Need Werner Paddle Advice

[elm_tx]

My wife is talking about wanting to go yak fishing with me. That is awesome, I have two of almost everything except for a paddle, a T-160 and T-140, she has rods and reels, pfd's etc..., so not a big deal to make happen.

However I come up short when it comes to a Paddle. I use a Werner Kalliste straight shaft. I'm thinking about getting the same paddle for her, or maybe getting the Werner Ovation paddle. My question is what difference does the straight shaft make over the bent shaft? Is there really a big difference between the Kalliste vs. the Ovation? Straight shaft vs. Bent?

I appreciate y'alls feedback....

Thanks,
Eddie

[Birdsnest]

The Ovation is an astounding piece of gear. Lighter than you can imagine. It is though, primarily, a touring style paddle and not meant for pushing off and banging against oysters and reefs and such.

Unless you are both "low angle" paddlers, I would suggest considering a high angle blade like the Shuna or the Cyprus. Both are outstanding and give you some extra speed off the line.

Bent shaft vs Straight shaft - bent shafts are great for anyone with wrist issues and/or if you spend a ton of time paddling. Otherwise it is a personal preference thing IMHO.

Good luck. That Ovation is something else huh!?!


(Disclaimer - Werner affiliated.)

[Birdsnest]

PS - I will be at the FTU demo Saturday with most of the Werner Hooked paddle line for folks to try out. (Although, I don't think I have any bent shafts at the moment) ...but please come out and we will fit ya for the best blade for your paddling style.

[RiveRover]

Heres a vote for "bent shaft"...Used to have alot of wrist issues and pain after paddling(Been an Auto Mechanic for 30 yrs, tough on the hands and wrists). Finally bit the bullet and purchased a bent shaft Kalliste. Best piece of gear I,ve ever purchased! Pain after and during paddling has pretty much been eliminated.Its tough for some to get over the $$$ but a good paddle is worth every penny you pay for it.

[Jesg1224]

Birdsnest,
What's the story with the FTU Demo? Is that this Sat (4/26)? What time and which location? I've been thinking about upgrading to a Werner.

[WernerPaddles]

Hello Eddie.

Thank you for your support of Werner Paddles. Let me break this into 2 answers.

1) Ovation.
This is our ultra-light touring paddle and I have to be honest I would not suggest it for fishing. With the ultimate focus on catching fish, as you know gear takes a beating sometimes. This model, although brilliant to paddle with, really is an "air to water" type paddle. The Kalliste still gives you the bouyant blades and great paddling, but is more rugged.

2) Bent vs. straight.
This is purely a comfort fit option. If you or your wife are experiencing any aches and pains in the wrists, this would be a good fit. Bent shaft assures that you always have a good ergonomic position of your wrists. Now you can achieve this by always using a loose grip (We have a loose grip video on Werner TV if you want to watch) however the bent is like an insurance policy. Straight is familiar, less expensive and for some anglers with very wide/high seat boats it is offered up to 260cm where bent stops at 240cm. So for some, straight shaft is still a great option, especially if there is no concern about wrist injuries.

I hope this was a good help. If you have more questions we check marketing@wernerpaddles.com more frequant or feel free to just call the 1-800-275-3311 number and talk to an expert.

Cheers.

[Birdsnest]

Birdsnest,
What's the story with the FTU Demo? Is that this Sat (4/26)? What time and which location? I've been thinking about upgrading to a Werner.

League City this Saturday!
http://www.fishingtackleunlimited.com/f ... ge330.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Duweezy]

I just purchased a kalliste 230 straight shaft and my girl just got the same with the smaller shaft diameter. Awesome paddle! I personally thought the bent shaft felt a bit awkward. The straight shaft is lighter though. To each his own.

[Kayak Kid]

I've used a bent shaft Kalliste for the past ten years. I'm hard on a paddle and I do paddle long distances as well as spend a great deal of time fishing.

The quality of this paddle speaks for itself in that I've experienced no damage other than a bit of sun fade. The bent aspect makes it much easier for me to feather into high winds.

[elm_tx]

Thanks everyone for the feedback, it really helps...

I think the plan of attack will be to rent a paddle from ACK if possible, I will take my wife out and put my Werner paddle in her hands and use whatever I can rent for me. If they rent Werner, even better. But before we drop that kind of money, I need to make sure she is all in. Thanks for the heads up between the Ovation and Kalliste. I have abused the daylights out of my Kalliste and it's still going strong, awesome paddle, been using it for it for 5+ years.

She likes to pier fish, hopefully kayaking appeals to her as well and I will get her a similar paddle to mine, did not realized they came in smaller diameters. Think I will hit up ACK if she is in and see what we can do to fix her up.

Thanks
Eddie