C-Forum

Who makes paddles with an ergo shaft (shaft with slight bend where it is gripped)? I know that Select paddles/Kayak imports can make one but are there other options?

Polar Paddles (Walt J) will make you one custom to your requirements. I know Keith B was making them (prior to his stroke) and this is where Walt J picked up the tech to do the work. Custom wood paddles are the coolest. I beleive Scott Broam has one so he might have a lead on a southern mfg.

Check out the Sawyer venom bent shaft adjustable paddle. I love mine.

Mitchell Blades (the UK one, not the US one) can make up paddles with ergo shafts or proper cranks if you want.

I've been using one of their ergo shafts for about a year now and I am pretty happy with it.

http://www.mitchellblades.co.uk/canoe-paddles/

PAC wrote: I beleive Scott Broam has one so he might have a lead on a southern mfg.

I have one (and lost one:-( ) but my was of northerly manufacture, not southern - Climax Paddles were made by Maxwell Johnston (Maxim designer) of Quebec, I believe. I have no idea how to get in touch with him these days - I'd happily buy another.

h20 makes one

had one and absolutely HATED it [img]http://boatertalk.com//images/icons/for ... t/gack.png[/img]

they're o.k. on a forward stroke (slalom or downriver racing) but on a wave or in a hole it was just bloody awful... at least that was my experience with the one I had (and sold) and all the others I tried.

straight shaft... curved blade... it just works

I'm pretty sure Gonzo paddles with a H2O with an ergo shaft. He likely purchased it in Ontario too. If he doesn't respond to the thread, pm him and ask, I'm sure he can point you in the right direction Doug.

Let use know what you think if you do end up getting one!

H20 bend is too far down the shaft - for C1 rather than OC1. My wrist has been bothering me a lot (insert joke here) so I want to try one of these ergo shafts to see if it helps.

Plumbpass is right, I had an H20 with the ergo shaft. Sadly, the river took it from me at some point. Doug is right, the bend is way too far down on the shaft to be used in an open canoe, since it is basically half of their kayak paddle shaft with an extension.
In the end, I have gone back to straight shafts.

TGG!

I had a chance to try a H2O paddle recently and concur - the bend was too low and made the paddle feel even shorter than it was. I was sure it was shorter than mine but when compared, it was 2" longer...

the great gonzo wrote: it is basically half of their kayak paddle shaft with an extension.

This is true of the Mitchell Blades (UK mfgr) paddles too.

i was looking at shaggy designs web page earlier and they make a bent shaft. does anyone have experience with their paddles bent or straight?

Shaggy designed the Sawyer Venom paddle. The bend is in the right spot for me and the shaft feels like an AT bentshaft K1 grip.

Oops, wrong shaggy.