Bending Branches Whisper Paddle
Perfect for the beginner, this entry-level model incorporates many of the features usually found only on more advanced models.
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- Nearly silent blade shape enters and exits water cleanly
- Carefully engineered lightweight, injection-molded polypropylene blade design helps you paddle longer with less fatigue
- Low-profile blade to reduce wind resistance and fatigue
- Blade surface area is distributed evenly for a balanced feel, uniform pull and minimal roll
- Lightweight, strong aluminum shaft has 3M Versafitâ„¢ over the oval grip area for comfortable and confident hand control
- Nylon ferrule is extremely light and strong; tested to ensure great fit, feathering angle, breakdown ease and joint tightness
- Feathering is adjustable to 0 or 60 degrees, with left or right hand control
- Comes with heavy-duty rubber drip rings
Made in USA.
View all Bending Branches Kayak Paddles| Best Use | Kayaking |
|---|---|
| Paddle Style | Low-angle |
| Shaft Shape | Straight |
| Shaft Type | 2-piece |
| Blade Shape | Asymmetrical Dihedral |
| Hand Control | Right and Left |
| Feather Angle | 0 / 60 degrees |
| Blade Construction | Polypropylene |
| Shaft Construction | Aluminum |
| Blade Size | 18 x 6.75 inches |
| Blade Surface Area (sq. in.) | 89 square inches |
| Weight | 37 ounces |
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Better than Werner Skegit!
My got the Skegit and I got the BB Whisper. Gets nice bite on the water, good balance, good grip, and I love the shape of the handle and the blade. Great for both slow, calm, open water (lakes for me) and faster or choppy water (lakes/rivers) because it can be very aggressive when needed or gently push your boat through the water as the sun sets. My wife and I sometimes switch paddles, she likes the BBW more than the Werner (which is a really good paddle, I'm not knocking Werner or the Skagit, it is AWESOME, but the BBW is way better). I personally like the aluminum shaft. There is no play in the connection and the hand good are amazing.
Great paddle for price!!!
These paddles have some of the features of more expensive paddles. They have the option of being offset which helps make your paddling strike more comfortable. They are fairly lightweight. They cause less fatigue then others we tried in this price range. They are comfortable to use and are rigid. There is no flex when you use them. They are also milled so that the two pieces fit exactly. It's convenient to be able to take them apart for easier tranport. They've been great for day trips on calm water, and class one and two rivers as well as an overnight camping trip. The only con is that they do splash a little. But they are great for recreational paddlers.
Great for sea kayaking in warm weather
I needed a paddle to go flatwater kayaking on the Colorado River and this one worked great! I was initially worried because the paddle surface is smaller than the Werner paddles I'm used to, but it worked well in propelling my kayak through the water and I kept up with the other folks in my group just fine. The one complaint I have is that the black surface they have for your hands does basically nothing to insulate your hands against the metal, so if it's cold out your hands are going to get really cold. I was disappointed in that but otherwise I'd recommend this paddle for warm weather flatwater kayaking.
Perfectly adequate budget paddle
I bought this paddle when I bought my first kayak. I wasn't sure how important a good paddle would be so I went with this bottom of the line paddle. Spending a little more for a carbon shaft might be nice if you're going to paddle a lot, or spending a lot more for a fully carbon paddle would be great (I have both and they are definitely big steps up from this one). But... this Bending Branches is perfectly adequate. I've used it for long day trips many times. It works the way a paddle is supposed to and I wasn't wasted with fatigue at the end of the day. If you have a budget constraint and you need a paddle, this one works fine enough. When you outgrow it you can pass it down or keep it as a spare.
Using for first time and very satisfied
I'm new in kayaking. Meanwhile using inflatable kayak in the lake (sea of galilee, israel). Until now i had a kp1 of aqua marina. I used a whisper for the first time and liked it very much. 1. It light weight 2. Comfortable grasp. The black color indicate where to use. 3. When i apply power it fills stable in the water. With the kp1 i fill kind of tremor ... 4. It fills sturdy after assembly - no loose filling 5. The assembly is simple and without stuck 6. I dont have much experience but the blade area is what i need not too large 7. Arrived packed very well 8. To israel about 20 calendar days
*Reliable inexpensive paddle*
I bought this paddle for my husband back in 2006 and it's still going strong. Also in 2006, we purchased 2 recreational kayaks, both around 12 feet long - this paddle was used almost exclusively with these 2 rec boats. At times we swapped boats or paddles, so I spent some time using his paddle. At 230 cm, it was a perfect fit for both of our boats. The paddle remains a fantastic solid beginner/intermediate paddle and has proven the test of time. Through all the miles we've paddled, at times up to 20 miles a day, it never broke or even cracked, despite being used in ways I'm sure it was never intended. We used it as a "pole" to shove our way along a shallow river in N Idaho (not recommended, but it held true), as an emergency deflection against boulders in class III rapids in Colorado, and during an ill-planned Washington coast over-nighter, it spent a fair amount of time navigating through tricky (and very sharp oyster beds) as the tide went out and left us high and...quite muddy. The option of 0° or 60° feather is nice and worked equally well for my left-handed husband and for my right-handed self. When feathered, the paddle cuts through wind easily and slices the water nicely with minimal to no drip, depending on conditions. I'm about 5'11" and am fairly athletic but don't have particularly strong arms, yet I found the paddle's 37 oz weight to remain manageable after hours of paddling in heavy wind and waves. After using it for 8 years, we moved overseas and opted to pass it on, along with its companion kayak, to my mom, confident that it will continue to be a reliable paddle for her. The attached photo was taken June 2014 before the paddle passed to her. It still looks great. The only imperfection with the paddle is that after several hours of paddling, the shaft leaves large black smudges on your hands. I never cared much, but especially if you use nice kayaking gloves, this could discolor them. I bought the paddle new and it started smudging with the first use, but the manufacturer might have corrected this issue since we bought ours in 2006. And the price? For $59, it's a steal!
Paddle seperated from the handle.
I used this paddle 4 times. On the fourth time the black paddle piece slipped out of the handle and was lost to the river. The other side looks like it is also slipping out of the handle.
Good but not durable
For the price it's hard to complain, but I had this paddle as a backup/loaner paddle for about two years...till this year's skills clinic when I tried to use it for a paddle float rescue. I had barely put any weight on it when it snapped in half. Both the "composite" (aka plastic) ferrule and the aluminum shaft simply broke right at the perforations (alignment holes). NOT as good as its predecessor of the same name which I'm still using as my primary paddle. The previous version of the "whisper" has the same blades, but the drip rings are adjustable and made of a rubber-like substance and the ferrule (the bit that holds the two halves together) is also made of aluminum and is therefore significantly sturdier. If anybody has one of the older Whisper paddles gathering dust in a store room, I'm in the market!
Love this paddle
My friend and I love these paddles! They have a lot of the features found in those costing considerably more. The grip is comfortable and the blades can be feathered. On day-long paddles on quiet rivers and lakes, they are light enough that we don’t experience paddling fatigue. We haven’t babied them; their rigid construction has dug us out of muddy landings and pulled us through weed-clogged passages. They are a good match for our folding kayaks; everything can be stowed inside the car (or the airplane). The Whisper has been perfect for the beginners we were, and will serve us for a long time to come.
Nice paddle
This is my first paddle for my first kayak. I've used rentals before but not enough for a real comparison. I looked at other manufacturer specs to compare the weights and this one is not THAT much heavier. I know ounces matter but for the price difference I had no reservations about this one. I've had it out in Lake Tahoe and White Rock Lake in Dallas, and it's performed wonderfully. It feels really solid and propels the kayak through the water. I'd definitely recommend it for a beginner and I guess weight or more feathering angles to choose from are the only reasons to move up for anyone else. The aluminum shaft did start some blisters on my hands but I used wrap and will be trying yak grips. I don't know if a different material (fiberglass, carbon fiber) would help there anyway. Bottom line for me is it works and feels really solid and rugged.