Anyone suggest a reasonable (in price and quality) adjustable paddle?We have a Naish aluminium at present ,while it is durable and does the job for various family members it is quite heavy .I am sure a lighter glass or carbon glass will be more popular with the troops,and stop them grabbing my Naish carbon glass.

GSI/Trident Adjustable paddles don't bother looking any further cos it doesn't get any better for price/quality

i am using an oxbow adjustable at the moment....not sure what it cost exactly...but its a damn good paddle!

Have a c4 stendy the wife and I share, pretty happy with it. Like the ball handle, sometimes the locking set up can take a while to grab but once it does it's fine. Not super light, fine for surfing or cruising.

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Gregos said...

i am using an oxbow adjustable at the moment....not sure what it cost exactly...but its a damn good paddle!

I'm with Gregos ... our spare paddle is an oxbow full carbon - I rate it.

The gsi (and almost identical kaimana) are very basic, good and cheap but still pretty heavy.

The best value quality paddle I have seen of late is the 3 piece adjustable C4 which comes in carbon or less expensive fibreglass and the best adjustable is probably the quickblade.

Very hard to beat the C4 though IMO.

I have the adjustable Kialoa paddle called the Hinalea.. and here a past post about it.. Click here.. www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=46003

It's still going strong (over two years now) and paddles really nice.. Although a bit heavy compared to my full carbon paddles the shaft is the heaviest part and the blade is very light resulting in very little swing weight.. I've heard there is a new Kialoa adjustable paddle coming very soon.

DJ

Thanks everyone ,lots to check out there.Just have to tread the line between function and cost without compromising too much.DJ is that dynel tape readily available ?I did a number on my Naish paddle today(shallow rocks) dynel tape would have saved the edge .

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waxer said...

Thanks everyone ,lots to check out there.Just have to tread the line between function and cost without compromising too much.DJ is that dynel tape readily available ?I did a number on my Naish paddle today(shallow rocks) dynel tape would have saved the edge .

Black or blue stuff in that pic?

The blue stuff looks alot like dynel tape and come standard on the adjustable Kialoa paddle and seems to be apart of the manifacturing process.

The black stuff is just Nitto electrical tape.. www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Stand-Up-Paddle/SUP/How-I-tape-my-paddles/

DJ

The Sunny King glass adjustable paddles are ok, carbon shaft, glass head, seem well made and weigh in at 700 grams. Bought one for my partner and she is very happy with it. Probably get her a better paddle later but this works fine, light enough and adjustable to friends to use. Also won't break the bank, more money to spend on your own toys.

Using an Oxbow Adjustable as well and it is good on flat water and surf. Family uses it too.

Around $400 or less when I bought it.

Have noticed when I use it in the surf that water does go up into the extension tube, which is not a big problem as you just have to turn it upside down to get the water out.

Guess you could do this while riding the wave; not as if anything else is happening at the time. Just another trick to master.

^^ 700 grams used to sound light. I have a paddle that weighs in at 408 grams, and I have a 12 gram tube that I can insert to make it adjustable, plus a 1 gram grub screw.

So it is perfectly possible to have an adjustable paddle at 421 grams, for people between 6 foot tall and about 5'1. 5'0 would be a stretch... But a longer insert and shorter main shaft would fix that.

(don't mean to sound like a smart bum, but I sure like my ultra light paddle, with a slightly stiffer shaft than most on the market.... which in my book equates to less lost power.... but I'm not in the elite ranks either, so why would it matter !! )

My wife and kids like using the Bic adjustable paddle.
Sells for $260.
Carbon shaft too.

Same .Same..GSI.Adjustable paddles..hard to beat..

Hey waxer
I just posted a review of the new Hobie adjustables.
Check em out as they are the best I've seen.
And their not expensive.
Jason

I was in Maui last month. In the Naish shop they had their new carbon/glass 3-piece adjustable paddles which were really really nice. I think they were about $325-350 (so probably about $500 here), but they were great.

Haven't seen them over here yet, or even online, but they did say that they've shipped some over :-)

Hope you find a good one

Cheers
Richie

Yep it's true. Naish are doing a full range of adjustable this year.
Along with the alloy there is now-

Makani Carbon/Glass Vario-


Kahola full carbon vario-



Alana Carbon/Glass-


Keiki childrens vario-