Foxworx paddle review

milkman · Post by **milkman** » Mon Jun 20, 2011 3:15 pm

Curiosity finally got the best of me and I decided to buy a Foxworx Whitewater 3 paddle with spoon blade (http://www.foxworxpaddle.com/whitewater3.html. Online pictures of the paddle made it look like a contender and it's price is an astoundingly low $130.

It turns out, at least from a weekend of paddling with it, to be a great paddle. For frame of reference, paddles I usually use are all carbon Galasports, Werner Bandits (a bit thin in the blade for my kind of wear), and the Mitchell model with a carbon shaft and carbon-covered blade.

The Foxworx is noticeably heavier than all three of those paddles, but not a pig. Once on the river and paddling with it, I completely forgot it was heavier. It felt good in the hands, has great catch, and provides plenty of power.

A few caveats. The grip is not round, but kind of oval and thick. I thought I might not like that, but ended up not noticing that at all while I paddled. The shaft is also a bit oval and thick. This is a paddle you might like if you have big hands (I buy men's large and x-large gloves, depending on the brand) and you like a stiff paddle.

Time will tell how the blade wears. Oregon basalt is not very kind to paddles. I can take an inch off a Bandit in 6 months. Galasports last about a year. The Foxworx blade seems as thick or thicker than the Galasport. If this paddle holds up, I'm going to find it really hard to fork over an extra $100 for the few ounces of greater lightness of the Mitchell and Galasport.

Craig Smerda · Post by **Craig Smerda** » Mon Jun 20, 2011 3:42 pm

the blade looks oddly short in overall length?

milkman · Post by **milkman** » Mon Jun 20, 2011 4:15 pm

Compared to a Bandit, the blade from tip to throat is about the same length. The difference is that the Foxworx tapers more quickly as it goes up to the throat. That didn't seem to have any effect on power. I was trying it out while teaching a class and the first day was on a lake, second day on a river. On the lake I really got to see how much power I could get from it from a dead stop. I was launching my Prelude in the acceleration drills.

Craig Smerda · Post by **Craig Smerda** » Mon Jun 20, 2011 4:38 pm

maybe it's just the picture on their website...

could you shoot a few pics side by side with the Bandit, the Gala and the Mitchell for comparison?

Post by **sbroam** » Mon Jun 20, 2011 5:37 pm

The pictures of the "3" look funky, like maybe they didn't take pictures of the "3" but tried to edit pictures of the "2" to look like it had a spooned blade?

http://www.foxworxpaddle.com/whitewater2.html

Very appealing for $130...

bkebs · Post by **bkebs** » Mon Jun 20, 2011 5:56 pm

I own a bent shaft flat water paddle that has become my favorite. It is light and smooth. The livery I work for has a demo kayak paddle called the Splash. It is a favorite of the the workers here for the class 1 river we are on. I hope that when we get our retail operation up and running this summer, we will carry Foxworx paddles.

milkman · Post by **milkman** » Mon Jun 20, 2011 6:19 pm

The funky pictures are what kept me from buying for a long time. Finally, I thought, what the heck.

The finish is excellent though. What's a little odd is the spine on the backside of the blade isn't exactly straight or perfectly centered. These guys aren't artisans. But it seemed to have no bearing on strength of the blade (it's very stiff) or performance. Underwater recoveries were smooth.

I'm not too fussy on paddles, particularly on finish, etc. What I like is performance and durability. This paddle looks like it will deliver both.

As for pictures, I might not get to that too fast. I don't post pictures online anywhere, so I'd have to join something. Hey, perhaps I'll do a video--that I know and do.

Larry Horne · Post by **Larry Horne** » Mon Jun 20, 2011 6:50 pm

milkman wrote:
The finish is excellent though. What's a little odd is the spine on the backside of the blade isn't exactly straight or perfectly centered. These guys aren't artisans. But it seemed to have no bearing on strength of the blade (it's very stiff) or performance. Underwater recoveries were smooth.

That's sad. Having not seen one, It sounds like basic craftsmanship that's lacking there. If they don't care enough to make a mold that's true and are willing to pump out blems, then I don't think I would trust them to layup a paddle for me. There's a lot in that paddle that you CAN'T see, and sometimes your life might depend on it.

madmike · Post by **madmike** » Mon Jun 20, 2011 7:40 pm

I lost it when it got stuck in the river bottom. I live near Dale and Bev, and I buy the blems. They are hard working paddle makers and they have great quality in the paddles that make it to retail. They are mostly into marathon paddling, but they make paddles for a variety of paddle craft.

milkman · Post by **milkman** » Mon Jun 20, 2011 7:52 pm

Larry,

I've bought paddles from Mitchell and Galasport that looked perfectly crafted. The Mitchell after a year splintered where the aluminum bead is. That was predictable--no issues with that. I got it back, paddle looked beautiful, 5 trips later it splintered all along one of the side edges. That was not predictable and didn't please me. Particularly after putting about $80 into shipping and repair. I had a Galasport that after a year cracked and folded mid-blade.

I do agree with you that workmanship is somewhat of an indication of quality, but you can hide a lot with a good carbon fiber layer.

I just went out and measured the spine. At the bottom of the spine, where it goes down the lowest on the blade, it's 3 1/4 inches from the edge on one side and 3 3/4 inches on the other. A little crooked. It concerned me when I first got the paddle. Then I started looking at the blade and how stout it was, particularly as it tapers to the end. This is one tough-looking paddle. I trust it. (But as with any paddle, I carry a spare and a good spare at that.)

Post by **sbroam** » Mon Jun 20, 2011 8:31 pm

Could the spine be an insert (wood / foam) and just not have been laid straight, vs. a faulty mold?

Larry Horne · Post by **Larry Horne** » Tue Jun 21, 2011 12:57 am

milkman wrote: I just went out and measured the spine. At the bottom of the spine, where it goes down the lowest on the blade, it's 3 1/4 inches from the edge on one side and 3 3/4 inches on the other. A little crooked.

maybe they're lefty and righty specific blades

Agreed that pretty doesn't always equal quality, and sloppy doesn't always mean it's defective. BUT.. being in the trades for 30 years has taught me that sloppy product usually points to someone that doesn't care, or doesn't have the required skills. It's just disappointing to me when people eat it up. That's just one of my life in general rants......
i'm sure your (cough) paddle will hold up fine. enjoy.

Dude.. my favorite paddle is PLASTIC, so don't take me too seriously. seriously

milkman · Post by **milkman** » Tue Jun 21, 2011 6:29 am

I've posted a 1 minute video showing the Foxworx whitewater 3 paddle next to a Mitchell Premier, Werner Bandit and Galasport Magnum. It can be seen at: http://www.vimeo.com/25389027

philcanoe · Post by **philcanoe** » Tue Jun 21, 2011 12:42 pm

slightly ... guess you could say that?

I got lost - when a curved blade paddle, was called a spoon.

Post by **sbroam** » Tue Jun 21, 2011 2:06 pm

Uh, yeah, that's rather noticeable - so noticeable, I'd send them a picture. I hope that is atypical...

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Foxworx paddle review

Foxworx paddle review

My experience

I had that paddle and loved it.