Aztek Paddle, gimmick or a game changer?

[burchas]

Disclaimer: Aztek paddles sent me this free paddle and bag for review purposes. I was not obligated to post this review, but I feel that this paddle might be useful for some
and therefor posted it. I would like to hear your thoughts based on this review and also get feedback from other members who actually got to use it/bought it

There are good things going on with the  Aztek paddle, overall build quality is very good  (unlike some ramblings I read on the net).
The paddle feels very solid in your hand, part of it, because of the unique finish with refined texture of both palm grip and the shaft.

Shaft
This finish provides a very solid grip, preventing your hands from slipping when wetted (no gloves or rubber aids needed), the only drawback
I found with this finish is that on longer run on salty water (8+ miles for me), salt accumulated on the shaft and gets trapped in the texture,
creates a burning sensation in your palm.

To expend on the shaft, the flex profile of this paddle is also unique. Pushing the paddle against the floor "Jim Terrel's style" reveals
the fact that the shaft flex does not feel like any other paddle I've tested.  Although the shaft is more flexible than my QuickBlade's oval
tapered V-drive 91, on the water it actually feels more responsive and stiff but without the side effects of sore muscles and joints.

Blade
Moving on the blade, I immediately noticed how robust it is compared to my V-Drive, it's similar to my ZRE Power Surge but even more.
In the few weeks that I've spent with the paddles ( both Aztec and Quickblade are new to my quiver), theV-Drive already have 4 noticeable dings and
few scratches, the Aztek, only one scratch.
As for the blade template, it's effective and stable. It does not have slick and clean entry such as the Trifecta or the Werner Grand Prix,
nor posses the power catch of the V-Drive. It just gets the job done.

This blade does have a nice trick up it sleeve as it is user replaceable (no glue needed), it's attached to shaft using a screw and you can replace it in a minute
using the supplied torque wrench (to prevent from over tightening and damaging the thread)

It's all great, so what's the catch (no pun intended)?

Weight
The Aztek feels heavy, to verify that it is not just a feeling I put it on the kitchen scale and sure enough, it was not just a feeling. At 19.5 oz the Aztek comes
in 6 oz! heavier than my 13.5 oz ZRE Power Surge, and 5 oz heavier than the V-drive and Grand Prix small fit.

This extra weight didn't pose as a problem on regular workout of up to 2 hours, the paddle was actually easier on the muscles than my V-Drive, however,
on an upwind+up current workout, I couldn't generate the cadence needed to move forward up the river, I had to switch to the V-Drive to bring it home.

On a usual 20 mile run, my shoulders definitely felt the extra 5000 pounds I pushed during this 13000 stroke run. in comparison, the Werner Grand Prix s1000 small fit
which is 91 si (compared to my Aztek's 90 si) was far less taxing in that department.

Shaft Options
Well, no shaft options for the Aztek. People with oval shaft preference such as my self are out of luck. For me that was a big issue on the longer runs, the fatigue element
was much more pronounced with the Aztek compared to my smaller diameter oval shaft Quickblade and the oval shaft ZRE.

Conclusion
The Aztek is a good solid paddle. In my opinion it best suited for paddlers who are still developing their skills and fine tuning their preferences.
In My opinion, the Aztek misses the mark both on weight and shaft options. For someone like me, the removable blade is a non-starter
as I could do it easily on my Quickblade (even without tools whatsoever) and therefor can use 2 different blades on one session (power intervals).

At $390 (+$55 for the optional bag) Aztek pits it self against the higher echelon of the market and immediately draws comparison to
the leading paddles on the market (Quickblade: V-Drive, Trifecta, Werner: Grand Prix, Nitro, ZRE: Power Surge are high-end paddles I owned/tested).

For the beginner/intermediate paddler this paddle would be a very good fit as it offers durability, great grip and user replaceable blades. This price tag, however, makes it a hard sell
as I could get the Werner trance small fit with a very refined blade and significantly lighter at 15.5oz for just $309.
Furthermore, other manufactors offer their paddle as a travel paddles, meaning 2 or 3 pieces. With that in mind, I could purchase 2 different blades for that travel paddle and have
the same benefit of having multiple blades for one paddle but with even a quicker change over, yet still on a lower price as a replaceable blade from Aztek cost $225.

In my case, I would probably keep it as a training paddle as it is heavier and with a combination of bigger blade I could use it for power workouts. I would NOT use it for racing.

I think Aztek have an uphill battle. If they could lower the weight of the paddle or alternatively lower their price or even better, lower both, they might make some dent.

[raf]

they say a pic is worth a thousand words...

[burchas]

Point taken

[TN_SUP]

Thanks for posting the review, I've been considering aztec since Riding Bumps recommended them, but will hang onto my xtuf kenalu shafts for now.

[burchas]

Thanks for posting the review, I've been considering aztec since Riding Bumps recommended them, but will hang onto my xtuf kenalu shafts for now.

Do you often change your blades on the xtuf,  if so,how involved this process is?

[TN_SUP]

Always adjusting length, shaft types, and blades. Simple as warming the connection up with a heat gun, pulling blade off, squirt a bit of hot glue (if not enough left on part) and re connecting. I can't imagine not having the freedom to adjust or change handles and blades. I can't commit!

[burchas]

Yap, pretty much my experience with the Quickblade.
So what made you consider the Aztek in the first place? As I understand
kenalu also have a textured shaft and also have a mach better range of blades?

[TN_SUP]

Old topic, but it appears that Aztek has forsaken paddles and gone into the more lucrative tennis racket business. Does anyone know this to be true? I was always interested in them, maybe they are just revamping their website for 2016.

[burchas]

They haven't only revamped their website, they have also redirected their domain from http://aztekpaddles.com to http://aztekracquetsports.com and the paddles are nowhere to be found so that might suggest they gave up.

I did stressed it to them ,after they sent me the test unit, that their price point is way off the mark especially now that both Werner and Quickblade introduced new paddles with even better price points. It could be that the cost of manufacturing did
not allow them to set an aggressive price point.

I'll reach out to my contact to see what is the case. I have to say that I haven't really picked up the test unit I have after the
initial review. I found my other paddles better on almost every point.

[TN_SUP]

Thanks for your feedback on them, I'm now no longer interested in their paddles but curious about Aztek.

[eastbound]

thx for the well-done review, burchas

my guess is that they looked a the size of the tennis racquet market and thought they'd have a better chance of success there

[DavidJohn]

I don't see the need to ever change blades... Just saying.. 

[burchas]

Eastbound, if you ever have an issue with your paddles and you need a spare one, I could always lend you the the Aztek as a backup. When I tested your Kenalu, along with the Trifecta and my PowerSurge I also took the Aztek to have a point of comparison . Your Kenalu 84 performed better then the Aztek 90 for me.

The only thing about the Aztek that is better than the competition IMO is its textured shaft. I found it to have a better grip
in all cases and never had slipping issues with it. With all the other paddles I've tested I had some slipping issues.

DJ, When I'll be anywhere near your level (if ever) I probably wouldn't need to replace blades either.. Just saying.. 

[PonoBill]

Changing blades is a revelation sometimes. It changes your stroke, and usually makes it better. At the very least it makes you look at what you're doing, and I always find I've retreated to less effective paddling with lower reach effort and no attention to getting the rest of my body engaged. It's like a change of scenery--invigorating. I'm going to switch to a Molokai blade for surfing having watched Devin the other day pull herself into nice waves with a single stroke. I think my shoulder has built back up to it, we'll see.

Of course if you CAN'T change blades then it doesn't matter much.

I also find changing shafts to be important. When my shoulders stop hurting and the pain migrates elsewhere, I switch to a stiffer shaft. That gets my shoulders and core engaged sooner and lets me use more hip and legs.

Back to topic--Burchas that looks like an extremely well made paddle and weight comes from the quality of the attachments. I think I'd probably give up a few ounces to have those attachment points--looks bulletproof and beautifully engineered. I'd say from a structural engineering standpoint that it's head and shoulders beyond anything else on the market. Whether people would actually be willing to pay for that kind of quality is an open question, though with paddles topping five hundred bucks these days I'd say there's room for excellence as long as the manufacturer isn't paying for two tiers of middlemen (distributor, retailer). But it's not a huge market.

[burchas]

PonoBill, definitely a very well made paddle. I thought they had a shot if marketed right.

Their problem IMO was they were trying to go after the pro market which is so small to begin with
and failed score serious top athletes. as far as I know, they only had two second tier female
paddlers down in florida.

Their second problem IMO, they were emphasizing the points that every educated paddler would deem irrelevant and gimmicky, and failed to highlight some of the true benefits of the paddle like its superior grip and bulletproof construction. This paddle could easily double as a shovel... and dug their grave with it they did.