You cant beat my bamboo and spackle core.

Dave,

I don't have time to read this whole thread so sorry if I repeat something. This is in response to Water Wacko's post:

AT's are the most broken paddles on the market. I have seen 6 of my friends break different models over the past year in a variety of different ways. Sorry, but although these paddles feel pretty nice, only buy them if you feel like flushing $300 and going through a long, annoying warranty process. You might get lucky and have an AT that doesn't break on you but that is a long shot.

Hi Courtney, thanks for the beta, really helps me understand more about the paddles before I commit to one certain blade. It's almost like you need to have two paddles, one for river running and one for play. I'm just concerned about the foam core being dammaged if I slam it around to much, and I do tend to do that. So I guess it's down to faom core or not foam core?

Yes I do aggree Chuck.

Two paddles is the way too go. I use my AT for river running, creeking, big water, etc. But the paddle I swear by and can't live without is the Werner DD. When I broke it I went and bought another the next day.

Edited by Larry - 18 Apr 2007 at 9:28am

Dave, y'all,

SRK carries AB, Werner, AT, Sawyer (wood paddles), and... I can't remember the last. I know that Jake ordered a sweet custom wood paddle that was a bent shaft. I don't know where he got it from. Maybe ask him. AT's the bomb.

AT paddles break-e-break. AB paddles suck-e-suck.

I've been doing a lot of paddle demoing lately.  and would like to confirm a couple things without beating this conversation to death. 

Thats pretty funny Eric! But, I was talking about paddles?

Just saw another AT2 break today.Two weeks old and it broke on the New River Dries.

Here is my thoughts on creeking with a Zero degree paddle, all my perspectives and feelings from using a lower feathered paddle vs 45's.

First off not many would like it so I am not suggesting that it be the hot ticket. It could in fact be more negative than creeking with a feathered paddle. I learned to boat/roll etc without a feather, so I creek without one too. Just my taste

There is no question in my mind on whether or not shaft breaks are more prone with lower feathered paddles.  I have my own experiences and thats just how I have come to my views on the fact that lowering the feather increases your chance for breakage.  If your paddling a lower feather you have less room for error because niether side of the blade with give on entry. So you can bust your face easier, rack the rib cage harder and break shafts easier also it all depends on how hard you hit and the strength of that shaft.

The second thing to creeking with a lower feather is impact flutter on the paddle when entering from a water fall, now granted I lack the experience on super high stuff that this really comes into play on, but the experiences I have had would certainly still apply just in a larger magnitude on those big drops. When you tuck up for impact and set your paddle to your side, a lower feathered paddle has both blades pointed together vs having one off set, This decreases the amount of flutter that I have felt between the different paddle angles I have used.

Maybe I am totally different, or perhaps I am doing my backdeck roll wrong, but when I try to do it with a higher angled blade it is easier. Zero degree is the most cocked on the wrist for me. I would not be able to formulate a good explanation for this with out two under water camera's, a few water proof strobe lights, a case of Rasputin, several heavy diving weights and 5 feet of green garden hose without the fittings on the end!

James