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For kayak paddles used for higher performance watercraft the wing paddle is the preferred paddle design. They are more efficient at catching the water with the scooped blade and once you become proficient at the technique used for paddling with a wing paddle you will see that they are very efficient in energy usage compared to all other kayak paddles, helping to more effectively use the larger muscles groups of the legs and core to generate propulsion. The wing paddle is the same type of paddle used by ICF kayak racers in the Olympics and world championships although for shorter sprint races they use a larger blade face.
For blade face sizes once you learn the technique and get connected at the catch before starting leg drive you will see that smaller blades are not only very effective but also have plenty of bite. I sell small/mid sized blades over mid sized blades probably 90% to 10%. If you are younger and stronger or doing shorter events a mid might be just the thing for you but most people will be fine with a small/mid.
For shafts you will find round and oval shafts. With the round shafts I find a loose grip helps let the blade do its thing and with an oval shaft you have a better feel for the feather angle of the blade since when you grab an oval shaft you immediately know the orientation of the blade face in case of a needed brace. Greg Barton with Epic designed an oval shaft with a medium blade scoop (twist) for Epic paddles. Greg started his business making paddles so he knows what he is doing.
The carbon blade on the Epic Club Carbon (CC) and Full Carbon (FC) paddles is exactly the same. You do get nicer graphics on the FC but they are both the same carbon material, design and weight. For the shafts with the CC the shaft has fiberglass in it for a bit more flex and to keep costs down and then it is painted green for a cool look. The new FC shafts which came out in 2016 have a 3K carbon material with a matte finish on them so you don't have to sand the grip area for better grip. The shafts on the new FC are also a bit more flexy then the old burgundy shaft which seems to be the trend which eases strain in the shoulders. The weight difference is about 2-3 ounces more for the CC or about 21oz to 22oz for the FC compared to about 23-24 for the CC. I have been told from a top paddling friends that Epic paddles are the best all around design wing paddle out there and are great in all conditions.
Paddle Dynamic keeps both in stock so feel free to stop by for a test paddle or see us at one of our events to try them out.
*** Addendum. In 2018 Epic introduced the new ProGrip wing paddles. All of the ProGrip models have a small round shaft as the base shaft which is very strong and is stiffer as well compared to the oval shafts. You can either get it with the bare round shaft if you have smaller hands or prefer a small round grip or else there is an oval or large round grip option as well. The oval grip area is the same size as his other oval shafts The blades are the same as the current Club and Full Carbon models.
The ProGrip paddle is a very well balanced paddled with a bit more snap to it as a factor of the stiffer shaft. If you want a bit more power but don't want the added stress on your shoulders of the mid wing blade this might be just the thing for you.
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