When I first started kayak fishing, I was a fisherman who wanted to use the kayak as a inexpensive way to get to more fishing grounds. I was not a paddler
who wanted to take up fishing. As many do when first starting out, I purchased a paddle that was not expensive, but would get the job done. I purchased a
"Perception" Sea Passage model. The price was right, about $80. It looked sturdy with the aluminum shaft and plastic blades. It weighs 47 ounces. Just one
ounce under 3 lbs. After I had my kayak fully setup with all the bells and whistles, I decided to purchase a second kayak, which meant I needed another paddle.
Of course, the name"Werner" came to mind. I wanted a paddle me and my wife or daughter could use. While the old "Sea Passage" was sturdy, it would be incorrect
to say it was light. After looking at different models, we settled on the "Camano" model 240cm in length. Other models had more blade surface area, which would
be ok for me, but possibly taxing for my wife or daughter to use for any length of time. Their "Mid Tour" series had a blade that would be good for my wife
and daughter, but possibly a bit too small for me. We settled on the Camano. We chose the 240cm length because we have a Malibu2 tandem we paddle which is wide,
and the extra length would help me keep a lower angle for my paddling stroke while paddling my single kayak as well.
Our first outing with both paddles proved to be eye opening. My wife and myself paddled our Malibu2 in Mission Bay, San Diego. I was using the older "Sea Passage",
and my wife was using our new "Camano" paddle first. We paddled to San Diego Sailing Center to say hello to Bryan who works there. We switched paddles when we were
starting to return, and it was light night and day the differences. The "Camano" was not only more efficient in moving through the water, but felt like I was paddling
with a feather. It's average weight for a 230cm model is about 30oz, which means mine weighs about 31 or 32 ounces. Compare that to the 47 ounces of the other one, and the
difference is remarkable.
I'd recommend the "Werner" brand paddles to anyone looking for a top quality long service paddle. They can cost several hundred dollars, but if your the type who takes care of their gear, these will pay for themselves several times. Happy paddling... PerryC |