C-Forum

Got a couple of folks interested in buying my all carbon Mitchell. One is a new OC1 paddler. Not sure about the other. One is new to paddling one has never used a carbon stick.

Just want the new owner to be happy with the purchase. If you like or do not like the choice, please say why.

I'd just warn about stiffness. When I went from fiberglass shaft paddles to carbon shaft, I began to develop some pain in one of my shoulders that I attributed to the carbon shaft. It made me concentrate more on technique and body mechanics and the problem went away.

Carbon shafts, and blades, can be had in many degrees of stiffness. My first carbon shaft paddle was a Mitchell. The shaft and blade were matched in stiffness, and the paddle was (and is) quite flexible. I have a Clinch River with a carbon/Kevlar shaft and a carbon over wood blade. The shaft and blade are well matched in stiffness, and the paddle is stiffer than the Mitchell. I have a wood shaft, carbon over wood blade, Clinch River that is almost as stiff as my old Norse paddles.

With companies like Mitchell, it's just a matter of explaining to them what you want. You want flexible carbon, you'll get flexible.

Many carbon sticks are light so there is less weight to throw around and thus can make for faster turn around time/stroke rate.

watch out for carbon with no dynel edging (like the bandit) they don't wear very well.

So what brands of paddles are available with a dynel edging?

not really sure if any are. mitchell maybe? i think my next stick will be h2o, although the reported problem with them falling apart is troubling. might just go to aquabound. we'll see how they respond to email i just sent about my breakdown not wanting to break back down and the t-grip being all wobbly from using that to pull it apart last time.

Who has had problems with H2O? I borrowed one for a short while and it seemed pretty bombproof.

I used and tried many a carbon stick.
Due to their high stiffness they are not for me. No matter what the layup, they were all too stiff for my joints, even the so called 'flexible' ones.
I have thus, after experimenting with plastic paddles as well, gone back to full wood paddles, as they provide the flex my joints are happy with.
Dynel edges are a must. I am not familiar with Mitchell paddles, but Echo's have an aluminum tip and dynel edges (dynel tip is optional).

TGG!

the great gonzo wrote:.
Dynel edges are a must.

+1

as for aquabound, i broke a couple in the past year but to their credit they repaired both at no cost to me but shipping 1 way. i went to wood anyway.

Mr.DeadLegs wrote:Who has had problems with H2O? I borrowed one for a short while and it seemed pretty bombproof.

I have gone away from them. cracked several blades (all while winter paddling) and broke a shaft. Granted, warrany and repair was always great as I used to live ~15 km from the factory, so I usually just waited for them to be fixed, but now that I am out west, that's not an option any more.

They are stronger than aquabound, but also significantly pricier.

TGG!

Do you think the cold had anything to do with the blades cracking, making them more brittle? How much wear and how many rock hits before the blades broke? As far as the shaft goes, that happens.

I love my all carbon Galasport paddles. Strong, light, not too stiff.

I would second that regarding the Galasport carbon paddles. The blade on my lasted about twice as long as a carbon Werner. Plus it had better paddling characteristics and more power per stroke.

Mr.DeadLegs wrote:Do you think the cold had anything to do with the blades cracking, making them more brittle? How much wear and how many rock hits before the blades broke? As far as the shaft goes, that happens.

Cold certainly was the main factor. That said I had Acquabound paddles that I used the same way and they never cracked during winmter paddling. It was my play and squirtboating paddle, less than 1/2 year old, so rock impacts or wear was not a factor. It happened on a cold day (about -10 deg C) during a high water playboating at Parkhill in Cambridge ON, no rock impacts there.

As far as the schaft cracking, I had no real issue with that, but I would be cautious when buying an H2O Ergo paddle. They are assembled from 2 pieces and while I have never seen a broken assembly joint on a 2 piece H2O ergo shaft, I have seen many many broken H2O ergo shaft assembly joints on H2O kayak paddles. The H2O ergo shaft paddles are also significantly heavier (overall weight as well as swing weight) than the straight shaft ones.