Canoe Paddle Review 2007

Harmony Mistral

HARMONY
MISTRAL
(24 oz.)
$100
http://www.harmonygear.com

The bent-shaft Mistral delights with a balanced feel, powerful stroking face, reinforced tip, and ‘glassed blade for longevity. The unvarnished, rounded T-grip with ‚“thumb notches‚” is surprisingly comfortable in the hand.

UPSIDE: has that intangible nice ‚“feel‚” in the hands
DOWNSIDE: a bit on the heavy side

Bending Branches Sun Shadow

BENDING BRANCHES
SUN SHADOW
(19 oz.)
$110
http://bendingbranches.com

Another sweet cruiser, the well-balanced bent-shaft Sun Shadow’s blade is narrow enough to encourage that all-day rhythm, but has enough beef to step up the power in a pinch. Resin tip reinforcement makes it last through the seasons.

UPSIDE: a lightweight workhorse
DOWNSIDE: could use reinforcement on the sides of the blade

WERNER
NANTAHALA
(26 oz.)
$155
http://www.wernerpaddles.com

Werner Nantahala

Unless you run the straight shaft Nantahala over with your shuttle rig, this paddle will last a lifetime. Its powerful blade, clean entry lines and a controlling T-grip yield some aesthetic grace and comfort in the bargain.

UPSIDE: solid construction
DOWNSIDE: a little clunky

KIALOA
KALO
(22 oz.)
$129
http://www.kialoa.com

Kialo Kalo

The broad, oval blade face makes the bent-shaft Kalo a powerful stroking tool with a no-nonsense T-grip for steering control. A Dynel wrap all the way around the blade means superior abrasion protection.

UPSIDE: good power face for quick maneuvering
DOWNSIDE: the T-grip gives up some handling comfort in exchange for control

BELL
TOURING SPECIAL
(23 oz.)
$200
http://www.bellcanoe.com

A traditionalist’s dream tool. The refined, straight-shaft Touring Special is sweetly balanced and powerful. The blade is surrounded with Dynel and lightly glassed to last years.

Bell Touring Special

UPSIDE: unfinished, curved-t grip is nicer in the hand than a straight “T”
DOWNSIDE: the priciest stick in the bunch