PADDLER 10
Ainsworth Carbon whitewater kayak paddle www . ainsworthpaddles . co . uk By Helen Nightingale
PADDLER 10
REVIEWS
Ainsworth Carbon whitewater kayak paddle www . ainsworthpaddles . co . uk By Helen Nightingale
I am pleased to have recently taken delivery of this beautiful paddle . It ’ s an Ainsworth Carbon Whitewater River paddle with a small blade , 30-degree feather , and 190cm long . I am petite at 5 ’ 0 ” and 55kg and normally paddle a teenager-size Perception Method .
My background is SUP , and I accidentally started kayaking over winter . I joined Paddletastic in Coventry for a time in the pool when it was too dark outside for SUP on the canal , and I quickly discovered the fun of no-rules polo and then Grade 2 rivers . My boat is old and pre-abused , and my first paddle is ancient , terrible and worn out . I was starting to find that , while I was loving river trips and the polo , I was surprisingly timid on some of the basics . My go-to SUP paddles are Ainsworth . I can trust them to support me in the water and deliver decent power . My kayak paddle does neither ! As I wanted to do more Grade 3 water , I had to fix my weak points . I realised I was holding back because I knew I couldn ’ t trust my awful paddle . I needed to fix my mindset before my skills would improve , and trusting my paddle was vital .
When the new paddle arrived , I went out on the canal . Despite living on the canal , I ’ d never previously paddled a kayak on the cut . There were too many submerged bikes for my liking , but excitement got the better of me . My means of access is to seal launch off either my narrowboat or a neighbour ’ s boat . You must pivot 90 degrees to avoid hitting other moored boats when you hit the water . A tippy boat and a rubbish paddle make this a slightly worrying launch , but no problem at all with the new Ainsworth paddle . Heading down the canal on a gentle social potter was a pleasure , and even with a small blade , the paddle gave me so much more power than I was used to .
A couple of days later was a pool skills session and Paddletastic Polo . I have a bit of brain retraining to do , and I still need to learn techniques properly . I was so pleased with the difference in just an hour . Previously , bracing practice didn ’ t happen . I ’ d flap about or flip over . My first challenge was to start getting my shoulder wet and effectively brace . Old paddle – no ; new paddle – easy ! Then , onto the polo session . It teaches you reactive paddling . It ’ s utter chaos ! I always felt slow ; I could never catch up with my opponent or speed up in a tackle . Instantly , on changing paddles , that changed . I felt faster and better able to keep up with the others . I could be braver and get more stuck into what is effectively a floating rugby scrum . You have to paddle instinctively and just DO .
Paddles go everywhere and can get knocked out of your hands , dropped or stolen by the other team . My old paddle had no ‘ feel ’; my hands always fell back into the wrong position , and each end of the shaft was the same . The Ainsworth has an apparent difference between the left and right hand on the shaft , and it was easy to get your hands back into an efficient position even when surrounded by carnage .
I then headed to the Llangollen Canoe Club for a peer paddle on the Dee . At Mile End Mill , there is a section of gentle water that is great for practising skills . I wanted to try out the new paddle on some basic skills in my boat and a few larger ones . I used to find ferry gliding hard . I ’ d put my paddle in , and nothing would happen . Often , the river would win . Trying out creek boats was a nightmare ; I bobbed around , unable to do much . I had a new-found confidence in my paddle , and the simple things like ferrying across moving water became so much easier . Paddling bigger boats became less like hard work . I can ’ t wait to try the paddle down a decent bit of river .
If you ’ re currently using a rubbish paddle , seriously consider one of these . And if you aren ’ t sure what will be right for you , don ’ t hesitate to get in touch . The help and advice I have received from Ainsworth have been brilliant . If you are an unusual size , it ’ s worth asking if a standard paddle can be tweaked , such as my small blades . I haven ’ t felt any strain on my shoulders at all . A decent paddle is worth having at whatever level you are at . Price : £ 299.99
Photos : Paul Crowsley and Paddletastic