paddle

Help i need a new paddle i have been paddling 4 years, what does one buy. Female 5ft4 50 years old. I am interested in maybe a braca or epic. What do you think, any suggestions. I am confused :

There are a lot of women out there who are 5'4", 50 years old and who are quite strong, fit and competitive. Some paddle builders make a small blade for use by younger as well as older paddlers. Also available are smaller "mid" wing sizes. A split adjustable shaft is a wonderful invention for length and feather adjustment
You really should have the advice of a reputable dealer- or even better a good coach.

YBA wrote:

A split adjustable shaft is a wonderful invention for length and feather adjustment
You really should have the advice of a reputable dealer- or even better a good coach.

I fully agree with YBA, but I can share some of my experience with Epic and Braca paddles. Both companies makes very good and high quality paddles, so you just need to find the shape and size that fits you.

I have used a Bracsa I for the last 10 years and it is still in very good condition. However it was getting to heavy for me to pull as I paddle less now and changed my kayak from a K1 to a surfski. I started looking for a new paddle about ? year ago and here is my experience.

Bracsa I:
It has a very nice grip in the water, but is heavy to pull. It is best fitted for short distance/race or very strong paddles (or K1/K2 kayaks).

Bracsa IV:
It a scaled down copy of Bracsa 1 and better fitted for exercise paddler and longer distance. Comming from a Bracsa 1, it felt a little loose in the water, but it did not strain my arms.

Epic Mid Wing:
It is comparable to Bracsa 4, but I like the grip in the water better with the Epic paddle and it is also a better catch too.

Bracsa VI:
The paddle have the best catch I have ever experience, however I will only recommend it for short distance or strong paddlers as it has a heavy pull.

Bracsa VIII:
In my view this paddle is a copy or modification of the Lettmann Warp paddle. The blade is longer and smaller than others wing paddles. The catch is softer and I can use it over long distance without getting tired. The longer blade makes it more easy to reach the water when you are in small to medium waves. The smaller width makes it also less sensitive to the wind.

I ended up buying the Bracsa VIII and are very happy with it. I really enjoy the longer and smaller blade.

My second choice would have been Epic Mid wing, but coming from 10 years with Bracsa I was looking for something different to try. (The shape of Bracsa I, IV and Epic Mid wing are similar compared to Bracsa VIII)

www.braca-sport.com/
www.epickayaks.com/
www.lettmann.de/

It's less common to be using a paddle blade that is too small; much more common to be using a blade that's too large. Blade size doesn't equate to boat speed at marathon pace, and smaller blades are less tiring to use. If you are not sprint paddling in an ICF K1, then look for a small blade. The Epic small-mid, Brasca FW (yes, child sprint blade), Maxpaddle M3 (similar to the FW), would be nice blades for you for a distance paddle. Ballpark for length is 205-210 at 5'4". Try the Epic paddle wizard for another paddle length opinion, and then get something adjustable to get it just right.

Hi J.W.
Hope you had a great Christmas and/or Happy Hanuka.
I have an Epic Mid Wing and Sprint Wing. Great paddles!
Don't want to muddy the water too badly but my favorite is the ONNO Wing. There are multiple blades to chose from (small to big). The ONNO paddles very similarly to the Epic paddles. They are lighter and cheaper. The ONNO paddle is made one at a time. They are totally custom. I paddle where there are coral and oysters. I asked Patrick (ONNO) to beef up my blades and really stiffen up the shaft. It is still lighter than my Epic. You can get a 5-15 centimeter adjustment and Patrick is using (what I believe will be industry standard) thumb lever quick adjuster mechanism (sorry for so many words, don't know what to call it). He can also make a scary light paddle if that's what you want. He spends time with you on the phone to figure out your stroke, what you're doing, type of boat, etc. He really cares.
Here's the catch. Patrick is VERY popular and is a one man show SO, you may get your paddle quickly or you may have to wait a while. I love mine; custom and cheap. It took a while to get mine but great anticipation and for me, worth the wait!
Definitely look into Patrick's paddles. Patrick can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or you can just Google ONNO Paddles.
Good luck. I'm sure you'll get just the right paddle!
Happy New Year
Franklin

Ditto Nell's comments about smaller versus larger blades. The Epic small mid-wing is my wife's and daughter's favorite. I use a medium size blade - the Knysna Swing paddle - but don't find the Epic small wing too small myself...kind of like it for longer distances.

Paddle length depends a lot on your physique rather than just height - relative length of torso and arms. It also depends on how high you sit above the water in your boat. I am 5'7.5" and use 206-209 in a Think Evo, but 204-205 in an XT double. I cut an Epic small mid-wing down to 200cm for my wife and daughter [5'3"] and it still has 10 cm of extension.. more than enough for me. They also reduce paddle length in the double relative to single skis... the seats are deeper in our double, and so you sit lower, reducing the distance to the water.

I am more comfortable with a shorter length in really rough water... but that may be a personal thing related to my lack of skill. I increase the length on flat water for a little more leverage. At any rate, I'd advocate adjustability both up and down from what you think is most comfortable.

I much prefer oval versus round paddle shafts - would recommend trying them to see if they suit you. Any shaft can be made oval by gluing on index guides, on the guide or on both hands. Onno have a rather small shaft, I believe, but that might be the perfect size shaft to add the index guide to.

Good luck and let us know what you choose.

Thanks everyone for replying to my topic on paddles. I ended up with a braca fw, it was between the epic and fw and fw won as i have been waiting for the epic paddles to come into our country and i got sick of waiting. They kept telling me 6 weeks and the paddle will arrive, but those 6 weeks went on for a number of months and months, and so it helped me make up my mind. I was able to get the braca within a week nearly. One phone call and there it was on my door step.
Mind you our epic rep is fantastic but what can they do when they dont deliver there stock.

braca fw