In search of a packrafting paddle. I use a high angle paddling stroke, and would likely purchase a 210cm paddle.
Light weight is one of the most important criteria in these paddles, but I don’t want to go with the “Alpacka Ultralight Paddle”, as I want something a bit more durable than that. I’m not a whitewater rafter by any means. Up to Class II, maybe very light Class III. Does anyone know how the durability of the Werner Performance Core blades will hold up to pushing along very low flow creeks, pushing off rocky beaches, perhaps bouncing off rocks in rapids, etc? I’ve only owned craptacular blades, the cheap white plastic ones. They can take a beating … how do these Werner blades compare? Also, I’ve heard that some people think of the “Performance” being more durable than “Performance Core” (the core has a foam interior). Thoughts on that?
All of these paddles come in 4 piece configurations, so stow size should be fine. Am I better off just buying the Sawyer paddle? Also, don’t worry about money, as I can buy the Werner’s basically 50% off … making it much more even (maybe cheaper) than the Sawyer.
Thanks for input!
Chris
Hi Chris,
You’ve probably bought your paddle now but as I’m sitting at home with a busted shoulder I thought I’d reply.
I’ve got a Sawyer and a bent-shaft, 2-piece 215cm Shuna. They are both great paddles but I prefer the bent shaft and the feel of the blades in the water on the Shuna. I tend to get numb thumbs with the straight shaft of the Sawyer after an hour or so. The Sawyer is 4/5 piece though and also has the adjustable length, which is useful for different situations and different boats. I tend to use the Sawyer on backpack trips but only because it’s shorter when packed. If I could have got a 4 piece Werner over 2m long off the shelf here in the UK then I would have got one and it would probably get more use.
The blades look fragile on the Sawyer but they are fairly tough and take a beating. A four piece Werner would be the same packed size and maybe slightly lighter than the Sawyer and if you can get a 50% discount then they would be worth getting.I only got 15% off 
If you can get Werner to make a slightly longer 4-piece Sherpa paddle from their whitewater range then that may be the ideal packrafters paddle. They are usually less than 2m long.
Cheers,
Mark
I was just digging through and saw your post. Likely too late, but I’ve used a number of different Werner paddles over the years. High angle, shorter blades make sense for packrafting because longer paddles and blades force your paddle to swing wider out from your boat creating a vector that wants to rotate your boat at the same time you’re moving forward. Might not seem like much of a big deal, but if you think about the amount of energy thats going into turning you boat from side to side all day compared to actually moving it forward, it could make the difference between an unbearable headwind day and just a tiring day.
I’ve used the Camano Carbon (Performance) 240 cm (way too long) and own the Shuna fiberglass 210cm, the Cyprus (performance core) 205cm bent-shaft, and a 4-piece Sherpa 195cm. I use the 4 piece for rafting and it is incredibly sturdy, but the thing weighs over 2 pounds. Unfortunately, unless I am missing something, this is the only 4 piece paddle Werner makes now (maybe with some polite pressure we could convince them to make a 4 piece carbon?).
The only real difference between performance core and performance is that performance core blades have a foam core which is great because it make the paddle buoyant in the water (essentially feels lighter when paddling) and give it just a bit more structural integrity. The impact resistance will be exactly the same between the performance and performance core. As for durability, I snapped about 4 inches off the end of the blade on my Performance Core Cyprus while kayak surfing (I was impressed at the time that I hadn’t done more damage). With a few sheets of fiberglass, a few coats of epoxy resin, and some quality time sanding, she’s held up through many more rough rides and looks pretty good. So, if you’re really worried about durability, maybe invest the extra 50% you’ll save on some noxious chemicals and a fiberglass repair class and your paddle will be able last longer than you.
Hope that helps. By the way, I don’t think Werner like for folks with pro-deals to make it so evident…like posting on an open forum…
Question? I like the adjustability, becouse I usually go out with two boats. A 16’ Aire canoe, and my pack raft. Hunting and fishing. How quiet are they? I could be on the Kenai river one day? And maybe hitting the king river outside of Palmer, Alaska?? Or even out n down Turnagain, on the Kenai side? I would like to spend less than three hundred, two hundred would be nice? I never get discounts? And I have my dog with me, I would like something that drippes less, so she doesn’t wet n cold? Then my toes get cold…
