PADDLER 18
Ainsworth SUP ( Carbon Pro ) Small paddle www . ainsworthpaddles . co . uk By Helen Nightingale
PADDLER 18
REVIEWS
Price : £ 209.95 SRP
Ainsworth SUP ( Carbon Pro ) Small paddle www . ainsworthpaddles . co . uk By Helen Nightingale
When arranging this paddle demo , Ainsworth contacted me to ensure they sent out a suitable paddle for me . The original plan had been to test a two-piece paddle . However , I am short ( 5 ’ 0 ) and slightly built , plus I like my paddles on the short side . Ainsworth were very helpful , and we decided to go for a single piece , small blade , cut to 67 ”, the same length as my regular paddle ( a Black Project Hydro with slim , soft flex shaft with medium blade ).
The paddle arrived very well packaged , and my first impressions were good before I saw it , and I wasn ’ t disappointed . I like the look of the paddle . It ’ s plain but smart with no gimmicks . It gives the impression development money went into paddle design rather than pretty artwork or patterns . I have small hands , so I was sold on my BP Project paddle with a slim shaft , which suits me perfectly . I ’ ve tried many other paddles , and some felt too bulky .
The Ainsworth came with a standard diameter shaft , which felt smooth and sleek . The T-bar handle was comfortable to wrap my fingers around the top . Like the shaft , the handle is made from smooth carbon . The blade is a teardrop shape and provides an intermediate shape between the aggressively straight lines of my BP and the roundedness of my Starboard Tufskin . The design means it should be forgiving enough not to throw you off balance if you make an error but not turn your efforts into vibrations , flutter and inefficiencies . The blade is of good quality , thin , stiff , and is rigid without being thick or heavy . The shaft and blade / handle joints were neatly finished with a heat shrink . Overall , the Ainsworth Carbon Pro looks like an excellent intermediate-level paddle .
ON THE WATER
When I first tested the paddle , life got in the way of paddling , and I hadn ’ t been out for a long time . This paddle restored my enthusiasm , so it was straight out down my local canal for a ten miler . I borrowed BP Lavas to race with and found I got blisters within 3km , and there was not the grip on the water that I was looking for from a blade . Three kilometres down the canal , I didn ’ t have even a hint of a blister or any shoulder aches . Paddling felt effortless . I ’ d chosen to go out on my tourer , an 11 ’ 6 ” 29 ” Starboard . I ’ ve done many miles on it and raced on it , so brilliant to get an excellent feel for the paddle without thinking about the board . I find the board quite wide , so I was interested to see how easy it would be to get a straight stack .
I often use a small river fin on rubbish-filled canals – it ’ s less forgiving on bad technique than a standard touring fin . I was delighted with how easy it was to get the relatively straight-sided blade into the water and maintain a straight line . I found the paddle easy to read ; I could feel the power throughout the stroke , then tail off as the blade reached my feet . There was little flutter or vibrations . Despite losing some fitness and technique through time off the water , I had no shoulder fatigue after 10 miles or blistering on my hands . That distance with my Starboard Tufskin would undoubtedly have caused some soreness .
One concern I had was the smooth texture of the handle and the shaft . Much as I love my Black Project paddle , it can get a bit slippy in wet weather or when you paddle hard on those sweaty palms days ! I ’ d been itching to get out and try the Ainsworth on a bad weather day , and despite the smooth finish , the grip was good , so my concern was unfounded .
At 20 ”, I don ’ t have to worry about how easy it is to stack a paddle on the Starboard Sprint properly . A faster board is good for picking up detail on other aspects of the paddle . The Ainsworth paddle felt great , powerful , and easy to read – no flutter or vibrations . The shaft was noticeably stiffer and less flexible than my BP , as it should be , but it still felt very comfortable and easy to paddle .
My local canal is rather mucky , and the risk of hitting shopping trolleys is high . I ’ m looking forward to getting out on a lake where it ’ s safer to pick up speed and see how the paddle fares on gripping the water faster and how it handles buoy turns .
CONCLUSION
The Ainsworth paddle offers fantastic value for money and performs far better than expected for the price . At only £ 50-60 more than my entry-level Tufskin , with a plastic blade and heavy shaft , the paddle seems outstanding value . You could have the heavier , composite blade Fanatic Diamond or a Starboard Lima Carbon for similar money . At a similar spec but another £ 100 or so on the price tag , you could opt for a Black Project Lava , which , although a shade lighter , I found was not a match for the Ainsworth Carbon Pro .
I would be delighted to try the Ainsworth paddle in some sprint races , and I will try it at the Paddle Skedaddle ( 27km race ). I wish I had had this paddle for the Trent 100 ; I ’ m sure it would have been perfect . It ’ s light , powerful , easy to handle , and not scarily expensive . Ainsworth customer service was excellent . I ’ ve already been recommending these paddles and wouldn ’ t want to give this one back . The Carbon Pro has been the only paddle beside the BP Hydro I ’ d happily buy myself .