C-Forum

Just curious.
Does anyone have any experience and or preferences between the all carbon version or the carbon blade, wood shaft version of the Mitchell Premier Curved?
I know the carbon is lighter, but how about durability wise? Water feel etc.

Thanks,

Nate

Nate,
I've got a carbon shaft, wooden blade Mitchell and a wooden shaft, carbon blade model. I prefer the wood shaft to the carbon because it doesn't seen to bother my shoulder.

F

I've used a lot of different paddles during the last 39 years and the Mitchell with the carbon shaft and curved blade is the best paddle that I've ever used. I've been using a pair of them exclusively for over 5 years now and they're still in great shape. I ordered my second paddle with a straight T-grip instead of the standard rounded T-grip because the standard grip kept slipping out of my hand. I also get better control with the straight grip. I've never used a Mitchell with a wood shaft so I can't make any comment on it.

My 1st Mitchell was the wood shaft, carbon covered, curved Premier. After a few years of beating rocks into submission I finally lost the alluminum insert & delaminated the carbon near the tip. I called them & Peggy was super to deal with over the phone. I returned my paddle to them & they replaced the tip, re-covered about 1/3 of the blade w/ new carbon & shortened the paddle for a very reasonable price. I love this paddle. Mine has a pretty beefy shaft & is very stiff.

I also have a carbon shaft, carbon covered, curved blade Premier. Mine is unusual for Mitchell in that the shaft is smooth. All of the others I've seen have a textured shaft. I like this paddle. It's much lighter than the wood shaft, which increases my stroke rate & makes cartwheels easier. The shaft doesn't feel as good to me as the wood.

Both are super durable. Between the aluminum insert & fiber-glass rope edging on the blade, you can't go wrong. My guess would be that the all wood version should be stronger since the wood from the shaft extends through the blade.

I don't think I'll ever go back to a straight blade. The under-water recovery for offside strokes is extremely smooth with both paddles. I think my next one will not have carbon on the blade. A couple of my buddies have the glass covered blades & they look much better than mine.

If Jim Michaud is not breaking or wearing down the paddle it must be TOUGH!

Jim- when you and your boat find your way to NY remember to look me up. E-mail is jsmith@utica.edu.

I use the carbon-carbon paddle and love it. Bought it from Kaz and it was a great deal.

Thanks everyone for the quick replies!
I have a carbon shaft, wood blade one which I love, but I was just curious about the others out there.
I think once I wear out the paddle I have, I'll have to either get the all carbon mitchell or the Zaveral powercurve!

I have to agree about the spooned/curved blades. I never paddle without them anymore. I went back to a straight blade for a little while in a small rapid, and just couldn't attain at all!

Nate

Hi Nate!

Good to see you keeping up the interrest in OC1-Slalom. Most of the top C-Boaters are using Carbon-Carbon paddles for stiffness to immediately transfer energy to the water. I believe a wooden shaft will reduce fatigue for longer trips as it will give some in the water thus reducing impact on small muscle groups. The Mitchell is a real nice paddle in C/C. My son and I both use this. The top C-Boaters I see are using the 3M paddle from Galasport. Galasport just released a TE5 (Tony Estanguet - 5) paddle as well. Marko (Drakkar) has a few nice paddles as well that I believe are derived from the 3M. They are expensive so ask around at the next race and try some out. The grips are very different from vendor to vendor as well. Some paddlers will mix and match.

The links are on the home page. Also, Davey Hearn and www.galasportpaddles.com will sell them to you as will the US distributor indicated on the Galasport website.

Remember, the carbon shaft is slippery and is not abrasion resistant. I would suspect that in an open boat abrasion on the shaft is even more of a problem. So, you will need to tape, several layers of electrical tape. Overlap each turn on the shaft by half the width of the tape, then reverse direction at the top or bottom of the shaft. All of my paddles are taped about 14" up from the throat. Some paddlers will color code the hand positions on the shaft, others will use a couple of extra layers to make a grip for different hand positions. It is all very personal at that point.

Have fun and I sure hope to see you at some of the races!

Tom

Do people use the galasport paddles for OC1 much? I've only seen c-1ers using them.
I know what you mean about the wearing down of the shafts on the carbon paddles. I'll have to do that to my carbon shaft, wood blade mitchell. I noticed after the first time I used it, that there were lots of little scrapes on the shaft in the exact place I would do a pry! I'm going to put some electrical tape on it before I paddle again.

The reduced muscle strain is why I like my wooden blade paddle for normal paddling (not racing), it's a bit more flexible then the all carbon ones.

Tom, how old is your son? Does he paddle OC? I'd love to see some other young OCers at a race or two this summer.


Nate

Nate,

I cannot say on the Galasport Paddles and OC1. If you do not get a good answer here, try posting the question on the Discussion board at the Galasport website. The link is on the left hand side of the site. They will respond, though it may take a day or so.

I have two sons one is 15 the other just turned 17. They paddle K1 and C1 respectively. The C1 son, Tom IV, is 17. He is pretty well hooked on it like you and probably at about the same skill level. He was going to paddle at the Salmon River race next weekend. However, Bethesda Center of Excellence (BCE) is having a race at Dickerson that same weekend with an Olympic Development/race prep camp for the three days before the race, March 16-19. So I think he is wanting to participate in that camp and race even if all he does is watch.

Tom

Hi Tom,

I'm not going to be at the Salmon, I live in PA and it's too long of a drive--but I may try to hit a couple of other NESS races over the summer, I'll see how my schedule is.

Thanks for the suggestion about the galasport paddles, I'll try it.

Nate

the TE5 is the paddle that i now use, i was going to order a 3M, and instead was swayed by the vancouver rep via a friend to get the TE5, and its awesome, its a bent by about 3 degrees at the throat, and also spooned and its an uber fun paddle to use, takes a little getting used to, but its really fast. i just got back from my first slalom with it, and its bomber, thuse far.
nate highly recommend it, and would suggest you try to find one to try before you go with the zav(with which i have no experience) or the mitchell(of which i've paddled a friends).
cheers
-isaac

I use my Galasport for both C1 and OC1. The shaft comes protected by a plastic covering but I've found that it wears through eventually. The sleeve can be replaced, but that requires removing the handle. There may be some adhesive tape that would act as a replacement covering. I know that duct tape sucks at it...

My Galasport is Carbon-Kevlar on both the shaft and blade. For me, it's got just enough flex to keep the old bones healthy.

There seems not to be an absolute rule on shaft flexibility. I have a Mitchell with a textured carbon shaft (sleeve protected) and a glassed curved wooden blade. It is one of my most flexible paddles, equaled only by a 5 degree bent shaft I made myself, where the shaft is a slim, carefully selected piece of ash.

The stiffest paddle I have is a Clinch River with a wooden shaft, plate construction, and a carbon covered, curved wood core blade. It is about as stiff as my old Norse paddles, though more flexible in the blade.

I also have a Clinch River with a carbon/Kevlar shaft and a carbon covered, curved, wood core blade. It is stiffer than my Mitchell, but much more flexible than my wood-shaft Clinch River.

Other wood shaft paddles I own are all quite a bit stiffer than my Mitchell. I have built one paddle with a shaft laminated out of selected douglas fir firring strips, and it remains quite stiff, even after quite a bit of planing down.

definitely the mitchell carbon paddles are bombproof, but if wear from gunnel prying is denting the carbon then i would suggest a wooden shaft, this will also make it easier on the joints in your arm because the wood has more natural flex

if anyone is interested in ordering a mitchell i sell them in canada. i have sold a few out to eastern canada and everyone seems to love them


Jimmy MacDonald backpackerjim@hotmail.com

bob P, what shaft do you have? i have a JRS shaft on my magnum elite, and it came with the ovalization kit, shim, and plastic sleeve. but i don't use it. on my TE5, i got the patrice torque shaft which is a straight shaft that tapers and has a oval grip area. and i really like it because it evenly distributes the flex, and it is uber light.
cheers
-isaac