Shaft flex

[tarquin]

Wondering what is considered a stiff or flexy shaft.
 I would say you put more pressure on the shaft when standing still like this.
 I read a few reports saying these Gong shafts were flexy. It seems really stiff to me.
 I have seen some pics of pros recently and the amount of flex in the shaft is huge. OK they are probably paddling harder.
 When I am paddling in cruising mode I don't think there is any flex at all. Should there be a little flex even when you are paddling in cruise mode?
 What are peoples thoughts on flex?
 

[Dwight (DW)]

Looks normal to me. About what I see in photos of myself. Sometimes even more flex. I avoid known stiff shafts.

[Biggreen]

I just recently bought a Sunova balsa paddle. A real beauty. But I didn’t realize that the shaft was carbon wrapped in a bamboo veneer stick on. All good, I’m not complaining. And I like the paddle, but it’s a stiff shaft. I’m SO spoiled by the flex in an Xtuf shaft by KeNalu that I doubt I’ll ever use anything else. Love the flex. And I love the power in the spring back when really digging for a wave. I’m with DW, your pic looks right in there and fairly flexy.

 Have I said it already? Love the flex!

[tarquin]

I am pulling really hard in the photo to make it flex. I would rarely pull this hard. I am sure when standing like this you are putting more pressure on the shaft than when paddling.
 I need to get some pics when paddling. I don't think there is much flex when I am paddling.
 Its a pretty light shaft so its amazing how stiff it is.

[PonoBill]

No question that you're putting more pressure on the paddle than when you're actually on a board. Pulling hard in a pool makes the blade wobble like crazy too. You're trying to move tons of water. The blade has to slip to go anywhere. Jimmy Terrels doughnut pool is about the only way to simulate paddling with actual water.

That shaft looks stiff, and the bend is mostly at the bottom third, which generally means the shaft has little or no taper and the stiffness isn't graduated. I suspect that will be tough on your shoulders. I doubt that stroke looks anything like your usual stroke, it looks like its mostly powered by your arms instead of your core. If I did ten strokes like that I'd be laid up for a week.

There's a subtle kink in the shaft about halfway between your lower hand and the water. If you handed that paddle to Junya McGurn he'd break it right there or just below his lower hand in his first session. Fortunately for paddle makers everywhere, there are very few guys like Junya. 

Shaft flex is a function of a number of factors. Carbon percentage, diameter, taper, number of wraps, fiber angle, etc. A lot of carbon paddles are actually fiberglass with a layer of carbon that's partly cosmetic. The serious paddle makers offer several stiffness levels. Being able to choose a stiffness and blade profile that's best for you, your paddling technique, natural cadence, and power is why some paddles cost 500 bucks and some don't.

xTuf(S) is probably the best shaft anyone has made for people with dodgy shoulders. It's not the highest performance shaft, but it's a great compromise of performance without pain. I've never found anything better, and I've tried dozens of paddles. It's not just the amount of flex, it's also how it loads up progressively and that it bends smoothly. Depending on your lower hand position it can bend as much between your lower and upper hand as it does from lower hand to the water. It's also probably one of the few unidirectional carbon shafts on the market. Making that work was a bit of a trick.

[tarquin]

It wobbled a bit when I pull hard.
 There is no taper. No i wasnt using my body just pulling to see how much the shaft would flex.
 The shaft is 28.5mm OD and 26.5mm ID. It fitted perfectly on the QB blade. It is really light, about 270 grams before I cut it,so I can't believe how stiff it is.
 

[MaartenAir]

I prefer some flex in my paddle schaft. As PonoBill mentioned, a stiff shaft puts a lot of stress on the shoulder (and neck). I made the mistake of buying a paddle with an oval shaft which was telephone pole stiff. Never again. It took me quite some time to recover from a neck / shoulder injury I got from that paddle. The large blade didn’t help.. I’d like to try that x-tuff shaft though. For now I prefer a softer shaft and a smaller blade.

[PonoBill]

Tarquin, if you REALLY want to see it wobble, reach way out, shove it in the water as smoothly as you can, wait a heartbeat for the air to clear off the blade, and pull it towards you. It's not really a legit test, since the incompressible water needs to flow around the blade. It doesn't just move through the water like it would through the air. The only blade I know of that won't wobble like a Rappalla in that test is the Kohihi, and it wants to drag you into the pool. The test is meaningless, the Konihi "passes" only because the wings control the flow across the blade. Other than that it's a brutal blade.

[FRP]

.........the Konihi "passes" only because the wings control the flow across the blade. Other than that it's a brutal blade.

Hi Bill, I use a Konihi blade in the surf (yes I know not a surf blade) and like the paddle compared to my other blades. Why “brutal”?

Cheers

Bob

[PonoBill]

Me too, sometimes, but the catch is pretty vicious and if you don't bury the blade it doesn't work. It rewards a good stroke but punishes every screwup. If you lose concentration you're suddenly slow.  I bet you know exactly what I mean by that. The Mana is more forgiving.

[FRP]

Me too, sometimes, but the catch is pretty vicious and if you don't bury the blade it doesn't work. It rewards a good stroke but punishes every screwup. If you lose concentration you're suddenly slow.  I bet you know exactly what I mean by that. The Mana is more forgiving.

Yes I think I know what you mean about the catch.  Not infrequently I pull myself off the front of the board. Most often though a couple of good strokes and I am on the wave.

Bob

[PonoBill]

Yup, the Konihi is the all-time champion for the sudden surprise catch. You get your catch absolutely perfect--either by accident or through constant practice--and suddenly it's like you stuck the blade in concrete. A launch off the nose is almost inevitable.