Paddles, especially for the new folks.
Please note, the following represents the opinion of Mike Scioli, individual. These views are not intended to reflect the views of Austin Outrigger Canoe Club, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation.
This is intended for some of the newer folks. The information might be useful for anyone else that needs a blade in a hurry.
Try paddling with as many different brands and styles of blade as you can lay your hands on.
Try wood blades and hybrid (wooden shaft and fiberglass / carbon-fiber blade). If you can find one, try a carbon-fiber blade ($$$), too.
Try both single-bend and double-bend paddles.
Your mileage may vary. If you find a blade that works for you, it is the finest brand / model on the water. If not, keep looking.
Remember, the finest blade on the water will not improve your technique (although getting a properly-sized blade helps immensely). There is no substitute for time in the canoe and blending with crewmates!
“Only the humble improve.”
Wynton Marsalis
Size matters!
Consult some of the paddle manufacturers’ sites for sizing information.
These are recommendations / approximations not absolute rules. A experienced paddler will accumulate a few blades of different length. In the same seat, in the same canoe, you might sit closer to the water in seawater than in freshwater. Within a canoe, the height of the seat in which you paddle will vary.
I know that there are some coaches in other paddling sports that dictate that all paddlers must use the same length paddle. There is no one-size-fits-all.
Paddle size from Kialoa (now part of Werner Paddles)
Paddle size from Xylobladz (downloadable .PDF file)
My recommendations
After you find a paddle that you like (or eliminate paddles that you do not like), start making your selection.
I have been very happy with the Mudbrook Woods paddles.
These are nice paddles, nothing fancy. They have proven to be as tough as nails.
They aren’t Xylobladz but they are frequently 25% of the selling price of a Xylo, and they are at your door within a couple of days (not months). If you see me paddling or steering with a wooden blade, it is a Mudbrook Woods. blade. Note : The blue club paddles are single-bend, all-wood Mudbrook paddles.
Dan & Gayle Bublitz, genuinely nice and helpful folks, are the good folks behind the Mudbrook Woods paddles. These folks work with legendary father & son paddlers, Al & Danny Ching (both of whom are also nice as could be). It has always been a pleasure dealing with all four of these people!
Not only has Austin OCC ordered about 10 club paddles from these folks but Austin OCC members Wolf Dilworth, Wayne Yong, Chris Almaguer, Jenny Tam, and I have all purchased Mudbrook Woods blades. I own several of their blades and love them all. [I will not recommend what I do not use and / or do not like.]
Tell them what you are seeking. They will probably send along photos of the blades that they offer (or point you to photos of their products on the web). Choose what you want. They’ll quote you a price. Pay them. Stand by the mailbox in anticipation.
You can reach them via e-mail at Mudbrook Racing Paddles.
These are nice blades, very light but they are about 2x – 3x more expensive than their Mudbrook Woods blades. This is the blade that I usually race with.
Don’t forget our friends, Dave & Meg Chun and company, at Kialoa. They have donated paddles, paddle bags, and some other swag to help us with our fundraisers.
If you see me paddling with a hybrid blade (wood shaft with carbon-fiber / fiberglass blade), it will be a Kialoa.
Xylobladz are nice blades and feather-light! They are a bit on the expensive side.
I do own a Xylo and, on the up-side,
1) It is a light paddle,
2) I like the Tuff Stuff edge protection, and
3) I enjoyed paddling with it.
On the down-side,
1) It was expensive as was the shipping from Australia to Austin,
2) It did take a couple of months for Xylo to manufacture and deliver the order, (that will always be the case if they don’t already have what you want in stock), and
3) It did not hold up as well as it should have [the Tuff Stuff has torn-away from the wood.]
Perhaps, some day, I will figure out how to repair it and put it back to use because, in case I forgot to mention, I really liked this paddle.
These are the only four brands that I have owned. There are many others that our extended Texas ohana (Hoewa’a Dallas OCC, Team Hokulele, San Antonio OCC, and Texas OCC) might recommend.
The ZRE (Zaveral Racing Equipment) blades are often recommended and seem to be particularly popular among the canoeists and kayakers. These are three-part (blade, shaft, and handle) carbon-fiber paddles. They are also a bit on the pricey side.
If you are interested in obtaining a ZRE paddle, check with Joy Emshoff.
Quickblade paddles are often recommended.