Author Topic: The New all in one vario-flex paddle  (Read 14191 times)

zachhandler

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Re: The New all in one vario-flex paddle
« Reply #15 on: July 18, 2016, 06:28:22 AM »
I wonder why the 2oz difference then. Mine was 13.6oz at 77" 85sqi.
Did you get the extended handle? That would explain it.

Maybe i have to calibrate my scale. It was still 2oz lighter than quickblade 91 in round shaft on my scale and within a fraction of an ounce from the kenalu mana 90.

You know, I think Bill is right. I got a little wankier. You got a great paddle that is down there with the Quickblades and the Kenalus. What more can one ask.

I still prefer my ZRE vario-flex 80 the most even though it's my heaviest paddle.

I have zero complaints. Feels really light. Really powerful. Snappy. Makes me happy every time i use it.

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Re: The New all in one vario-flex paddle
« Reply #16 on: October 03, 2016, 01:54:35 PM »
Since my last review, I’ve been racking hundreds of miles on the paddle, including few 20+ mile competitions. I just love this paddle. The ZRE blade is so efficient, at 80SQI it preforms better for me than my QB Trifecta 86 at the same SPM but without the extra strain I get with the Trifecta.

We are now at the 4th prototype and I think this is it! For the last round, I’ve asked bob to modify the ferrule and  the adjuster clamp. Now instead of relying on third parties to manufacture the fiberglass ferrule, bob creates it in-house and it is a super strong carbon ferrule, just like the rest of the paddle.

Bob also improved his shafts since than, making them stronger and up to 2 oz lighter than before (I’m not sure how it is possible but can’t argue with facts).

Last week, I got the new prototype with the new carbon ferrule and modified adjuster, I was floored. The paddle came in at 15 oz!!! It is now lighter than my 1 piece QB trifecta and feel more solid than it as well.

Quite few paddlers asked me what’s the deal with this paddle and when they got to try it they were shocked to find out how good it felt compared to there QB’s and Werner’s. I have about 10 paddlers in my local crew switching to ZRE after taking notice.

I’m quite glad I pushed ZRE on this project, and I can’t wait for this option to go production and be available to all. This is truly an all-in-one paddle!

Thank You Bob!
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Quickbeam

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Re: The New all in one vario-flex paddle
« Reply #17 on: October 03, 2016, 06:46:34 PM »
Hey Burchas,

Congratulations on your paddle. Was curious as to how your new paddle is different from the adjustable paddles listed on the ZRE website? One difference I noted is that you said you have a 4 inch adjustment whereas the ones on the website have a 6 inch adjustment. Any other differences you are aware of?

I was also wondering about the 80 sq. inch blade. I’m currently paddling a Werner Trance 85 sq. inch. I like the paddle, but have been wondering about an even smaller blade. For reference, I’m 5’ 8” tall and weigh approx. 150 pounds.

And finally, I live in Canada and don’t have any opportunity to test paddle the ZRE. So if I was to order one I want to make sure I know as much about it as possible.

Thanks for any information you can provide.
Infinity Blackfish 12’ 6” x 23”
ONE SUP Evo 12’ 6” x 24”
Infinity Whiplash 12' 6" x 24 1/2"
ONE SUP Evo 12’ 6” x 26”
Bark Competitor 12’ 6” x 29”
Red Paddle Explorer (Inflatable) 13' 2" x 30
Starboard Airline (Inflatable) 12’ 6” x 27

Argosi

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Re: The New all in one vario-flex paddle
« Reply #18 on: October 03, 2016, 07:25:43 PM »
Sounds like a great paddle Burchas. One lingering concern I have - when reducing the paddle length to near minimum, is there a chance that the lower hand would partially sit on the part of the shaft with the gap for adjusting length?

burchas

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Re: The New all in one vario-flex paddle
« Reply #19 on: October 03, 2016, 07:29:46 PM »

And finally, I live in Canada and don’t have any opportunity to test paddle the ZRE. So if I was to order one I want to make sure I know as much about it as possible.

Thanks for any information you can provide.

This 2 piece paddle you can actually travel with. Their current "2 piece" is a 1 almost  full paddle length piece with adjustable handle.

As for sizes, it is as always personal preference and  has a lot to do with your style of paddling and the conditions you paddle in.

That's said, I'm 5'8 175 and my usual size is the 80 and as I mentioned, I do better with it than the bigger sizes for most cases. I actually added a 75 SQI recently, for long distance and downwind specific conditions. Don't have any data to support this blade yet. I also have an 85 and 90 sizes which I mostly use use for power training.

My advice, unless you really feel your current paddle is too taxing for the paddling you do, stick with the one you have. I had good amount of time using your paddle and there is a lot to like about it. Would not spend $400 just out of curiosity or just to gain a slight speed edge.

If however, you do feel the need to go smaller, you can't do better than the ZRE imo! I tried, own or owned just about every other comparable paddle on the market
And came to that conclusion after a lot of trials.

I would suggest that if you are to go smaller, go with the 75sqi rather than a small 5sqi increment. The ZRE has very powerful and efficient blade.
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burchas

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Re: The New all in one vario-flex paddle
« Reply #20 on: October 03, 2016, 07:40:40 PM »
Sounds like a great paddle Burchas. One lingering concern I have - when reducing the paddle length to near minimum, is there a chance that the lower hand would partially sit on the part of the shaft with the gap for adjusting length?

The answer to yor question is yes. It could happen regardless to the length adjustment. It only happpens when I really open a wide gap between my Hands while seeking for a good leverage on the blade.

For that reason I moved the clamp mechanism to the back of the shaft so my palm is never in touch with it is also like that by design since when I hold the shaft at that point, it is where I have the least amount of flex which is what I want when seeking for more leverage and power.
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Argosi

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Re: The New all in one vario-flex paddle
« Reply #21 on: October 03, 2016, 07:50:49 PM »
Sounds like a great paddle Burchas. One lingering concern I have - when reducing the paddle length to near minimum, is there a chance that the lower hand would partially sit on the part of the shaft with the gap for adjusting length?

The answer to yor question is yes. It could happen regardless to the length adjustment. It only happpens when I really open a wide gap between my Hands while seeking for a good leverage on the blade.

For that reason I moved the clamp mechanism to the back of the shaft so my palm is never in touch with it is also like that by design since when I hold the shaft at that point, it is where I have the least amount of flex which is what I want when seeking for more leverage and power.

Thanks. Is the adjusting clamp section flush (same diameter) with the rest of the shaft? If so, that would help.

And when your lower hand goes over the gap, does it feel uncomfortable? I guess it's only for a short time though - assuming that distance between the hands would not be something you'd want to maintain for a while.

Quickbeam

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Re: The New all in one vario-flex paddle
« Reply #22 on: October 03, 2016, 08:12:49 PM »

And finally, I live in Canada and don’t have any opportunity to test paddle the ZRE. So if I was to order one I want to make sure I know as much about it as possible.

Thanks for any information you can provide.

This 2 piece paddle you can actually travel with. Their current "2 piece" is a 1 almost  full paddle length piece with adjustable handle.

As for sizes, it is as always personal preference and  has a lot to do with your style of paddling and the conditions you paddle in.

That's said, I'm 5'8 175 and my usual size is the 80 and as I mentioned, I do better with it than the bigger sizes for most cases. I actually added a 75 SQI recently, for long distance and downwind specific conditions. Don't have any data to support this blade yet. I also have an 85 and 90 sizes which I mostly use use for power training.

My advice, unless you really feel your current paddle is too taxing for the paddling you do, stick with the one you have. I had good amount of time using your paddle and there is a lot to like about it. Would not spend $400 just out of curiosity or just to gain a slight speed edge.

If however, you do feel the need to go smaller, you can't do better than the ZRE imo! I tried, own or owned just about every other comparable paddle on the market
And came to that conclusion after a lot of trials.

I would suggest that if you are to go smaller, go with the 75sqi rather than a small 5sqi increment. The ZRE has very powerful and efficient blade.


Thanks Burchas,

As I mentioned, I do like my paddle. The only concern I have is that I sometimes get sore elbows (golfer’s elbow) when I paddle and one of my shoulders gives me a bit of a problem. Last year I was using the Werner Nitro in the medium size (which I think is about 100 sq. inches???) and then this year I bought the Trance in the 85 sq. inch.

My elbows are better since I switched to the Werner Trance, but I’ve also been going for regular massage so I’m not sure if my elbows are responding to the massage, to the smaller paddle blade area, or a combination of both. My elbows still aren’t 100% even with the massage and the new paddle but they much better. What I’m finding is that they are not getting as sore as they did previously, and when they do get sore, they are recovering much more quickly. I literally took all of last winter off paddling to give my elbows some time to heal, and for the most part the time off and a lot of heat and ice therapy worked.

In any case, this is the only real reason I would think of another paddle. I thought maybe an even smaller blade surface area and maybe a more flexible paddle might fix this elbow problem once and for all.

Also have a bit of a shoulder problem and wondered if a new paddle might help with that as well.

Thanks for the extra information. Don’t think I’ll do anything right yet, as it is a lot of money. But it does give me something to think about. Thanks again.
Infinity Blackfish 12’ 6” x 23”
ONE SUP Evo 12’ 6” x 24”
Infinity Whiplash 12' 6" x 24 1/2"
ONE SUP Evo 12’ 6” x 26”
Bark Competitor 12’ 6” x 29”
Red Paddle Explorer (Inflatable) 13' 2" x 30
Starboard Airline (Inflatable) 12’ 6” x 27

burchas

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Re: The New all in one vario-flex paddle
« Reply #23 on: October 03, 2016, 08:46:50 PM »

Thanks. Is the adjusting clamp section flush (same diameter) with the rest of the shaft? If so, that would help.

And when your lower hand goes over the gap, does it feel uncomfortable? I guess it's only for a short time though - assuming that distance between the hands would not be something you'd want to maintain for a while.

The adjusting clamp is NOT flush with the shaft. it is not protruding a lot either.
As you s guessed, it is an extreme position and while it does NOT feel uncomfortable for me, that's probably because I don't spend too much time in that position.

The good thing about this paddle is that it is ZRE after all and that means everything is customizable! So if you have long arms which might put you in that position on a regular bases, you can always ask to have the top part disproportionally longer than the bottom part, that way you'll never end up grabbing on the overlapping piece. Problem solved.
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mtnbkr

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Re: The New all in one vario-flex paddle
« Reply #24 on: October 08, 2016, 08:26:50 PM »
I'm in the market for a new surf paddle wanted to try something in the 80 sq. in. range and I like oval shafts so not much out there to choose from.

Any thoughts on how the ZRE would be for surf?

Thanks!

burchas

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Re: The New all in one vario-flex paddle
« Reply #25 on: October 08, 2016, 08:33:19 PM »
I'm in the market for a new surf paddle wanted to try something in the 80 sq. in. range and I like oval shafts so not much out there to choose from.

Any thoughts on how the ZRE would be for surf?

Thanks!

I'm at beginner level so I'm not qualified to judge, but I do use it to surf.
I hope more qualified zoners can jump in and give their thoughts what to look in at a surf paddle.

Shape wise, it's not a surf shape, angle off set is not optimal either that's about all I know...
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Quickbeam

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Re: The New all in one vario-flex paddle
« Reply #26 on: October 13, 2016, 12:46:10 PM »
Hey Burchas,

Wanted to let you know I just ordered a ZRE paddle. Just got off the phone with Bob about an hour ago. Great person to deal with. I got the adjustable shaft, but I got the one listed on their website, not the one you have talked about in this thread. Am pretty excited, but also a little nervous. It’s a lot of money for a paddle that I can’t demo and I am getting some things I’ve never tried before. Things like oval shaft, palm grip and flex shaft. I’ll hopefully have it in a week or so. Can’t wait.
Infinity Blackfish 12’ 6” x 23”
ONE SUP Evo 12’ 6” x 24”
Infinity Whiplash 12' 6" x 24 1/2"
ONE SUP Evo 12’ 6” x 26”
Bark Competitor 12’ 6” x 29”
Red Paddle Explorer (Inflatable) 13' 2" x 30
Starboard Airline (Inflatable) 12’ 6” x 27

burchas

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Re: The New all in one vario-flex paddle
« Reply #27 on: October 13, 2016, 01:22:50 PM »
Hey Burchas,

Wanted to let you know I just ordered a ZRE paddle. Just got off the phone with Bob about an hour ago. Great person to deal with. I got the adjustable shaft, but I got the one listed on their website, not the one you have talked about in this thread. Am pretty excited, but also a little nervous. It’s a lot of money for a paddle that I can’t demo and I am getting some things I’ve never tried before. Things like oval shaft, palm grip and flex shaft. I’ll hopefully have it in a week or so. Can’t wait.

Congrats! That's a very good choice. I don't think you have anything to be nervous about. This week 12 of my group members ordered the ZRE after trying mine. All of them have Quickblades or Werners (and one Kenalu) but they all felt how big their blade felt after paddling with mine.

I'm glad you went with the 75 SQI. You're going to get yours even before I get mine.

Let me know what you think when you get it.
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Quickbeam

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Re: The New all in one vario-flex paddle
« Reply #28 on: October 20, 2016, 01:20:37 PM »
Hey Burchas,

Wanted to let you know I just ordered a ZRE paddle. Just got off the phone with Bob about an hour ago. Great person to deal with. I got the adjustable shaft, but I got the one listed on their website, not the one you have talked about in this thread. Am pretty excited, but also a little nervous. It’s a lot of money for a paddle that I can’t demo and I am getting some things I’ve never tried before. Things like oval shaft, palm grip and flex shaft. I’ll hopefully have it in a week or so. Can’t wait.

Congrats! That's a very good choice. I don't think you have anything to be nervous about. This week 12 of my group members ordered the ZRE after trying mine. All of them have Quickblades or Werners (and one Kenalu) but they all felt how big their blade felt after paddling with mine.

I'm glad you went with the 75 SQI. You're going to get yours even before I get mine.

Let me know what you think when you get it.


Hi Burchas,

Just got off the water from trying my new ZRE paddle for the first time. All I can say is “WOW”! I don’t want to over exaggerate, but it really did feel that nice to me. Absolutely love this paddle. Just seems to cut through the water like a hot knife through butter. Is smooth and comfortable. The grip is a little larger than I’m used to, but after a couple of hours out on the water it felt just fine.

I’m not sure yet whether this paddle will help me with my golfer’s elbow issue and I think it will take a while before I have an answer to that question. But I do know, after only a couple of hours using it, that this paddle is a joy to use.

Should also provide a word of caution for anyone considering a ZRE. If you go on the ZRE webpage you will see you can get a lot of different options with these paddles. I’ve had Werner paddles previous to my new ZRE and when I was buying my last Werner I tried both the Grand Prix and the Trance. The Grand Prix had a 12 degree blade angle and the Trance had a 10 degree blade angle. I really didn’t like the 12 degree blade angle on the Grand Prix so I ordered the Trance.

When I looked at the blade angle on the ZRE, it comes standard with a 12 degree blade angle and for a little extra money you can get different blade angles. I talked to Bob at ZRE about this and told him I wanted the 10 degree blade. I gave him my reasons and he recommended I stay with the 12 degree blade. Bob told me that ZRE measures their blade angles differently than most of the other manufacturers, and that his blade angle would actually be about 10 1/2 degrees if measured the same as most other manufacturers. In any case, I went with Bob’s recommendation and stayed with the standard 12 degree blade angle. Am really glad I did as the paddle is extremely comfortable to use the way it is.

And finally a word about ZRE customer service. The first time I called ZRE I spoke with Max and my next conversation was with Bob. Have to say they were both extremely helpful and easy to deal with. I just couldn’t be happier with either the paddle, or the service I received. And thanks again to you as well Burchas, for recommending the ZRE. I now understand why so many of your group members ordered the ZRE!
Infinity Blackfish 12’ 6” x 23”
ONE SUP Evo 12’ 6” x 24”
Infinity Whiplash 12' 6" x 24 1/2"
ONE SUP Evo 12’ 6” x 26”
Bark Competitor 12’ 6” x 29”
Red Paddle Explorer (Inflatable) 13' 2" x 30
Starboard Airline (Inflatable) 12’ 6” x 27

burchas

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Re: The New all in one vario-flex paddle
« Reply #29 on: October 20, 2016, 01:51:29 PM »
And finally a word about ZRE customer service...

This is the one thing ZRE customers always raving about and for a good reason.
For part of our group who ordered the paddles it was really a time sensitive order as they needed it for the Chattajack race. Bob and Max went out of their way and delivered the 12 paddles in 3 days! All in top notch condition not even one complaint from the group about wrong measurement or size.

This is the customers service level you can expect, either for warranty if you ever get any issue (I personally never had any) or if you want modification, which ZRE are open to, without having you getting the shaft (pun intended).

I'm glad it improved your paddling experience, now lets hope it helps with your elbow issue as well. Congrats Again!
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