SUP Mag UK April 2022 issue 32 | Page 100

Part ( s ) of the story – Freshwater Bay Paddleboard Co . three-piece carbon SUP paddle

Review & pics : Tez Plavenieks Traditionally three-piece SUP paddles were a back up to a rider ’ s regular fixed paddle , or an addition for travelling - specifically overseas . These days three piece SUP paddles are often included in inflatable SUP package bundles . And have come on leaps and bounds in terms of how rigid they are .

kg ie t a r s h e d : p a d d l e s

Price :
£ 165
Info :
CONCLUSION
Putting the Freshwater Bay Paddleboard Co . carbon three piece SUP paddle to use across various environments I found it to be an admirable performer with plenty of performance that ’ ll keep all paddlers happy . Obviously - being three piece - it ’ d make a great traveling companion . Or be a decent back up option for any rider looking to keep a spare aboard their SUP whilst off on SUP adventures . Or alternatively , those with lack of space and storage will find themselves with a very good SUP paddle from the off . It ’ s also a wallet friendly price and comes with a padded bag for additional protection when not in use .
Rigidity – specifically where the handle meets the shaft and the shaft meets the blade – is important . If any of these connections are wobbly then all efficiency is lost . And not only is it bad news for actual paddle strokes it ’ s not great for rider bodies either .
Freshwater Bay Paddleboard Co .’ s carbon three-piece paddle comes along looking well finished and manufactured . All the fixing points are solid with snap lock mechanisms delivering good security . The blade is quite big and shovel like . It doesn ’ t feature any bells and whistly traits like dihedral . But it should be powerful .
And once fitted together the paddle is indeed powerful . The wide blade needing a deeper , slower paddle stroke cadence . For newbies , who don ’ t tend to hammer down this will be welcome as it vrooms SUPers out of the starting gate quick smart .
The blade ’ s flat surface does require a little concentration in terms of accurate placement to avoid flutter . None the less it ’ s still a very usable and friendly piece of kit . In fact , a far cry from what used to be thought a worthy inclusion in SUP packages . ( Note : this doesn ’ t reference Freshwater Bay Paddleboard Co . specifically – more the wider industry ).
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