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Made in USA.
Item 736078
Specification | Description |
| Weight | (220cm) 35 ounces |
| Shaft material | Fiberglass |
| Blade material | Injection-molded nylon |
| Blade shape | Asymmetrical dihedral |
| Blade size | 6.75 x 18 inches |
| Feather angle | 60 left/60right/0 degrees |
| Shaft type | Two-piece |
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviewsPros
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Reviewed by 5 customers
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Displaying reviews 1-5
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Comments about Bending Branches Slice Paddle:
I like this paddle due to the fact that is is a high quality paddle for a small price. The odd thing I have discovered is the orange color can be seen from far away, making it a nice safety feature.
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Comments about Bending Branches Slice Paddle:
I got one of these when I bought my Wilderness System 145 and have never felt the need to replace it. I'm planning on another one when I buy a spare.
Pros
Cons
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Comments about Bending Branches Slice Paddle:
It's just over 2 lbs but you wouldn't know it. I've used this thing 3 hrs straight and 5hrs total in one day without my arms feeling worn out - and I'm like a T-Rex in the upper body department! The shaft is ribbed so when your hands are wet it won't slip, and it's also slightly ovaled so it fits in the contour of your hand. It's also flaming orange, so cool. Just buy it.
Pros
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Comments about Bending Branches Slice Paddle:
I'll start with the most important thing you should know. If you plan to paddle without full-finger gloves, DO NOT buy this paddle. It is made from spun fiberglass, meaning that the fiberglass cloth is wrapped around in slightly overlapping layers. As a result, the surface is rough. If you're paddling all day you will get blisters on your hands. Even with half-finger gloves I found it impossible to avoid discomfort.
This may not be important in lots of places in the country, but here in southern California, we can go without gloves for much of the year. This paddle just doesn't work for that.
Other than that, control is good and there's no flutter. As one other reviewer pointed out, you can bend the blade inward if you try to, but in real-world flatwater paddling, the force of the water isn't pushing the blade in that direction, so it has not been an issue in my use. If you are in a situation where aggressive or controlled backpaddling is a concern, such as any river use, this would not be an appropriate paddle.
Blades are super visible at all daytime hours whihc is something I like. This is the first paddle I've had that I didn't feel the desire to slap some reflective tape on to make the ends of the blades more visible.
Typical "three hole" adjustment allows you to feather the blades for greater comfort. I'd like to have greater adjustability, but for the money it's hard to beat.
All in all it's a good touring/flatwater paddle in colder climates or for paddlers who always wear gloves. I can't recommend it to anybody because most of my friends are warm-climate people like me.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Bending Branches Slice Paddle:
I bought four of these paddles for use in Class 1/2 rivers with inflatable Aire kayaks. I'm not normally the person who writes reviews, but I felt I should write one in this case.
These paddles are absolutely a value, but they're not good for everything. They'd be AOK in a lake or flatwater environment, which normally means they'd be OK in a river without the need for aggressive maneuvers.
I found these paddles to be be too flimsy in the blade. Grab one, push the top of the paddle and it absorbs your pressure and bends back. This is also a soft plastic which grinds to pieces a bit too easily for my taste. I think they could have solved this problem by improving the mold thickness and the back paddle blade support length.
I'm going to take them back to REI and see if I can upgrade to another paddle. So, while these are good for most people I found them less than ideal for my use.
Displaying reviews 1-5
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