Werner Nitro...

[Marc996]

i am thinking about getting a Werner Nitro....

its mainly going to be for surfing but also for some lake river paddling.
does anyone have a Nitro or tested one ?

[ECSUP]

I have the three piece travel Nitro, and I love it. I've used it for both surf and distance,and it's great for both. I use a Kialoa Methane for surf and a Kialoa Shaka Puu for distance and surf when I'm home.

[paddledaddy]

The Werner Nitro is one of the top paddles to consider along with Kialoa and QuickBlades and probably a few others. I have two of them one for surf and one for distance. The Nitro is very well made and durable and has a good company behind it like the other two I mentioned. The blade has a good dihedral making it track easily and the pull of 100 square inches is nice for my cadence. All in all it is an easy paddle to use and the adjustable 2 and 3 piece options are especially attractive for traveling. I do think the blade angle on the Werner carve is a bit more pronounced as are Kialoa and QuckBlades.

[Evan Lloyd]

The Nitro is a great paddle.  Its blade is perfect for quick rhythmic strokes.  I use mine for surfing and it rules.

[wilanz]

That small blade on the Nitro sure is nice.  I paid extra for the adjustable model.  I started it with it at the longest setting and find myself now using it one setting down.  When the wind kicks up and I am out there surfing, it's nice to make it as small as possible for quick strokes.

It sure is nice to have one paddle that can do it all.  I tried the Werner Carve which was $100 less but once I touched the Nitro, I was hooked.  All my other paddle toys have carbon paddles so it was worth the extra bit.

Not sure where you are located but anyone in South Florida is welcome to try mine.  Let's meet up on the water.

[Takeo]

I got the adjustable and it's a great paddle.  Like what the other said, the narrow shape and "smaller" blade size makes for a great higher cadence paddle.  The only weak point may be the handle, have seen that crack. Since mine is adjustable, it was already glued on.  I read somewhere that there is a fix to prevent the breakage, something about filling up the handle with foam? Do a search on the forum.

[wilanz]

  The only weak point may be the handle, have seen that crack. Since mine is adjustable, it was already glued on.  I read somewhere that there is a fix to prevent the breakage, something about filling up the handle with foam? Do a search on the forum.

Yeah.  good point.  That just happened to my buddy yesterday.  As he describes it,  "It snapped mid stroke, Fell face first on the board with one hand on the paddle and another on the handle and then went splash off the side of the board"

My buddy and I both have adjustable types that already came glued together.

[Takeo]

I would of thought Werner would of addressed this handle failure problem.  Anyone know if the handle falls under warranty?  I know the broken piece can be removed using heat so that a new handle can be glued.  I do not want to do a faceplant..who does. 

[robcasey]

I've had a Nitro for a year and love it.  I prefer narrow blades to help reduce shoulder stress. I use it for both surfing and touring. 

Per breakage, I've never had an issue with the Nitro or any other Werner paddle.  And I've used Werner in surf kayaking, whitewater, and rough water sea kayaking for a decade. 

[beaglebuddy]

I have a Nitro adjustable and I like it a lot.
I think smaller blades are the way to go unless you have the power stroke of Laird.
Never had the handle breaking issue yet but if it happens I can just put a new handle on.
I like the handle design a lot AND the paddle is made in the USA !!!
Get the paddle longer than you think you will need it

[Marc996]

hi,

thanx for the input guys i think i might try the Nitro, though i am bit worried about the handle issue that was mentioned earlier.

i am from Germany and Werner paddles are a bit Cheaper that Kialoa here...so that would be another reason to give it a try. I had a Shaka Pu which unfortunatly snapped in half...

my height is about 75 inch and i am looking into getting the Nitro in 83 Inch...that worked good with my Kialoa paddle.

cheers

Marc

[wilanz]

I would of thought Werner would of addressed this handle failure problem.  Anyone know if the handle falls under warranty?

The local shop replaced the entire upper section of the adjustable paddle and is working with Werner on the Warranty Claim.  I think it will be covered.  I'll post if anything is different. 

[Richard]

Hey Marc996.......I've had my Nitro for a year and love it. Be aware that the blade is longer than many paddle blades, therefore the total length of the paddle needs to be a little longer. I am 71 inches tall and my paddle is 82" long. At first I thought I was going to have to shorten it. But the more I used it, I realized it felt just right.

Recent comments on this forum have shown paddles are tending to be used slightly longer than was previously recommended. You should maybe consider a little longer length and shorten it if necessary. I use mine mainly in surf and it feels good.

On another note....there is something inside the handle area that has just started rattling. A small piece of something. I can hear it sliding from handle down to what must be the foam seal in the shaft. No big deal, just a little annoying.

This is a very nice paddle.

Regards,
Richard

[Takeo]

Good point, the Nitro blade is narrow and longer than most blades, therefore a longer overall paddle would probably be best.  I also noticed that the adjustable shaft is a bit more rigid due to the ferulle.