who's tried em, who likes em, who don't?
g
h2o paddles
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Larry Horne
- C Maven
- Posts: 1447
- Joined: Tue Apr 13, 2004 2:39 am
- Location: Northern California
Love em!
I like it better than any of the fancy Mitchell or Galasport paddles I've had for creeking/ river running. slalom would be another story.
2+ years (about 150 days of terrible Cali class IV-V
) on a team c1 and it shows hardly any wear. It took a little while to warm up to it (the plastic blade). It's funky looking, and it seemed flexy, and it's plastic. But it works really well! I beat it on rocks all day long without any jarring to my arms, or ears, or mind(thinking.. crap! I just broke ANOTHER Magnum!).
I'm now convinced that plastic blades are the only way to go for creeking/ river running.
Cool paddle. Works great. I Highly recommend it.
I like it better than any of the fancy Mitchell or Galasport paddles I've had for creeking/ river running. slalom would be another story.
2+ years (about 150 days of terrible Cali class IV-V
) on a team c1 and it shows hardly any wear. It took a little while to warm up to it (the plastic blade). It's funky looking, and it seemed flexy, and it's plastic. But it works really well! I beat it on rocks all day long without any jarring to my arms, or ears, or mind(thinking.. crap! I just broke ANOTHER Magnum!).I'm now convinced that plastic blades are the only way to go for creeking/ river running.
Cool paddle. Works great. I Highly recommend it.
Larry
Check this one out... also plastic blade+composite shaft works great and is much cheaper....
http://c1freestyle.blogspot.com/2007/05 ... addle.html
http://c1freestyle.blogspot.com/2007/05 ... addle.html
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the great gonzo
- Paddling Benefactor
- Posts: 1718
- Joined: Wed Jun 18, 2003 2:03 am
- Location: Montréal, Québec
I have several H20 paddles (different length for different boats/saddle heights), and I really love them. They are great for every thing except slalom, where there are better options out there. As Larry mentioned, no jarring of the joints due to the plastic blade. Wear resistance is the best of any paddle I have owned so far. If you have to replace a blade, the cost for doing that is can$40.
Thebent shaft is great, it has 2 drawbacks however. 1) it's heavier 2) the highest possible bend position is still very low. I have a 54" bent shaft that I use in my C1 playboats where I have a low saddle height (~4.5 - 5 inches), in my C1 creeker and open boat, where my saddle height is more like 7-8 inches, I found the bend position way too ow down on the shaft and went therefore with a straight shaft for my 58" paddle. If you paddle an OC1, go straight shaft for sure. If your'e in a C1, it depends on saddle height. Best is to try one befor buying.
Jan, those Profiplast paddles look great. However they do not seem to have any distributors in North America, and as far as the price is concerned, my guess is that once all theshippoing, handling , duty and makups are added, they will e nio cheaper than a H20 once they hit the NA market.
martin a.k.a. the great gonzo!
Thebent shaft is great, it has 2 drawbacks however. 1) it's heavier 2) the highest possible bend position is still very low. I have a 54" bent shaft that I use in my C1 playboats where I have a low saddle height (~4.5 - 5 inches), in my C1 creeker and open boat, where my saddle height is more like 7-8 inches, I found the bend position way too ow down on the shaft and went therefore with a straight shaft for my 58" paddle. If you paddle an OC1, go straight shaft for sure. If your'e in a C1, it depends on saddle height. Best is to try one befor buying.
Jan, those Profiplast paddles look great. However they do not seem to have any distributors in North America, and as far as the price is concerned, my guess is that once all theshippoing, handling , duty and makups are added, they will e nio cheaper than a H20 once they hit the NA market.
martin a.k.a. the great gonzo!
Everyone must believe in something. I believe I'll go canoeing - Henry David Thoreau
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Larry Horne
- C Maven
- Posts: 1447
- Joined: Tue Apr 13, 2004 2:39 am
- Location: Northern California
I generally use a 58" Mitchell with a curved blade. I broke the dynel edging off the Mitchell so I borrowed a 54" staight-shaft H2O team c1 paddle.
I had very low expectations. The blade shape is strange and it was the ugliest paddle I've ever seen aside from the h20 kayak paddles.
I LOVED it. Lots of power. The shape really lends itself to little grace strokes. The short, wide blade is very effective.
If they start making them in normal colors, I'll buy one for sure. I wouldn't own a puke green paddle.
I've been disappointed lately in my Mitchell sticks, having had numerous problems with cracking and leakage with the carbon shafts. My experience with H20 could make me a convert. I've always been a very loyal Mitchell owner. Before trying the H2O, I wouldn't have even placed these 2 companies (Mitchell and h20) in the same league.
I had very low expectations. The blade shape is strange and it was the ugliest paddle I've ever seen aside from the h20 kayak paddles.
I LOVED it. Lots of power. The shape really lends itself to little grace strokes. The short, wide blade is very effective.
If they start making them in normal colors, I'll buy one for sure. I wouldn't own a puke green paddle.
I've been disappointed lately in my Mitchell sticks, having had numerous problems with cracking and leakage with the carbon shafts. My experience with H20 could make me a convert. I've always been a very loyal Mitchell owner. Before trying the H2O, I wouldn't have even placed these 2 companies (Mitchell and h20) in the same league.