Paddle Blade Angle

[spirit4earth]

I'm probably going to get a Werner Soul paddle, but I have a question about blade angles.  Werner has just a 7 degree angle, while other companies tend to have a sharper angle.
What are your thoughts on this?  How does the angle affect paddling?

[RomaniaSUP]

Why the Soul? Are you planning on paddling white water?

As for 7 degree offset, it will really depend on your stroke and technique. I've paddled everything from Eric Terriens 2 degree offset to my Werner Grand Prix's 12 degree offset. I've found that I prefer somewhere around 8 for flatwater and 10 for surf. Really just takes some experimenting to figure out what you prefer. But 7 isn't too drastic in one direction or the other so you should be fine.

[PonoBill]

Offset reduces the tendency to wander but mostly it's there to help you get the paddle out of the water after you've pulled it too far. If you discipline yourself to get the paddle out early and/or you use a Tahitian-style stroke you can use less offset.

[DavidJohn]

I'm used to about 10 deg.. I paddled with one recently when I swapped with someone and theirs was abaut 14 deg.. It felt awful.. 7 deg should be ok imo.

[blueplanetsurf]

The Soul looks like a nice blade.  I have not tried it but the shape and angles look good and I think it will work well.  I would never use it since it has a bendy fiberglass shaft.  I don't like to have a lot of flex in the shaft, I feel like I loose a lot of power with a bendy shaft but that's me, I prefer the snappy flex of a good carbon shaft.  Many paddlers like a flexy shaft as it is more forgiving and easier on the shoulders.

[RomaniaSUP]

The Soul looks like a nice blade.  I have not tried it but the shape and angles look good and I think it will work well.  I would never use it since it has a bendy fiberglass shaft.  I don't like to have a lot of flex in the shaft, I feel like I loose a lot of power with a bendy shaft but that's me, I prefer the snappy flex of a good carbon shaft.  Many paddlers like a flexy shaft as it is more forgiving and easier on the shoulders.

Yep that's exactly why my first question was if he was going to be using it for whitewater. Not only is the shaft pretty bendy, the blade flexes a lot (like the Werner Fiji). I haven't used it on whitewater rapids so maybe all the flex is good there? but for anything else I think you will find Robert is right.

[spirit4earth]

I won't be using it on whitewater.  I'll paddle open lakes, smooth rivers, bays, ocean swells.....
I have a Werner kayak paddle which I really like, plus I can get Werner locally.  Would a carbon shaft really be that much better than a fiberglass one?  As a beginner, either one would eventually just feel normal to me, since I wouldn't have anything to compare it to.
I'm also wondering whether to go with a small or medium blade size.  I like power, but the truth is, my shoulders are a bit worn out and I do need to protect my joints.  A small blade wouldn't be so small that I'd have to paddlepaddlepaddle, rather than paddle paddle paddle, would it?   

[TallDude]

Think of the blade size like gears on a car. A 110 sq in. being 1st gear, and an 80 sq in. being 4th gear. Imagine using your clutch to start in 3rd or 4th gear. Your blade goes through the water, but your not really moving yet. You will eventually get up to speed, but you will have to maintain a high rep stroke to keep you there (4 cylinder- high rpm). A 110 blade is like popping the clutch in first gear. You will start moving right away with very little slip, and your shoulders will feel it. Now to maintain that speed, you won't need a high rep stroke. Each stroke is a power stroke with almost a pause between strokes. If you're not a 'Power Lifting' V-10 (over weight) kind of person, then a smaller blade might be the right choice. How small to go? Personally,+1 on fiberglass shafts being a power loser. 

[spirit4earth]

Think of the blade size like gears on a car. A 110 sq in. being 1st gear, and an 80 sq in. being 4th gear. Imagine using your clutch to start in 3rd or 4th gear. Your blade goes through the water, but your not really moving yet. You will eventually get up to speed, but you will have to maintain a high rep stroke to keep you there (4 cylinder- high rpm). A 110 blade is like popping the clutch in first gear. You will start moving right away with very little slip, and your shoulders will feel it. Now to maintain that speed, you won't need a high rep stroke. Each stroke is a power stroke with almost a pause between strokes. If you're not a 'Power Lifting' V-10 (over weight) kind of person, then a smaller blade might be the right choice. How small to go? Personally,+1 on fiberglass shafts being a power loser. 

That analogy works for me.  Once I'm up to speed, a small blade will be fine---am I right?  The Werner smalls are only 85"!  So maybe a Nitro with a small blade?

[TallDude]

I'm a big guy, and I've been very happy moving down from a 110 to a 95 for distance paddling. So much better on my shoulders, but the shaft has a lot to do with it. You want a little flex, but not fiberglass kind of flex. Shafts can have progressive flex properties. There is a ton of info on that subject  if you search this site.

[spirit4earth]

I believe the Werner Soul is a carbon/fiberglass blend.

[stvandev]

Full disclosure, I'm a Werner team paddler.  I've used a few different brands of paddles and the Werner Grand Prix suits my style best; the Grand Prix has a 12 degree offset.  I've found the Grand Prix a bit more forgiving when I'm getting tired racing, which results in going faster.  My surf paddle is a 3 piece Werner Nitro with a smaller offset.  Both are great paddles, a somewhat different feel, but really not a huge difference.  Technique is definitely key because once that's dialed in, then you'll be able to figure out what paddle works best for your style; everyones a little different.  As far what model and materials, it's what you can afford.  The biggest difference is the weight between the models, mainly based on the amount of carbon in shaft and blade.  The carbon and fiberglass/carbon blend shafts feel pretty similar flex wise, there is some flex in the fiberglass style blades on Carves but Soul is different construction (I haven't had a chance to try the Soul yet).  I generally agree with the sentiment that you should get the most high-end paddle you can afford because it really does make a difference, with that said for general use I don't think you'll go wrong with the Soul.

[TallDude]

A paddle is not something I change much. When I first starting paddling, I bought a Werner Advantage and a Werner Ottertail. Both with hybrid fiberglass-carbon shaft. They are heavy and have been my loaner paddles for years. About 3 months after buying those, I borrowed a friends QB and realized how much more power the carbon-fiber gave me. Not to mention how much farther I could go and keep a higher cadence because of how much lighter it was. I haven't used are wanted to those Fiberglass-composite Werner paddles in years. Pay the extra $$$ for a Werner with the all carbon-fiber shaft. It's worth it! You won't likely change paddles for years, but the new boards are going to cost you big time!

[spirit4earth]

Full disclosure, I'm a Werner team paddler.  I've used a few different brands of paddles and the Werner Grand Prix suits my style best; the Grand Prix has a 12 degree offset.  I've found the Grand Prix a bit more forgiving when I'm getting tired racing, which results in going faster.  My surf paddle is a 3 piece Werner Nitro with a smaller offset.  Both are great paddles, a somewhat different feel, but really not a huge difference.  Technique is definitely key because once that's dialed in, then you'll be able to figure out what paddle works best for your style; everyones a little different.  As far what model and materials, it's what you can afford.  The biggest difference is the weight between the models, mainly based on the amount of carbon in shaft and blade.  The carbon and fiberglass/carbon blend shafts feel pretty similar flex wise, there is some flex in the fiberglass style blades on Carves but Soul is different construction (I haven't had a chance to try the Soul yet).  I generally agree with the sentiment that you should get the most high-end paddle you can afford because it really does make a difference, with that said for general use I don't think you'll go wrong with the Soul.

Do you think the smaller offset of the Nitro or Soul would be okay for mostly flatwater, with occassional small surf?  I won't be racing but I do like to go fast!  And the blade size?  Is 85 too small for flatwater paddling?

[stvandev]

The smaller offset will work fine for flatwater and surf.  I've used the Nitro for everything: surf, flatwater, downwinding; it's a good all-around shape.  I believe the Nitro and Soul are the same shape with different materials.    Blade size is tough one to weigh in on, really depends on how you paddle.  Higher cadence will probably work better with a smaller blade.  I've been happy with the medium blades in the Werner line.  Depends on the feel you like as well on the blade size.