to speed that feeling lessened somewhat.

I tried rolling and the second thing I noticed was the it is more slippery that the wooden one (The purists scored another point). On an extended paddle roll it did slip a couple times surprising me but the buoyancy of the paddle made the roll seem effortless (there is that word again).

The third 'complaint' I had was that near the tip the blade gets thin and gripping it hurt my fingers a little. Maybe I had a death grip because it slipped but it felt much sharper than the wooden one which has a larger radius at the edge.

I loved the idea and feel of a carbon fiber paddle and I figured there must be some way to fix this. Ok, don't laugh, but I got a 1 inch roll of black marine grade non-skid tape they use on boat decks (I have used it on my fiberglass boat near the cockpit so my hands won't slip when I get out so I knew it would survive sticking under water). I put the tape along the length of the blade edges from just below the tip to under where my fingers grip. I also put a piece on each flat side of the loom leaving a clear area for my thumb (no blisters please).

Wow, what a difference! First it looks cool, like it belongs there (don't use white tape). Second, it no longer slipped. It grips as well if not better than the wooden one. That material actually does feel smooth when I slide my hand over it so it doesn't prevent a smooth transition to the extended paddle hold. Third the tape increased the radius near the tip just enough so it felt much more comfortable gripping it for the roll (or maybe it's because I no longer needed the death grip). 3rd it increased the 'grip' on the water quite a bit. Since the water flows over the edge of the blade as it passes through the water I hoped by making it less smooth the paddle would give me the feeling of more resistance which it does. I feel like I get much more acceleration on each stroke.

The appearance of the paddles is striking. The surface is satin smooth with the black carbon fabric on full display through the clear binder. The surface is quite hard and scratch resistant. Mine shows only a few shallow scratches and no fiber damage after hundreds of miles and numerous surf launches and landings. I paddle the Northern California coast and have not been particularly gentle with it. The surface has excellent tactile properties and provides excellent grip when soaking wet. It is not tacky and slides smoothly, but responds with a reassuring squeak each time I tighten my grip.

The paddle shape is very similar to the paddle in the Chuck Holst web article and is, from what I understand, a pretty good example of a traditional paddle. The loom is a flattened oval 1-1/2 inches x 1-1/4 inches. The maximum blade width is 3-7/16 inches tapering smoothly to 1-3/4 inches just before the shoulders. The shoulder profile blends between the loom and the blade smoothly, and makes paddling very comfortable, and makes location and orientation fool proof. The blade profile is elliptical throughout, transitioning smoothly from about a 7:1 ratio near the tip to 1.25:1 ratio at the shoulder. Since this is a machine generated profile, it is identical all faces, and with the tough carbon fiber construction, it is not going to splinter and warp like wood. Consistent performance face to face and over time.

On the water, the paddle is great fun. The low mass means that it is easy to maneuver between various hand positions and strokes. The long narrow blades without joints mean remarkably low swing weight. The high paddle volume conspires to with the low mass to make the paddle seek the surface, so roll setup is a snap even in dark, murky, rough conditions.

In the hand the paddle feels excellent. The loom shape and the shoulder make long days paddling much more comfortable. In my euro-paddle days, I remember the pain at the base of my thumb and occasional numbness. These never occur now. The blade can be gripped anywhere along the length and not knowing the paddle orientation is impossible. The paddle has remarkable pull during the forward stroke. To a GP user this is not a surprise, but euro-paddlers who try it are consistently impressed. The paddle gives a consistently clean and nearly silent catches and releases with out any air following the paddle. 5 mph cruising is achieved with a comfortable cadence in my NDK Greenlander Pro. With a little practice, flutter is eliminated and an easy relaxed grip is encouraged.

While an efficient forward stroke is important, what makes a Greenland paddle attractive are the other functions it performs so well. The performance in winds is exceptional and wind on the paddle can largely be ignored. This is especially noticeable in gusty crosswinds where the wind tries to snatch a feathered euro-paddle from your hands and toss you to the water. It is also very good in kelp so prevalent here. The thin blade pushes in easily and the smooth profile means that if you extend your stroke slightly, it exits kelp free. The long blades go deep in the water with a proper stroke and make paddling is rough conditions secure.

The other properties are fairly well known. The sculling performance is tremendous. The blade shape creates good lift. The angle sets itself and the symmetry means that it works both directions equally well. A effortless roll can be performed with just a couple of extended sculling strokes. Extended sweeps make even strong tracking boats respond well in tight or difficult conditions. Extended rolls, chancy and frowned upon in the euro-paddle community, are easy, natural, and foolproof.

If you are extremely adverse to wet hands, these are probably not the paddle for you. There are no drip rings, but material sheds water almost instantly. Although, the deck/spray-skirt will get wet the bottom of your thumb is likely all that will get wet in calm conditions. Sliding strokes are quite wet however and when it is rough enough everything is wet. On the other hand, the well-defined shape makes paddling with gloves easy, an obvious requirement where the paddle evolved.

The Unexpected: a funky/funny ringing noise when you tap the paddle against almost anything solid and this curious grating sound as it dips into the water. Negatives: Black is only color option is hard to find sometimes in camp! The loom is a bit big in diameter for me (but the composite grips surprisingly well considering a slick appearance). I can't consider the price a negative since I love to paddle and this is one of my fav. hobbies and that the paddle should last many many years with: Positives: no maintanence. Awesome power to weight ratio.