I am going to buy an Evoke Carbon 9'2" board (my first board). They offer an add on package of an Atlantis Elixir adjustable carbon paddle, board bag, leg rope and rail tape for $399. Looks like a good deal, but I'd rather go with some advice from you blokes on here. Is the Atlantis Elixir a good paddle, or is there something in the ballpark ($229) that is a better bet?

I'm using the atlantis platinum paddle and rate it.. not quite as good as my fanatic carbon I had though.

It took me a few months to sort a paddle I wanted for surfing. As some people prefer a little bit of flex in the shaft. Especially if you have bad shoulders.

I have gotten a couple of these deals through SBW although not the Elixr Paddle specifically. Nothing wrong with the paddles I have got in these packages so I would recommend them. The rail tape though is not that good..... really just 3M plastic tape and I have had adhesion issues with them all. On my last 2 boards I have gone with ION tape and it is fantastic.... Tough as and sticks like ** to a blanket.
I have been through quite a few paddles over the years (rough buggar) but do like the Fanatic Carbons which are pretty good value. I recently got a Ke Nalu though and it is shaping up to be awesome... Bit more expensive though....

Honestly, its my Quickblade.

Seems counter-intuitive due to price, but i have had it for 4 years now. Surf and DW with it. It just works.

If it broke today, i would be ok as i feel like i got my moneys worth, unlike my paddle before it, which snapped after 4 months.

I need a new one, i'd like to get a smaller blade - i'll bypass the other brands and go back to QB.

I'm pretty happy with my Elixir adjustable. It lets in a little bit of water during a long surf session. I usually find I empty it out every hour or so as by then it will have about 100ml in it. The adjustable is a good idea as this is your first board and you'll want to change length as you progress and experiment in different conditions. The blade is a bit bigger than expected and a bit bigger than the optimal size for surfing, but it has a slightly convex face that means it is quite responsive and agile. Do tape the edges of the blade though and make sure you have rail tape. www.seabreeze.com.au/News/Stand+Up+Paddle/How-to-protect-your-paddle-blade-with-tape_7770254.aspx

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chucktheskiffie said..
Honestly, its my Quickblade.

Seems counter-intuitive due to price, but i have had it for 4 years now. Surf and DW with it. It just works.

If it broke today, i would be ok as i feel like i got my moneys worth, unlike my paddle before it, which snapped after 4 months.

I need a new one, i'd like to get a smaller blade - i'll bypass the other brands and go back to QB.

Agree totally my QB is 10 years old still going strong.

Blackfish paddles - similarly priced and as good ad quality as the a big brand (considering they make them too)...

I have the Elixir. It's main downside is that it's a little biggish for accelerating out of the blocks - most similar targeted paddles are around 7" instead of 8".

The upside is that it's got the modern adjustable mechanism which is superb.

I use the 27 North Pro Surf Kevlar, simply because its the only paddle I know of with a lifetime guarantee. I snap paddles all the time, quickblades, kialoa, etc. I've snapped the Pro Surf Kevlar too, the only difference was that when that happened, 27 North gave me a new one for my troubles.

Tell you where my experience with carbon vs fibreglass lies. Fly rods. A high content carbon fly rod is fantastic for casting a long way. They have very limited flex, therefore if you put too much pressure on them they'll snap. (Plenty of snapped paddles on this forum). Low flex but powerful. Whereas fibreglass flexes a lot more, you can't cast as far, but you can bend an 8' rod until the tip touches the butt and it won't snap. For a while to combat this and have the best of both worlds, they made blanks with a helicoil fibreglass scrim, with a unidirectional carbon overlay. More power and more hoop strength. Better? Well yes and no. The market leaders who invested heavily in high carbon graphite fly rods preach power over subtlety and most blokes will go for power every day of the week. Carbon rods are always lighter too, so if you are fly casting for hours (not usual) it means less fatigue. But if you are like me, I can't see a fly that I cast ranging in size from a mosquito to a very small moth at more than 15 metres. Most fly fishing is done at this distance. Why do we need carbon fly rods? Marketing. Where am I going with this? I'm thinking that a composite paddle will outlast a full carbon paddle, and unless you are fanatical about your gear, a composite paddle should be fine for most people.

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Ocean44 said..
Tell you where my experience with carbon vs fibreglass lies. Fly rods. A high content carbon fly rod is fantastic for casting a long way. They have very limited flex, therefore if you put too much pressure on them they'll snap. (Plenty of snapped paddles on this forum). Low flex but powerful. Whereas fibreglass flexes a lot more, you can't cast as far, but you can bend an 8' rod until the tip touches the butt and it won't snap. For a while to combat this and have the best of both worlds, they made blanks with a helicoil scrim, with a unidirectional carbon overlay. More power and more hoop strength. Better? Well yes and no. The market leaders who invested heavily in high carbon graphite fly rods preach power over subtlety and most blokes will go for power every day of the week. Carbon rods are always lighter too, so if you are fly casting for hours (not usual) it means less fatigue. But if you are like me, I can't see a fly that I cast ranging in size from a mosquito to a very small moth at more than 15 metres. Most fly fishing is done at this distance. Why do we need carbon fly rods? Marketing. Where am I going with this? I'm thinking that a composite paddle will outlast a full carbon paddle, and unless you are fanatical about your gear, a composite paddle should be fine for most people.

Going from fibreglass as a kid to high end carbon rods in my fishing.... there is no way id take a step back!

I have absolutely no paddle brand affiliation anymore and can say that the STARTBOARD enduro balsa, is one of the best paddles i've used. (for the price)

It's cheap, looks good and is nice and flexi.

If it's your first board go with the cheap package deal. No good spending a fortune on a board/paddle and then find you've lost interest a couple of months down the track. If you are hooked after six months get yourself a Kenalu. You'll never want to touch another paddle brand.