C-Forum

I know that Werner paddles are not the ideal paddle, so I do not want people to tell me so. I get good deals through my school, and being in college means having little money.

I own a Fiberglass Bandit and am wondering what people think of the Carbon Bandit in comparison. Is the blade going to wear down on the tip like the fiberglass, and does anyone know about their durability (the carbon paddle)?
John

The carbon bandit will be much harder on your joints, and personally I prefer the fibreglass blades for whitewater. I think the little bit off additional flex in them helps keep them from breaking and they wear down more evenly than carbon, which is more likely to snap.

I have both the fiberglass and carbon. The carbon wears down just as fast as I can tell and the handle will come unglued quicker. I currently use a Mitchell but for shallow rivers and creeks I use the fiberglass. I recomand dynel the tip of the blade so it does wear as fast. My carbon handle also came loose, my fiberglass one is older and never any problem. I you are going to spend the money to buy a carbon try a Mitchell or Gaiaport, both are great. I have had better luck with the fiberglass bandits.

ccinch River has some extra paddles but if money is a concern go with the Warner. If you keep a paddle long enought to wear it out you ain't paddle hard enought stuff. You should lose you paddle durin some death swim before you wear it out. The stiff carbon paddle will "F" with your joint, if now now when you get older.

I think the carbon blade wears better. When I tried the fiberglass one, it wore down really quick.

The carbon paddle is harder on the shoulder if you use bad form. So improve your form.

Considering how fast Werners wear out, I've switched to Galasport and Mitchell paddles. I got twice the life out of a Galasport carbon blade compared to a Werner.

I think the ideal paddle would be a carbon blade with a fiberglass shaft.

One can achieve any practical degree of flexibility or stiffness, in a blade or shaft, using glass or carbon. There seems to be a suburban myth circulating that carbon paddles are stiff and glass paddles are flexible. Not true. Shop around, tell the maker what you want, and you can have a flexy carbon paddle.

Remember Norse paddles? Now, there was a stiff fiberglass blade.

I don't think it is the blade as much as the shaft that hurts you, but I have had a few carbon shaft that were that bad but not many.

Now EZ about the Norus paddle you do know that it was an alum shaft under the fiberglass don't you?

I lost a nice galasport during s death swim, it was on Helton Creek which flows into the northfork of the New. Thats why I don't take the Mitchell on the creeks with stick holes. I also lost a shoe during that swim and some of my pride it was in front of my girlfriend.

being a guy with really bad shoulder problems (dis locations in the double didgets and 4 surgaries) I have to say I have not noticed that my carbon bandit is hard on my shoulders so I don't know if that is such a strike against the bandit. In fact I really like the stiff paddle, I can depend on it to not waste energy.

only thing i don't like about mine is the t-grip. So I cut it off and put a wood one on. it is simple and eazy if you order the paddle longer than you want it.

LOUIE--- I know Norse paddles have FG wrapped aluminum shafts because I broke one and had to fix it. Still have three Norse paddles, waiting for an offer from the Smithsonian.

I still have my second or third Nores guide stick and use it on my four or five raft trip a year.

Bailey would always take any paddle and put the blade on the ground, hold the tee grip and push on the shft. That way he ould tell how much the shaft would flex. If they are really stiff they hurt my shoulder.

I'm going to be all contrary and say that the bandit (or its near carbon-copy the Kober F-Power) are actually amongst the best C-paddles out there today.

I love the feel of my Mitchell Premier and my Double Dutch Turbine, but neither is as rugged or good value for money as a pressed glass blade (the carbon blades are a ripoff for what you get extra) & the mitchell despite feeling the nicest is very heavy compared to the bandit.

For me the Bandit is the compromise between Weight, Cost and Feel against which all other paddles are judged.

I think that werner paddles in fiberglass is not a bad paddle, carbon shaft are more hard than a glass shaft, and in river runner paddle it can be more comfortable for your arms.

I use a robson paddle in fiberglass straight blade and a galasport slalom paddle in carbon kevlar blade and carbon aramide shaft

I ordered the fiberglass Werner and they sent me the Carbon one. Oh well, I'll use it until it breaks.

I like werner paddles too, uses fiberglass only so far so couldn't compare...

Any thought on the new(ish) AB edge carbon? I have a regular edge that I hate for its small round T-grip and the grip isn't any better on the carbon one but the flex looks really nice, for about half the price of a werner carbon. Maybe just changing the grip on that one would give something cheap and good. I was told (?) the material isn't real carbon not sure about that.

BTW I hate the edge plastic it flexes so much you feel you have a piece of jello to paddle with! H2O aren't much better in that regard.