Paddle advice

Hi guys,

I am interested in moving into a stealth kayak.  I have been kayak fishing for a few years and currently fish on a Hobie Outback, and an OK Trident 15. 

When I ride the Trident I am using a CF werner kalliste with the bent shaft, but it never really offered the kind of "oomph" or "torque" that I am looking for.  Prior to this I owned a werner Tybee which was a little more "torquey" is that makes sense.  I also have some limited experience paddling on flat water with a werner skagit.  The skagit and the kalliste are both longer narrower blades, I gather that i probaby prefer a shorter wider blade, as I like a more vertical stroke when paddling.

With that being said, I have seen a few of the stealth kayak paddles and they look pretty unusual compared to what I am used to seeing here in the states, but they appear to be completely functional and probably pair well with the stealth kayaks, given that those too are fairly unusual relative to our state side offerings.

I am curious as to what kind of paddles you guys pair with your kayaks, and how you like them.

I think the paddles you are referring to, in regards to the guys on Stealths, are wing paddles. I believe they are popular with surf skis and racing. You can definitely get them around here in the states. I know Epic and many others make them and I occasionally see wing paddles on CL and FB market. I just got a Werner Cyprus for my Stealth. Im still waiting on the boat so I cant be any help on how it pairs. Im also a total newb when comes to paddling so im not the best source for advice. But I use it with my Eddyline and it is great. It is incredibly light and you can really feel the bouyancy versus some cheap blade. Im trying to develop a good proper high angle stroke and I hope will be ideal with a surf ski style boat. The Werner Ikelos is a pretty aggressive blade and im also sure there are a ton of nice paddle options out there including wings.

Thanks PorkchopXpress,

I appreciate the input.  The winged paddles are exactly what I was referring to.  I will have to do some searching.

I run a Aqua-Bond Manta Ray Carbon 2-Piece Posi-Lok (high angle) since I wanted a more of a touring paddle as I enjoy just paddling lakes, rivers, deltas (flat water) as well as the ocean. High angle blades are shorter and wider versus low angle blades which are long and narrow.  Or the Aqua-Bond Whiskey (high angle) both in straight and bent shafts.

Anthony

Cool.  Thanks for the heads up and info.  I went ahead and ordered a full carbon wing paddle (RPC3 Mid Wing).  If I cant get used to it, I may have to get a touring paddle down the road.

I also got an RPC3 wing when I got my Fisha 500, thinking the Stealth Angla 700cm2 blade would be too small. My RCP small mid (735cm2) is a very good paddle for the money, and unlike most wing paddles which are designed for racing on very narrow surf skis, it has almost no helical twist on the blade so it's relatively easy to get used to, easier to brace with and use for rudder strokes etc. The more radical "twisted blade" designs that are common for racing wing paddles are slightly more efficient but are also much more sensitive to form mistakes, and trickier to use. Not sure @ blade on your RPC mid wing. It may have more twist that the model I have, which would make it want to angle harder away from the boat as you pull through the stroke.

My RPC bites pretty hard on the catch with its 735cm2 teardrop shaped blade, so you get good acceleration and top speed. I found it to be a bit tiring with my 500 on longer days, and my stroke rate was a little lower than I prefer, but it's a good match for my faster + narrower Pro Fisha 575.

I also have the Stealth Angla W, which like my RPC3 has no helical twist, but the blade silhouette is also more symmetric, so it's about as close as you can get to a traditional flat blade in a wing design. It's very small at 700cm2 compared to most wing paddles, so you lose acceleration and top speed, but you can keep your stroke rate up and it pulls through the water easier. Overall it's a very nice paddle.

My only minor complaint about both paddles is that they're very stiff, and a slightly softer shaft with some fiberglass would make them a bit easier on my joints. Epic and other wing paddle companies let you choose your shaft stiffness carbon/fiberglass composition.

I did a lot of poking around before I felt I had a basic understanding @ wing paddles. Blade size measurements compared between wing and flat paddles is apples to oranges. Most wing paddles are used for racing on very narrow boats so larger blades are desirable. A wing's blade curve + twist also makes the blade comparison not equal. Manufacturers also don't disclose how much twist in their specs, so you can only tell by look or feel. You'll also notice that the deepness of the cup varies quite a bit as does the overall profile. Most modern blades are asymmetrical with a teardrop profile that can also vary.

That was a lot more than I thought I'd write. LOL Hope it helps.

Thanks for the detailed reply.  I really appreciate it. 

On a semi related note, how do you like your fisha 500?  I am back and forth trying to decide between a 460 and 500 right now.  The 460 fits the bill for every aspect except I can't fit an 8' rod in the hatch.  Not entirely a deal breaker but it would be sweet to fit that in.  However, i'm not sure that it's worth the handling concerns of an extra foot of boat, and the potential storage issues of going with a boat >16' given spacial issues in my garage

Love, love, love my 500. I can't guarantee that an 8' will fit, but you can always cut a couple inches off the butt and cap it, or have a rod builder do it for you. Long rod butts are a hinderance on a kayak IMHO. Other than that, you'll get a little more speed from a 500, not much, but it adds up over a long day.

Sweet!  Thanks for the info.  The rod in question is my surface iron rod so giving up the extra length might give me some.usses, guess I'll just have to pick up a new set up 🤷‍♂️