I'm sorry, I know this topic of paddles comes around every few months, but I'm in Australia and information on all these paddles is hard to find locally. Plus I have a specific question:

How does the Carbon Graphite SRS paddle differ from the Carbon Fibre Burnwater and ZRE paddle?

Almost everyone in my team with a carbon fibre paddle has a Burnwater, it appears to be the paddle of choice for almost every semi-serious paddler in Australia. I just thought I'd get something different. This will be my first paddle, I've been paddling for two seasons but just never got around to buying one. I usually sit in rows 4-5 if that helps.

Dragonboat World Mag. had an article about those paddle you just mentioned. Choosing a paddle can depend on the weather conditions. The reason behind this is that with the SRS, ZRE and Burnwater are such light paddles that their more of a hinderance in windy conditions, where you waste 'pushing' through the wind. Whereas, a paddle such as Apex is more 'weighted', allowing momentum push through the wind.

I recommendation:
Calm conditions - ZRE
Windy to Calm conditions - APEX

Get a Brasca. Best paddle on the market.

Have you price this bad boy? It is the most expensive of the CF bunch. Plus with the way the IDBF keeps changing the 'Standard' every few years....

The Burnwater is the best paddle and the most expensive. The ZRE is also nice but the handle is crap. The SRS is a piece of junk. Apex is solid but a bit too heavy.

Actually there are two models of Apex. Both virtually the same except one they call high performance (I think that is the name difference) and it is more heavy duty and weighs as bit more than their lighter version.

I opted for the lighter one anyway (even though for my size and experience they suggested the heavier duty one) and I have not had any problems with it. I figured that if for some reason it broke it wouldn’t be an issue given the good reputation of fixing any issues.

All that said, I have tied the ZRE and it was ok. I really like the feel while paddling with my Apex and the adjustable length can be a big bonus as well.

Cheers

PS. I have not tried the others so they may be better or worse, but I cannot say.

neither one of the paddles really stand out in all categories.
Each person should run through one practice before they buy, otherwise buying too stiff of a paddle may result in shoulder and joint injuries. Individual physical differences will lead you naturally to one of the brands.

carbon is sexy, but not necessary. Good crews will find ways to win with broomsticks.

Paddle preference here in North America is sometimes dictated by the person or crews relationship with the manufacturer. USA crews, especially those in east in general prefer ZRE (USA maker), west coast leans towards Burnwater (another USA maker, but in west). In Ontario, it depends on who has good relations with SRS or GWN.

In Summary, test drive the paddles and see which one feels good in your hands during and after a race or practice.

Paddle preference here in North America is sometimes dictated by the person or crews relationship with the manufacturer. USA crews, especially those in east in general prefer ZRE (USA maker), west coast leans towards Burnwater (another USA maker, but in west). In Ontario, it depends on who has good relations with SRS or GWN.

In Summary, test drive the paddles and see which one feels good in your hands during and after a race or practice.

ZRE has a few different handle choices. I like the palm grip and the other makers only make the T grips. The palm is the same as my marathon paddles to is what I am used to. The wooden T-grip also looks comfy to me if I were into T's. The shaft is oval which is also important to me. Round shafts feel cheap and clunky. I love the idea of the Apex having the adjustable paddle and have lobbied Zav to make one too. That way during practice when only 12 people show up you could still use your favored paddle. Finally, I'd like to suggest the Grey owl with carbon shaft and reinforced blade. It makes sense for the money and you could just use a Grey owl club paddle during most practices (if the stiffness worries you) and then the switch to the race paddle for special occasions is easy since it feels just like your more flexible practice paddle. My two cents...
Ron D

The one thing I noticed on the SRS paddles, the handle which is hollow is also open at the ends. Sure this saves weight and material and all, but it allows water to get in. Its not a big deal as the handle part shouldn't be submerged anyways. I just noticed it as the person who was using it submerged the whole paddle and then had to invert the paddle to get the water out. I don't know if they changed it, but I found that weird nonetheless.

I like Burnwater personally, though I agree that if you like different types of handles other than T-grip should consider ZRE. While lighter stiffer would seem better, I agree with the previous poster that in windy conditions its not as desirable.

They are all good paddles and in a 2 minute race it is not that critical.
A palm grip grip allows the wrist to keep a neutral position which will reduce wrist/forarm problems , especially if you are paddling a lot of hours.It is also more efficent.I wouldconsider the palm grip , available from ZRE.

Brasca also has a palm grip, and the shaft is kind of corrugated or ringed, which helps grip without needing wax. Used one for both dragon boat and Outrigger, very nice.

I've tried Burnwater and ZRE, and preferred the Burnwater. Just felt better.

I've only test-hefted the Apex and found it heavy, but I've not paddled with it and many people seem to like it. The adjustable shaft length is a great idea.

Haven't used SRS yet, but I'm sure we'll see them a lot around the GTA this year.

Thanks for the responses guys and gals. In the end, shipping costs decided it all for me. A bunch of paddles is being ordered by the state governing body so I'm going with the Burnwater. I wasn't willing to pay another AUS$50-150 (depending on whether I wanted the paddle assembled or not before being shipped) to individually order my own.

Cheers

It's a good choice ........it's what we are useing and they are nice if you ever get them on time as it seems he is having problems right now with manufacturing .Our team ordered from him at the end of last yr and our team still has not seen our paddles and just got excuses saying the quality of the paddles he recieved from china was poor so he has had to go elsewhere to have them made but has promised them to us by sometime in march (this month).... I'm not going to hold me breath as he hasn't come through yet but did give a few loaners to try to hold us over .

Burnwater gets my vot too. But I use a ZRE. These things would last forever if IDBF din't keep changing the specs. The Grey owl and apex are too heavy, and I've seen the SRS snap.

Grey Owl's new full carbon is sweet. Price is sweet too.

Thought the other post would be interested in this one.

Here in Britain, the weapons of choice for carbon fibre paddles are the S12's. There are a few ZRE's about, but the majority of people still use wooden grey owls. Grey owls may be wooden and clumsy at times, but a lot of people train at club sessions with them, mainly due to knocks/scapes that can be incurred from fellow paddlers etc. I really think there should be more clarity on the advantages/disadvantages of a paddle. There are brands here that are being talked about that I have never heard of, and I have been paddling for 5 years (last year at international level). Maybe the IDBF and/or our respective governing bodies should do something about this.

go for the burnwater i heard also that typhoon8 will present their carbon blade soon!

The upper portion of the Apex blade is not dihedral or cambered in cross section (whereas the Burnwater, Grey Owl, Patasy, Brasca and SRS are all so designed.) That means, the two flat leading surfaces on either side of the centreline can lead to sideward instability or flutter as the blade is pulled and reduced efficiency. Some guys swear by them however. But even for a 1K sprint, I agree a broomstick or two by four (dimensional lumber) will do just as well. CF blades are way over rated, unless you paddle marathon distances.

My choice is the Brasca (tried 'em all), but I wonder what the new Grey Owl is like...

i tried..grey owl wooden paddles..the pro..some are light..the con..some are heavier then the rest...also ZRE's are great too..but i dislike the handle...its too small...i prefer the T handle.....i have a burnwater paddle...its great...a bit heavier then ZRE but it does the trick....

also the extra long paddles at portland were great! big, strong, and surprisingly light....and its red! hahaha

to me if your a good paddler doesn't matter what you use

I noticed lots of the National team paddlers using SRS this last few years. Having tried them all I must say SRS has quite a versitle blade. I would rank it an 8 in weight 9 in strenght and in flexabilty. In terms of problems with water leaking into the shaft I haven't seen it. I think with more exposure the market outside of Canada will catch on soon to this baby. SRS is a serious blade that I'm sure we'll see more of on the international scene. Hey guy's need a rep ????

No you're doing a fine job Kev

Oh brother...as if.

I prefer the Mapple shaft paddle...
Lubed up it handles very well It's stiff at the begining and then has the tendancy to bend when I apply the right amount of pressure always with a happy ending

Grey Owl does 2 carbon paddles...

I recently got my hands on a new carbon paddle called an Osprey and tried it while I was away in California over Christmas. Amazing! I'm gonna get one and switch over from my ZRE!

Cheers.

Grey Owl is the standard in wood and they put a lot of thought into this new one they got. I think it feels exactly like a Burnwater. Which means its real good. Nice feel, light but not insane and I've yet to see one snap or break. The SRS is a good paddle too. A little heavier but good feel and balance. The open handle is a non-issue really. The Apex is a bit too heavy for my liking personally and the adjustable handle is awkward although the lighter version I haven't tried. Braca has a great feel too and perfect weight and balance but the finish makes it slippery unless you got wax.

try putting a bit of hockey tape for grip.

Sand lightly around grip using course paper , 50 or 80.

Grip area of shaft , of course.

bump...

GWN is now selling the Apex Full Carbon paddle (with optional adjustable handle).... I'm considering this versus the SRS...

- From the sounds of it, the Apex has a foam core....?? And is heavier than the SRS. (Versus SRS hollow core)
- The SRS I've seen the hollow handle and the 2 holes, and how you can fill the entire length of the paddle with water (if you submerge it into water)
- Based on the pics of the Apex, it's got some kind of rivet/screw by the handle (silver)... Is that going to hold?!
- Anyone have pictures/can explain how the adjustable handle works on the Apex?

Which do you guys recommend? (for a newb that's been paddling for 3 yrs; so no perfect strokes just yet.... My wood Grey Owl is way too short.)

Get a Zaveral with a pear grip , it lets you keep your wrist straight.

Why doesn't s/one come out with a wrist brace to help keep it straight? Offer it in many bright cool colors. You will sell tons.

The tan lines would bug the chit outta me.

Just got one as a gift. It does seem heavier than the some other CFs I managed to briefly separate from their owners. It feels only slightly lighter than my old wood high performance paddle.

The adjustable handle just involves loosening screws, pulling the handle out of the hollow shaft and adding or removing spacers they ship with the paddle. The aluminum parts there probably don't help with the overall weight.

Anyone have any experience with getting or preventing water from getting inside the shaft? I can see how that might be a problem if you're even moderately careless... or your teammates have a warped sense of humour...

Haven't used it yet though - we only start our cold soaks in a week

how does a pear grip help keep your wrist straight??? If you slightly angle your T, then you can get your wrist straight.

I have an Apex and it's great. I got the lighter version NOT the high performance one whihc is supposed to be more durable, but is heavier. The lighter one is plenty durable and strong. Based on their good service record/support I wasn't too worried about running into trouble if I had a problem which I have not. I think this will be my 3rd or 4th year with my Apex.

The screw basically works what I can best describe as a mechanism that kind of acts similarly to disk breaks on cars whereby it press two curved plates inside the shaft outwards to lock the inserted handle in place... Mine has never moved at all.

While I love the feel and weight distribution of it (not all do), by far the best feature is that they can be adjusted by up to two inches. For someone like myself who has been paddling for a while and is used to a long paddle it allows me to shorten it if need be if ever racing or training in heavier boats (IE. When sitting lower in the water I can shorten the paddler from 50” to 49" or 48”).

For someone in your position there is an equal or maybe even greater benefit whereby you can pick a length starting at the longest you currently feel comfortable paddling with and two inches longer than that at the top end. This will allow you to increase your paddle length as you get accustomed to the longer paddler WITHOUT having to rebuy a new paddle every time you want to try one an inch longer.

So if you have a 46” or 47” now, you could get an Apex that adjusts between 48” and 50” and your covered for a while down the road.

So many good paddles out there. Even the basic Grey Own high performance wooden paddles are a good choice from a value for your money perspective. If at all possible try out a few of them.

Cheers

When you get to high performance paddles you will find more opinions than dragon boat team.
Having changed my paddle several times over the past 9 years I would suggest that you continually try different paddles as they come out. You will find that your personal preference changes as your skill increases.

For myself I personally use a lighter paddle and the wind doesn't make a difference if my techique is good. If you think about it "wind issues" (wind resistance) are due to the surface area of the paddle that that is connecting with the wind and regardless of the wieght of the paddle you will still have to overcome this obsticle in windy conditions. The heavier weight of a paddle reduces the feeling that the paddle is flying away on your return stroke and hence people tend to like it more in windy conditions - but then you have to contend with a heavier paddle and the wind resistance.

When talking to most of my paddle freak friends who are on A division team they have all moved to lighter paddles for all kinds of competative conditions (ZRE, Burnwater, SRS) - and the reasons come down to how it feels for their skill level and paddling technique.

For myself I currently have 2 carbon paddles - ZRE and a Grey Owl Jet - which one I use depends on which one gives me feel like I am giving the best performance for that day (enhances my technique). Usually I find that fatigue from training will be the deciding factor.

Good luck - and remember dragon boat paddlers have a supersticious streak in them and what they say is not necessarly a biomechanical fact.

Disclaimer
Biophysics Dude has degrees in Human Kinesiology and Biophsyics and has been paddling for 9 years - but most anyone can figure out the answers to paddling mechanics if they took high school physics.

Cheers