Bent Shaft Canoe Paddles | SouthernPaddler.com

Bent Shaft Canoe Paddles

JEM

Well-Known Member
Anyone use a bent shaft to paddle with?

I just ordered a Wenonah Quetico Bent Shaft paddle. Seems to be a real good value for the money. From all the size calculations I've seen and some brief experience with a bent shaft paddle, I bought the 50" model.

No stores around here stock anything under $150 for a bent shaft canoe paddle so I'm willing to take my chances on ordering one. Got free shipping from ordering some other stuff too.

It's a wooden paddle so if I want to modify it, no problem there.

I want a ZRE (made from carbon fiber), but not willing to shell out $250 for the one I'd like.
 

oldsparkey

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2003
10,479
123
Central , Florida
www.southernpaddler.com
My old stand by is a bent shaft I picked up over at Mohawk Canoes for $20.00, Aluminum shaft and plastic blade.

It is really nice to paddle with, use as a shovel, or bury it as a place to tie off a rope, push through the weeds with, cover the camp fire with sand or pass a cold drink to a fellow paddler.

It takes the abuse while the wood paddle gets the looks and takes a break from paddling. Everyone who has paddled with it then went over there and got one for there use, the bent shaft does make paddling a lot easier. :D

The $20.00 was for one in there stock that had some scratches on it :roll: .

Chuck.
 

JEM

Well-Known Member
Hmmm.....

Well I paid $65 but also ordered $45 worth of other outfitting stuff that I need to finish 3 boats.

Looks like I could have gotten one for $35 plus $10 shipping. sigh...oh well. Maybe I'll pick one up when the money tree blossoms a little more.
 

swamprat

Well-Known Member
Aug 28, 2003
374
0
Venus Fl.
members.findmoore.net
I picked up an obviously mispriced Old Town bent shaft at the Gander mountain store in Ft Wayne In. for 25 bucks about 4 years back when I was up there for a birthday party :shock: Checked it as baggage on the flight back and have put a BUNCH of miles on it since then. I'm not sure that its that much more efficient but it just feels better in the water than a straight shaft. I'd like to own a Zaveral someday but not till somebody removes all the rocks out of the river that I know I'll whack it on the first trip out! :?
 

BEARS BUDDY

Well-Known Member
Aug 27, 2003
1,492
6
76
BAY CITY MI
Jon Young let me use one of his carbon bent shaft paddles when we were at Miji in '04. Although light weight, strong and a pleasure to with which to paddle; my Boy Scout training made me return it to him. Besides, it did seem a bit much to push a $275 polyethylene canoe with a $250 carbon fiber paddle. :lol:
 

Kayak Jack

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2003
13,976
171
86
Okemos / East Lansing Michigan
Been reading all this. I'll stick with my double bladed, straight shafted, non-feathered kayak paddle. I get more paddle in the water faster than any single bladed paddle going. And, when I need to brace or do some fancy maneuver - the blade is always straight, right where I wanted it to be. It isn't cranked off at some angle that is useless to me.

But then, I drink single malt, and don't eat gree-itz.
 

Bullhead

Well-Known Member
Mar 27, 2005
172
0
Indiana
The bent shaft is a very efficient paddle, the idea being that you stop the stroke at your hip at which point the blade is vertical in the water. The straight paddle is already beginning to lift water at that point adding drag. The best way to use the bent shaft is to do the hit and switch technique where you paddle on one side till the bow begins to drift to the opposite side and then you switch sides and paddle till the bow crosses that centerline again, switch... I used to race canoes up here in Indiana and there is a definate advantage with the bent shaft but only with the hit and switch, the bent shaft is a pain to stroke on one side and do correction strokes with.
 

oldsparkey

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2003
10,479
123
Central , Florida
www.southernpaddler.com
When I use the bent shaft it is the same as with a standard paddle, all the strokes are on one side.
I found that by doing the J Stroke it works the same but easier with the bent shaft since the blade of the paddle spends more time in the water.

I am not racing but just taking life easy and enjoying the surroundings. After an hour or so then I might switch sides with the paddle. I guess I am just use to doing it that way because my dad taught me to paddle only on one side of the boat and not switch sides with every stroke. As he told me ... That is wasted motion because the paddle only works like it should when it is in the water. :D

Been paddling that way all of my life. My guess is that the old saying is true ..... "Different strokes for different folks"

Chuck.
 

Johnny Swank

Well-Known Member
Mar 6, 2006
65
0
www.sourcetosea.net
bent shafts

We used a couple of carbon fiber bent shafts from Wen no nah (Black Barts) on our Mississippi River trip last year. I never really bought into bent shafts until them. You'd have to pry my paddle out of my dead, cold, wet hands now.

Those things run about $200 a pop, but damn if they aren't awesome to paddle with. Light and strong. The only ding in mine is from when I was trying to hack through a bunch of weeds and small trees to make a place for the tent one night.

I'm sold on bent shafts now except for whitewater.

-John
www.sourcetosea.net
 

hairymick

Well-Known Member
Dec 8, 2005
2,107
2
Queensland, Australia
Heya Matt,

Reason I asked is I still got a few pieces of lovely old Hoop pine and have been thinking about having a go at knocking one up.

Quality timber, bent shaft, outrigger type paddles cost around $400.00 here and that seems a little absurd to me.
 

oldsparkey

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2003
10,479
123
Central , Florida
www.southernpaddler.com
Mick

You have made paddles before so why not do like you do with the boats , make one the way you want it. I know , for certain , that paddle would be a lot better then anything you would ever be able to buy.

Mick's hand crafted paddle...
IMG_0689Small.jpg


Take a good look at the one you like for $400.00 and then make it for about 10% of that cost or less. You could have a lot of paddles for what the one would cost you if you bought it.

I always say ... Don't turn a hobby into a profession but with the paddles you could recover some of your expenses , might even make a profit. :roll: All you would need is a loner for someone to try when you are paddling with a group , it is called advertising.

Chuck.
 

oldyaker

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2003
1,949
31
Where did you order it from Matt? I realize you have had it for some time now. That's a good price.......I'd still like a carbon fiber. Wow are they light! Except for the price.
My Daughter and son-in-law were canoe guides in BWCA and Quetico. They say they won't use anything else for tripping. Maybe I need to borrow one of theirs for the next trip and test drive one. Than get a carbon fiber. They have wood ones. They ain't too heavy, but when you pick up a carbon fiber WOW. it's like a feather.

http://redrockstore.com/paddles/7degree.htm
 

rpecot

Well-Known Member
Nov 10, 2006
406
0
Katy, TX
oldsparkey said:
make one the way you want it.

I found this link a while back. Finally made my own a few months ago. All I had was scrap lengths, so now my son has a bent shaft paddle. Here is a picture of it unfinished:


Never really got a good shot of it after it was done...

BTW - I have a Bending Branches paddle, paid about $80, love it.
 

Kayak Jack

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2003
13,976
171
86
Okemos / East Lansing Michigan
That beaver tail single blade is not real good for making time, but it is the quietest paddle going into and out of the water. Nice to carry for sneaking into areas where wildlife might be seen if they're not spooked.
 

hairymick

Well-Known Member
Dec 8, 2005
2,107
2
Queensland, Australia
Hay Matt,

Thanks for the link mate, Some nice blades there! and some cool ideas.

G'day Rpecot, welcome aboard mate and thank you for the piccie. Nice paddle!!

BTW I had a "play" with some sticks today at work. :p :D I think one of these bent shaft thingees will be turning up in a thread here somewhere soon (if I can ever catch up with the bloody honeydoos)