milkman wrote: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.
ditto - no comparison - different as a performance sports car is to a sub-compact... especially when ordering a Gala-Sport, as you've decided from various blades designs, weights, and different shafts... very nearly custom designed to the individual.
However none of my synthetic shafted paddles, have lasted as long as my wooden shafted ones... and a wooden shaft is warmer in winter; Yes - there is a big and definite weight difference... like most everything in boating there are trade offs... like the Werner doesn't feather near as well, as the Galasport or Mitchell - ouh-la-la... stiffness - where there's different philosophy's on flexibility - (pay-me-now, or pay-me-later, and/or Ouch it hurts maybe)... ease of repair... And seriously consider that weight difference - for even a few ounces difference, multiplied times several thousand strokes, ends up requiring considerable more effort for the same amount of work... or put another way, you may have more strokes leftover at the end of the day... also you must consider it's use or where the paddle is being used, a couple dozen times a year on class III-IV versus being banged down remote steep creeks and/or used every weekend.... just remember paddles are not investments and there's no substitute for a nice paddle... better a Carlyle raft paddle than a cheap, flimsy, plastic one with no feeling... you deserve better, and will paddle better
however all-n-all, the 'All Carbon - Mitchell'... is a 'very very nice' paddle... a beginner-novice-or experienced boater most likely, would be extremely happy with one
philcanoe wrote:however all-n-all, the 'All Carbon - Mitchell'... is a 'very very nice' paddle... a beginner-novice-or experienced boater most likely, would be extremely happy with one
I own 6 Mitchell sticks and swear by them but I'll never go carbon shaft from them again. I have had a number of quality issues with Mitchell's carbon shafts - both the new, tapered ones and the old, thicker ones.
The issues I have had include water leaks into the shaft, a crack at the throat on a brand new paddle, and cracks/splinters on carbon t-grips. Mitchell has always been responsive in fixing these issues but the shipping cost and turn-around time of warranty repairs are unwelcome when you're dealing with a brand new paddle.
I also don't like the new, tapered, carbon shaft that Mitchell uses. The shaft is too thin for my taste and the texture is uncomfortable and slippery in one direction (think snake skin).
IMO, save money and go wood shaft/carbon blade with Mitchell. If I were considering an all carbon paddle, I'd try my luck with Galasport to see if they can do any better. A wood shaft Mitchell is, however, all I think I'll ever use. It's great knowing that I can break or damage my paddle and have it repaired to near original condition for FAR less than the cost of a new paddle. I send my paddles in to Mitchell annually for maintenance and am always pleased with their work and their cost.
I had a Mitchell paddle with a wood shaft and a carbon blade. I found the wood shaft to be as stiff as any carbon shaft. I had bought it hoping for a little more flex. I later found out you can specify how stiff a shaft you want. Not having done that, I guess I got the stiffest shaft.
I found the wood shaft to be slippery, so I put some tape on it. But another issue bothered me more. I was constantly rubbing off the finish of the shaft against my gunwale. This led to sanding and refinishing. I then tried taping the area I was scraping. The tape required frequent replacement.
From this experience, I'd recommend if you get a wood shaft that you order it with the fiberglass sleeve for an extra $25.
I asked Mitchell to skip their fancy "durable" edging and just edge the blade in wood. Wood edging wears very well and is more easily repaired than the fancier alternatives. Lighter, too.
The one disadvantage of a carbon shaft is that local damage can result in the shaft snapping. Vinyl sleeves are a good idea, even though they add weight, because they make local damage to the carbon cloth matrix less likely. It surprises me to see NOC selling Mitchell carbon paddles without vinyl sleeves.
