C-Forum

I've broken a Werner Carbon Bandit, and now a Galasport Carbon/Kevlar 3M. I ordered one of Maxwell's Closeouts for creekin, but I haven't gotten it yet. I am thinking about one of the Waterstik Zen C1s, but I haven't even seen one before. Anyone ever use one?

...just for a few strokes at some surf spot on the Chilliwak....
At first it feels weired in the entry and exit. The catch is brutal, never tried a whitewater paddle with a better catch. I also liked the T-Grip quite a bit. It is nice shape and has a good diameter for me.
Heard people say the service of Waterstick is not great. I think they are rather expensive.

Jan

Hiya Tim

Well, I don't have one anymore.....I sold mine a couple of years ago. I had one with an earlier model of blade and the grip on the water was amazing - unfortunately the slice through the water was horrid and that was the driving force behind my selling it. I use a lot of underwater recovery strokes and I just found that the waterstick really inhibited these. I think they've redone the blade design since then (looking at the pictures on their website) but it still doesn't look like it'll slice particularly well, although better than the older design. If you want to check this out, find a kayaker with one and borrow it. Just slice it through the wwater a bit and you'll be able to tell how much resistance you're getting.

I used one on the second NB Potomac Armada trip when I was paddling "Sir" Adam's Acrobat. I did not have a good time with the paddle and really wished someone would like it more than me and swap paddles so I could use something else.

I've heard people say positive things about the blade design. So, the blade will work for some types of paddlers and will not do at all for other types. I think I rely on the underwater recoverys a lot like NZMatt does so that may be where I have the problem with the blade.

KNeal

Had a Werner bandit before, liked it a lot but I like the waterstick better.
Later,
Jeff

I have been using the new style watersticks for two seasons now, if you do a search on watersticks you might find my earlier reviews.

More recently I have still found them to be a good paddle for the money, I have both a carbon and fiberglass one. Have used both for playboating and creeking. From my experience, they are stronger and more durable than the werner bandit by far, and also stronger than aquabound. I have not tried a clinch river or mitchell for any length of time, but those definitely sound very worth checking out as well.

The only other paddle companies I have tried and really liked are galasport, a couple guys on the CDN freestyle team use them for C1, and actually mohawk, which I am too spoiled to use these days, but are such great value for the money. I paddled OC1 for a couple of years with a few of those!

Anyone around the Ottawa area can try out my watersticks if you see me on the river.

I use a waterstick fairly regularly and I like it. It is most definately not a race inspired design, thus friends of mine who have more of a racing background tend to not like it as much. But I also have a racing background and I still like it, so go figure. I have to agree with those above who claim the waterstick has a "brutal" catch. This is a paddle designed for raw power, not so much for finesse. The current design has two spoon shaped halves on either side of the shaft, both of which taper into a large, triangular shaped flat at the tip of the blade. The nice thing about that rather large flat at the tip is that it provides consistent power throughout the duration of the stroke; the down side is that this power is hard to contain, meaning that in my LL Session, I overpower myself rather frequently. The pronounced flat also helps immensly with the smash stroke in cartwheel initiation. Another plus to the paddle, and perhaps this is simply a happy mistake in the construction of my paddle, but the T-grip is turned at a very slight angle to the plane of the blade (only a matter of a degree or two), which allows for more comfortable cross strokes. So:
Pro's:
Very powerful
good for advanced playboating strokes
pretty durable
nice grip
pretty cheap (less than a Bandit in glass and carbon,respectively, so long as you buy it from a retailer)
Good big-water stick
Con's:
Sometimes too powerful
Doesn't finesse well
Glass version has an unsettling underwater wobble
expensive if you buy it direct from waterstick

One Love,
Chris

Tim,
I got to use their carbon paddle one day as a loaner. I liked it. It dows slice forward a little awkwardly, at first, but I was able to get used to that. I was paddling in my phantom, on the madawaska, which was boney at the time, it definetly held up well. It had tons of purchase at the catch. I am thinking about getting one as well. Probably over the winter. Incidently I think I met you on the ocoee during september, when they where releasing for the week. I was paddling my yellow phantom, and I checked out your outfitting at the put in. A yellow vibe, with dagger c1 pedestal right? I remember you mentioning that your werner was getting tore up. Good luck with your quest for a paddle.
sean

Sean-
I definitely remember you and your group. It was good to meet you. I may try a waterstik at some point soon, but for now I'm stuck leaving for costa rica on saturday with a plastic ainsworth and a norse, and I am not sure which I'll use more. I hope that I'll be so enthralled with the water that I won't notice my lack of a stylin, ultra cool paddle
Tim